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Falcons’ Hawley tossed for fighting with Titans

By WTOP Staff

CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — A visit from the Tennessee Titans on Monday didn’t change the tone of the Atlanta Falcons’ fight-filled training camp.

One day after defensive end Ra’Shede Hageman was injured while throwing a punch at Joe Hawley, another fight involving Hawley led to the center’s expulsion from practice. Tennessee cornerbacks Tommie Campbell and Coty Sensabaugh also were involved in the altercation only about 20 minutes into the combined practice.

Falcons coach Mike Smith said he tossed Hawley because players are ejected from games for fighting. Smith vowed Sunday that the fights must end.

“The guys knew the rules of engagement. They were violated,” Smith said. “When they are violated, there’s going to be a consequence. … During a game, if that were to happen, we’re going to lose a player. We need to know that we can’t be fighting.”

Hageman practiced Monday after X-rays showed no fracture in his wrist. Falcons offensive guard Gabe Carimi left with an apparent leg injury.

Smith said the departures of Hawley and Carimi, both projected starters, “put a lot of stress on some other guys” on the offensive line.

Still, quarterback Matt Ryan said he continued to be impressed by rookie first-round pick Jake Matthews, who is starting at right tackle.

“He really is as savvy as any rookie I’ve been around at any position,” Ryan said. “He plays very physical and he’s extremely athletic. I’ve been very impressed with him up to this point and I’m excited we were able to draft him.”

Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said he was happy there was only one real altercation in the second combined practice between the teams in three years. He said at least one fight was almost inevitable as players had their first chance of the year to practice against another team.

“Competition. You could feel it when you first walked on the field,” Whisenhunt said.

“I was right over there by (the fight). We got it over, got it out of the way and moved on. We thought it might come. It came early and after that everybody settled down.”

Titans quarterback Jake Locker said he was surprised there was only one fight since the practice fields were filled with “guys who consider themselves for the most part to be alpha males.”

Whisenhunt, who praised Locker’s performance, said the Titans can learn from new looks provided by the Falcons.

“The best value of this is we get a chance to see our players compete against some other ones, and now we get to go back and look at it on tape and make some corrections and clean some stuff up,” Whisenhunt said.

Players wore full pads but, with the exception of a few overzealous big hits, there was no tackling.

Titans left guard Andy Levitre, who had an appendectomy on July 24, beat the timetable of his doctors, but not Whisenhunt, by participating in the practice.

“Andy said he wanted to come and do this, so that was the call,” Whisenhunt said. “That was ahead of what some predicted. We didn’t think that. We thought he could do that and he did it. It was good to see him out there.”

NOTES: The Titans host Green Bay on Saturday night in their preseason opener. The Falcons host the Miami Dolphins on Friday night. … Falcons undrafted rookie WR Bernard Reedy showed impressive speed in breaking free for two long, crowd-pleasing touchdown catches. … Titans DE Mike Martin (hamstring), DT Antonio Johnson (left knee) and TE Dorin Dickerson (strained leg muscle) were held out. … Early in the practice, Smith introduced Whisenhunt to former Falcons star LB Tommy Nobis, who was watching from the sideline.

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

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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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