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Romo skips full-pad session for 1st time at camp

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are taking it easy with Tony Romo’s back.

Romo sat out a competitive practice for the first time at training camp Tuesday, although coach Jason Garrett said it wasn’t because of any setbacks from surgery for a herniated disk in late December.

Garrett said the Cowboys are making daily decisions on workload, and Romo is in on them as well. Romo said after the practice that camp was going as planned.

“Feeling great,” Romo told The Associated Press. “Everything’s on schedule. Just got to be smart. It’s going exactly like I thought.”

Executive vice president Stephen Jones said it was the 34-year-old quarterback’s idea when he skipped Friday’s full practice, which was lighter work without pads.

Romo did all the competitive work in the first two practices with pads Saturday and Sunday. The team was off Monday, and Romo was part of the morning walkthrough session earlier Tuesday.

“There’s an old adage in football: A day off can be really valuable, two days off can be life changing,” Garrett said. “So when you get in this kind of a situation, we had yesterday off, got some good work this morning in the walkthrough, some mental work of some of the different situations we’re working on.”

Owner Jerry Jones said Romo “is 100 percent” and he was “not at all” concerned about the health of the first player in franchise history to sign a $100 million contract.

“We’re really pleased with the way he’s practicing and the work he’s getting done and what he’s doing both on and off the field,” Jones said. “But nothing in any way would concern you certainly about his back.”

Romo sustained the injury against Washington last season but stayed in and threw a game-winning touchdown pass. He had surgery two days before the Cowboys lost to Philadelphia with Kyle Orton at quarterback in a season-ending loss that kept Dallas out of the playoffs.

After being held out of competitive situations throughout the offseason, Romo was declared ready for camp. But the Cowboys have been cautious by limiting his throws. Tuesday’s break is the most significant cutback so far.

“The biggest thing we talked to Tony about and really all of our players about, is honest feedback,” Garrett said. “We recognize that you’re a tough player. I saw what you did against the Redskins last year. You just got to tell us how you’re doing, how it’s going and make sure we handle it the right way each and every day.”

Garrett said the feedback from Romo has been “good.”

“But we just have to monitor him,” the coach said. “We’ve just got to make sure we don’t overdo the reps … just be mindful of where he is each and every day.”

The surgery in December was the second procedure on Romo’s back in eight months. He had a cyst removed before the start of offseason practices last year and didn’t do any significant work until training camp.

This year, Romo tried to sneak into a competitive drill during minicamp in June, and Garrett kicked him out of the huddle.

“It’s the same approach we take here,” Garrett said. “Let’s keep taking incremental steps. Part of getting ready for that is practicing in training camp, part of getting ready for that is playing in preseason games. We feel like we’re very much on schedule in those two regards.”

NOTES: Rookie DE DeMarcus Lawrence sprained his right ankle in a one-on-one drill with Pro Bowl tackle Tyron Smith and could have a foot issue as well. He was getting X-rays. … LB Rolando McClain was out with a stomach virus.

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Online:

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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