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Oklahoma QB Knight seeks consistency

By WTOP Staff

CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Trevor Knight created a monster with his dominant Sugar Bowl performance.

As a redshirt freshman, he passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns and was the MVP in Oklahoma’s 45-31 upset victory over Alabama in January. He was rewarded with the unquestioned starting job and a newfound fame that gave him increased speaking opportunities and lifted his Twitter following to more than 25,000.

With those spoils comes a new level of pressure. Oklahoma’s already rabid fans are fired up. The Sooners are expected to be in the mix for the national title, and they face a bright spotlight with a quarterback who has had one dominant game in his career. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said the key is for Knight to duplicate that kind of performance, starting Aug. 30 against Louisiana Tech.

“It all has to keep happening,” Stoops said Saturday during Oklahoma’s Media Day. “I think he’ll learn and grow off of what he did last year, not just in the Sugar Bowl, but in particular, in the last couple of games — the Kansas State game, the Oklahoma State game away from home and how he played well in those games, and now he’ll just learn more from it.”

Knight understands that most people are looking only at his breakout performance in New Orleans and expecting more of the same.

“I expect it every game too,” he said. “I actually want to build on that. That’s kind of the baseline. That’s the best I’ve played, and I want to build on top of that. It’s a confidence booster for me and obviously, there will be ups and downs during the season, but you want everything to go well and you want to play well.”

Quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel said Knight already has taken steps to show he’s ready to take his game up a notch. He said Knight worked hard in the offseason and has been strong in early practices.

“I think he has a much understanding of defenses,” Heupel said. “He sees rotation and pressures better. When you incorporate those two things with understanding our offense at a higher level, he’s much more decisive in his decision-making. That’s the progression of what you saw from the first couple of ball games to the middle of the season to the way he finished the season. I’m excited about what he can do here if he continues.”

Blake Bell, Knight’s competition at quarterback last year, has moved to tight end. Bell said Knight is more comfortable now that he’s not fighting for the job.

“It is taxing when you’re competing with a guy and you keep competing and competing,” Bell said. “It’s tiring. I think that Trev, he’s kind of relaxed. He’s already got one year under his belt. He’s coming off that Sugar Bowl win. That’s big-time for him. I think the whole team’s kind of excited for him and we’re all excited just for everyone.”

Heupel said his message to Knight is the same as the message to the rest of the team.

“You have to avoid and not listen to outside noise,” he said. “That’s Twitter, Facebook, it’s your friends and family, it’s your girlfriend, it’s your buddy that’s slapping you on the back talking about what’s in a preseason magazine. At the end of the day, you’re in this arena, as a coach and as a football player, because you enjoy the opportunity to go out compete and make things happen.”

Heupel said so far, Knight hasn’t let his new situation affect him.

“He’s the same guy every single day he comes in this building,” Heupel said. “Because of the way he competes and his focus in the meeting room and the practice field, you know he’s going to continue.”

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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP

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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