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Gordon meets with NFL, hearing to continue

By WTOP Staff

TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Josh Gordon’s fight to stay on the field isn’t over.

Gordon spent 10 hours in the NFL’s offices in New York on Friday for his appeal hearing before the sides decided to stop and will resume on Monday, a person familiar with the meeting told The Associated Press.

Gordon, who is contesting a possible one-year suspension for failing another drug test, and his legal team met with an arbitrator from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because neither party is commenting publicly.

It’s not known if Gordon will return to training camp with the Browns over the weekend. The team has a scrimmage at the University of Akron on Saturday.

Gordon’s lawyer, Maurice Suh, contends his client tested positive because of secondhand smoke.

While Gordon was in Manhattan, Commissioner Roger Goodell was at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, where he defended the league’s recent two-game suspension of Baltimore running back Ray Rice for domestic violence and commented briefly on Gordon’s situation.

“Josh is going through the process right now,” Goodell said. “I am not a part of that process. They’ll make a decision based on the information that is exchanged today. At some point in time, I may have an opportunity to be involved. When I am, I look forward to meeting with him.”

Goodell said the information shared in the hearing will decide Gordon’s fate.

As they await a decision on their teammate, who also is Cleveland’s best player, the Browns are keeping their fingers crossed the outcome will be favorable.

“I’m an optimistic guy,” wide receiver Nate Burleson said. “I’m a glass half-full guy, so I’m always hoping and expecting the best-case scenario.”

Until they hear from the league, the Browns are going about the business of getting ready for the upcoming season. They’d love to have Gordon for as many games as possible. After all, he’s one of the league’s elite receivers and an offensive threat who keeps defensive coordinators awake at night. To be without him for any time will drastically change Cleveland’s offense.

Goodell, who was widely criticized for not penalizing Rice more for domestic violence, said each case must be judged on its own merits.

“You have to deal with the facts,” he said. “We have a drug program that is collectively bargained and it has a step process. It takes four incidents before you actually reach a suspension in a drug-related case. You have to respond to facts here. You have a lot of people voicing their opinions, but what you have to understand is that this is a young man (Rice) who made a terrible mistake — it’s inconsistent with what we’re all about.

“We have dealt with it in a serious manner, and we’re very confident that this young man understands where he is and what he needs to do going forward.”

Gordon’s list of off-the-field issues is lengthy, which may hinder his argument. He failed at least three known drug tests in college and he was suspended two games last season for a drug violation.

Separate from his appeal, Gordon, who led the league in yards receiving despite being suspended two games last season, could still face league discipline under the league’s personal-conduct policy for his arrest last month on a DUI charge in Raleigh, North Carolina. Gordon reportedly checked himself into a rehab clinic in California following the arrest.

Pettine has said the Browns will have to go with a receiver-by-committee approach if Gordon can’t play.

Slot receiver Andrew Hawkins is confident he and his teammates can pick up the slack.

“We have a bunch of hard-working guys with chips on their shoulders who are going to come out here and bust their butts every day,” he said. “And I’ll take that 10 times out of 10.”

NOTES: Starting free safety Tashaun Gipson walked off the practice field with an apparent left knee injury. Pettine said Gipson, who started 15 games last season, was being evaluated. … Pettine ended practice by having members of his staff catch punts. Pitting the offensive assistants against the defensive assistants, the competition energized the players, who engaged in some spirited trash talk and finger pointing before offensive intern Mike LaFleur caught the final punt, meaning the offense will wear orange jerseys Monday. “I would of lost a lot of money if you would have said we’d put eight coaches out there catching knuckle-ball punts and seven of them would catch it,” Pettine said. “Those guys stepped up. It was impressive.” … Several offensive players celebrated touchdowns, none more demonstratively that Anthony Armstrong, who threw the ball into the second level of the VIP hospitality tent. “It was strictly spur of the moment,” he said. “Your emotions take over.”

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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Canton, Ohio contributed to this report.

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AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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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