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Colts awaiting results on 4 injured players

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis’ depth chart just keeps taking hits.

On Thursday night against the Jets, starting center Khaled Holmes went down on the first series with an apparent ankle injury and rookie tackle Ulrick John left later with a lower right leg injury.

Both were scheduled for MRIs on Friday, but there was no immediate update from the team.

Defensive lineman Jeris Pendleton (knee) and linebacker Daniel Adongo (biceps) also left the game and were put on the waived-injured list Friday night. If they clear waivers, they will wind up on Indy’s injured reserve list.

The biggest problem is along the offensive line, where the Colts already have lost left guard Donald Thomas for the season because of a torn right quad.

His injury put the Colts in the precarious position of going with what could be one of the youngest interior lines in the league — a rookie and two second-year players, including Holmes.

“Yeah we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Pagano said after the 13-10 loss. “We’ll get home and we’ll assess the damage, see the extent of those injuries and make the necessary moves that we have to make.”

The challenges are popping up everywhere.

In just two weeks, the Colts have lost Thomas and running back Vick Ballard (torn left Achilles tendon) with season-ending injuries.

Defensive end Fili Moala, who was expected to be a solid contributor this season, didn’t even make it to training camp before he went on injured reserve with a season-ending knee injury. Indy’s top fullback, Stanley Havili, is still on the physically unable to perform list following offseason shoulder surgery.

Indy held out Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne and running back Ahmad Bradshaw as a precaution Thursday after they finished last season on injured reserve.

The Colts also played Thursday without half of the projected starting secondary — cornerback Vontae Davis and safety LaRon Landry — because of nagging injuries and three potentially helpful linebackers in Andrew Jackson, Josh McNary and Kelvin Sheppard.

But the most glaring problem is in the group that will be protecting Andrew Luck.

The Colts insist they’re confident Holmes, who played just 12 offensive snaps last season as a rookie, can excel.

They tried to create a backup plan during the offseason by signing former Cowboys center Phil Costa in free agency. But Costa surprised Indy when he retired in April.

Thomas’ injury opened the door for second-round draft pick Jack Mewhort and former Bears starter Lance Louis, who was out of the league last season, to battle for the starting job. Second-year guard Hugh Thornton has moved from the left side to the right this year, and it doesn’t appear the Colts are planning to move him again.

And with backup Xavier Nixon posting on Twitter that he’s about to undergo surgery for his injured leg, the Colts brought back undrafted rookie guard Marcus Hall, who was cut in June.

Holmes’ injury may create the biggest obstacle. His backup is Jonotthan Harrison, an undrafted rookie from Florida, who was part of a botched snap after entering Thursday’s game. The third-down miscue forced the Colts to settle for a field goal.

And in a move that may signal that Holmes could miss some time, the Colts re-signed Thomas Austin, who was released last week after playing one game with Indy in 2013.

“You know Jonotthan having to come in, I mean he’s never played an NFL snap and before you know it, we hadn’t planned to put him in until the second half and he’s in there in the first drive,” Pagano said. “I think just listening, watching, I think he rose up to the challenge. Again, the snaps, we’ll get that fixed.”

In a flurry of moves late Friday, the Colts also re-signed receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, who was released Tuesday, waived guard Chad Anderson and waived cornerback Brandon Burton from injured reserve after reaching an injury settlement.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://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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