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Fleshner, Bacon win 1-meter championships

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Aaron Fleshner and Sarah Bacon won the 1-meter titles Wednesday in the U.S. national diving championships.

Fleshner won the men’s title with 452.4 points, and Bacon took the women’s with 287.15. Both led throughout the final rounds.

Fleshner also won the 1-meter titles in the 2012 national championships and at last year’s winter national championships. Although he’s older than most of his competitors and has a job as a mobile developer designing apps for the University of Alabama, the 26-year-old Fleshner shows no signs of slowing down.

“I’ve always loved it and I have a dream of going to the Olympics,” Fleshner said. “I’m getting closer and closer every day. That keeps me going.”

Bacon also has been on a roll lately. The 17-year-old from Indianapolis won the 1- and 3-meter events last week in the junior national championships.

Bacon was clinging to a 2 1/2-point lead when she wrapped up the title by scoring 58.5 points on her fifth and final dive, a forward 2 1/2-somersault pike.

“I just wanted to hit every dive as best as I could and just see where that got me,” Bacon said. “I was very happy.”

In the men’s division, Michael Hixon was second with 427.05 points and Bryce Klein third at 415.95. Hixon, the 2014 NCAA champion in the 1- and 3-meter events, announced last month he’s transferring from Texas to Indiana.

“There were a lot of factors,” Hixon said. “It really just came down to I wasn’t completely happy at Texas and I think I’ll be really happy at IU.”

In the women’s division, 2008 Olympian Ariel Rittenhouse was second with 277.85. Kassidy Cook finished third with 275.75.

Cook was participating in her first USA Diving competition since the 2012 Olympic Trials. Cook has spent most of the last two years dealing with injuries to her labrum, knee and collarbone. Injuries caused her to miss most of her freshman season at Stanford.

“I just came in to get my feet wet,” Cook said. “I didn’t expect to do as well as I did, so I’m really thrilled with the outcome.”

The national championships run through Sunday at the University of Tennessee’s Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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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