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Premier League chief glad to see back of Suarez

By WTOP Staff

LONDON (AP) — Luis Suarez damaged the reputation of English football with his serial offending and his departure to the Spanish league is not being mourned, the head of the Premier League said on Wednesday.

“He’s done his time here … I can’t say I’m sorry to see him go,” was the frank assessment of Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the world’s most lucrative league, about one of the best players to have played in England’s top division.

Liverpool sold Suarez to Barcelona for $130 million in July, soon after the player was given a four-month worldwide ban for biting an opponent at the World Cup.

The Uruguay international previously served two long suspensions for the same offense, once in the Premier League after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in April 2013, and was banned in 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra during a league match.

“He’s a great player and I’m not taking anything away from his talents — he was voted by both his own players and the media last year the player of the year and deservedly so,” Scudamore said of the Premier League’s top scorer last season.

“He’s great to have but an accident waiting to happen, and if you spend your time trying to promote what’s good about the Premier League, you’re always waiting for the next thing to come along.”

Scudamore said the latest biting incident involving Suarez, which happened during Uruguay’s World Cup group game against Italy, “clearly . reflected on Liverpool as one of our great clubs. And it reflected on us (the Premier League).”

Suarez’s departure to La Liga, however, leaves English football without its best player from last season. The same happened the previous summer, when Gareth Bale joined Real Madrid from Tottenham for a world-record fee of 100 million euros (then $132 million).

In Bale, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and now Suarez, and new Madrid signings James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, Spain undoubtedly has most of the world’s best players in its league.

But Scudamore says the competitiveness of the Premier League as a whole makes it stand out globally.

“That to me is more important in many ways, that the matches are competitive,” said Scudamore, speaking at the Premier League’s season launch. “We’ve got enough stars, and we don’t need absolutely every world megastar name to make this a successful league.

“There are more teams being talked about as able to win our title than you’ll ever hear discussed in Spain. That makes us more interesting around the world. We have a much bigger global appeal than they do currently.”

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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