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‘Thankful’ Joseph rejoins Vikings after shooting

By WTOP Staff

DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Pro Football Writer

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — The first bad-news call of Mike Zimmer’s career as a head coach came late at night but early in his first season with the Minnesota Vikings: Defensive tackle Linval Joseph had been shot in the leg at a downtown bar after the team’s first exhibition game.

To the relief of Zimmer and the rest of the organization, that dreaded, unexpected call could have been a lot worse. Joseph was not part of any altercation, just at the wrong place at the wrong time, and suffered only a minor injury to the area around his calf.

“Oh, my God, and thank God he’s OK,” Zimmer said, recalling his reaction to the news. “He’s a terrific young man. He’s a good, good kid, and we have a lot of good kids on this football team.”

Joseph rejoined the team as training camp resumed Sunday following a scheduled day off, taking part in meetings but not practice.

“Life is precious,” linebacker Jasper Brinkley said, later adding: “Glad to have him here, man.”

Joseph was with a group of unidentified teammates at the night club after the Vikings beat the Oakland Raiders on Friday, when a man started shooting.

“I’m sure it shook him up like it shook all of us up,” Zimmer said. “He’s a very high-character, high-quality young man.”

Joseph was one of nine people injured. He’ll probably be held out of action on the field for the next week or two, but general manager Rick Spielman said Joseph would recover fully before the start of the regular season. An examination by the team’s medical staff of the wound revealed no cause for concern.

“I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and concerns over the past 24 hours. I am extremely thankful that this was a minor injury for me,” Joseph said in a statement distributed by the Vikings. “As the team has communicated, this was an unfortunate situation where I, along with several others, was an innocent bystander to a senseless act. My thoughts are with all of the victims at this time. I am looking forward to getting back onto the field with my teammates in the near future.”

Joseph was walking without crutches, Zimmer said. Signed in March to a five-year contract worth as much as $31.5 million, with $12.5 million guaranteed, Joseph is being counted on as a key run-stopping cog in Zimmer’s defense.

Joseph spent his first four NFL seasons with the New York Giants, starting 46 of 48 games and averaging 55 tackles and three sacks over the last three years. In his absence, backups Fred Evans, Shamar Stephen and Chase Baker will have their repetitions increased. Stephen, a seventh-round draft pick from Connecticut, received praise from Zimmer for his progress in camp and play in the game Friday.

So while practice went on Sunday, the Vikings were still taking a collective deep breath after the weekend scare. Asked whether there was a need to reiterate a message to the players about being safe, Spielman said Zimmer has consistently done that since taking the job in January.

“We have to be aware of our surroundings. We have to make sure we understand where we’re going. We’ve got to make sure that we understand it,” Zimmer said. “There’s a chance that people try to make a name for themselves by doing something to somebody, a high-celebrity guy, and we just have to make sure we take care of each other and we have to know where we’re at and where we want to go.”

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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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