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Blue Jays’ Lawrie back on DL with oblique strain

By WTOP Staff

TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie will be out until at least September with a left oblique strain, an injury that ended his return to the lineup after just three innings.

Lawrie, who is batting .247 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs had just come back after missing more than a month with a broken right index finger when he left Toronto’s loss Tuesday to Baltimore.

Lawrie underwent tests the following day, which confirmed the injury. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, retroactive to the previous day.

“Certainly Brett’s going to be out a while,” Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. “I think it’s safe to say September would be the earliest he’s going to be back.”

The Blue Jays recalled left-handed reliever Rob Rasmussen from Triple-A Buffalo. Infielder Steve Tolleson is expected to return from three days of paternity leave Friday, when Toronto begins a three-game series against AL Central-leading Detroit.

The news was better for the injured duo of Edwin Encarnacion (strained right quadriceps) Adam Lind (right foot). Anthopoulos said Lind, who doubled twice in two at-bats Thursday in his first rehab game, is “days away” from a return and could join the team in time for Monday’s game at Seattle.

“He feels he’s really close,” Anthopoulos said.

Encarnacion felt good after testing his sore leg by running hard Thursday, and could begin a rehab stint this weekend, Anthopoulos said, adding that he hopes to have the slugger back within the next week.

This is the third oblique injury of Lawrie’s four-year career. He strained his left oblique in a warmup game for the 2013 World Baseball Classic last March, missing the first 14 games of the season. Anthopoulos said MRI results indicated the current strain was a new injury, not a recurrence.

Lawrie also missed almost a month with a right oblique strain in late 2012. This is his sixth career trip to the disabled list.

Besides Tolleson, the Blue Jays have Juan Francisco, Munenori Kawasaki and Danny Valencia to handle third base. With Toronto currently holding down the second AL wild-card berth, Anthopoulos said he’ll continue to explore moves to shore up the infield.

“We’re down a right-handed bat, and if we can find someone along the way in the next few weeks, we’ll look to do that as well,” Anthopoulos said.

Also Thursday, the Blue Jays signed catcher George Kottaras to a minor league contract. He will report to Buffalo.

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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