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Saints S Jairus Byrd practices for 1st time

By WTOP Staff

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Safety Jairus Byrd practiced with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday for the first time since his signing in March.

Byrd, who had offseason back surgery, has been taken off of the Saints’ physically unable to perform list, allowing him to join practice. He participated in individual drills, something he was unable to do during offseason practices and minicamp.

The acquisition of Byrd, who was named to the Pro Bowl while with Buffalo last season, was one of New Orleans’ most significant moves in free agency. Coach Sean Payton was pleased to see him ready to join practice within the first week of training camp.

“I am glad we did the procedure when we did rather than try to get through the season in a maintenance mode,” Payton said. “I know he feels better and yet we still have to be smart. We have a lot of time and a lot of things that we have to do and a lot of things that he has to be able to catch up on.”

Byrd, who was named to the Pro Bowl last season, signed a six-year, $56 million contract with New Orleans this offseason. He’ll replace Malcolm Jenkins, who left for Philadelphia in free agency, and the Saints hope Byrd will help New Orleans defense produce more turnovers.

Byrd spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, during which he grabbed 22 interceptions and twice led the AFC in that category.

“I just want to be an impact player,” Byrd said after Tuesday’s practice. “That’s what I strive to be, and takeaways are part of that.”

Payton said Byrd also will be in the mix to return punts, something he did regularly in college at Oregon.

Byrd has declined to go into detail about his back procedure, but said that he viewed it as “something that needed to be taken care of.”

Byrd said it was hard to miss as much on-field work as he did in the offseason, but stressed that he appreciated the value of patient, careful rehabilitation.

“Obviously it’s been frustrating, but I know it’s something that I need to do,” Byrd said. “You don’t want to rush things and have a setback and that messes things up.”

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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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