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Cushing among starters back at Texans practice

By WTOP Staff

CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — For Brian Cushing, there’s no substitute to being on the field.

The Houston Texans linebacker returned to practice on Wednesday, what he called “a very small step” as he comes back from his second straight season-ending injury on his left leg.

“Being back with the team is the most important thing,” Cushing said. “If I can get out here, I can go through some game-like situations, some real, live-speed stuff, and that’s going to help a lot.”

Andre Johnson and Arian Foster were also back in pads as the team went through a joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons. Johnson and Foster have both missed most of training camp while nursing hamstring injuries. Johnson was the most active of the trio on Wednesday, and stayed after practice to work with a passing machine.

“I was able to do things full speed,” Johnson said. “I didn’t participate in competition stuff with the other team because it was the first day. I was just being careful about how they work me back in. Other than that I’ll be out here every day.”

Cushing had been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp. He tore his lateral collateral ligament and broke his fibula in Week 7 last year after a low hit by Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles. In 2012, Cushing tore the anterior cruciate ligament in Week 5 against the New York Jets.

Cushing knew his limitations as he endured his second painful rehab in as many years.

“When you don’t feel right, you don’t want to push it, especially when you’ve gone through it before,” he said. “You know what it feels like when it’s not right. Obviously, there’s some patience that has to go into it. At the same time, you know when you’re ready and when you’re not.”

The Texans have a new staff since Cushing last played, and Coach Bill O’Brien has been impressed by how well Cushing has learned new coordinator Romeo Crennel’s defense.

They were careful with Cushing on Wednesday, holding him out of contact drills. Cushing says he needs more live snaps to get Crennel’s system down.

“It’s really good (to have Cushing back),” O’Brien said. “Here’s a guy that’s been a leader on this football team for a long time. He’s coming off an injury, and that’s not always the easiest thing to do. He’s been chomping at the bit to get back out there.”

The Falcons and Texans worked on third-down, no-huddle and red-zone situations during Wednesday’s practice, attended by about 5,000 fans. The teams will practice together again on Thursday leading up to Saturday’s game.

“We’re just focusing on what we’ve got to get done,” Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. “The great thing we get is that we get to evaluate these guys against other competition. Competition is what drives this league and we want to see guys compete.

“We’ve been doing it against each other for a long time, almost 2½ weeks, and now we’re getting a chance to see them go out and compete against others. This is great because it’s a practice situation and you’re not putting your guys in a situation where there’s a chance of injuries.”

Notes: O’Brien, a former assistant coach at Georgia Tech, said he tried to recruit Matt Ryan when Ryan was a star at Penn Charter High School in Philadelphia. “He went to Boston College, which was my wife’s alma mater,” O’Brien said, “so I can’t be too mad at him for doing that.” … CB Johnathan Joseph remained sidelined for the Texans. … Hall of Fame offensive lineman and former Houston Oiler Bruce Matthews attended practice. Matthews’ son, Jake, the sixth overall pick in the draft, is Atlanta’s starting right tackle.

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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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