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Rainy workout: Pats, Eagles practice on wet day

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles have made huge strides since practicing with the New England Patriots a year ago.

From a 4-12 record to 10-6 and their first playoff berth in three years. From learning a different system under new coach Chip Kelly to a year of familiarity with it. From Michael Vick to Nick Foles at quarterback.

From hosting the Patriots at joint practices last summer to visiting them for three days of workouts this week before Friday night’s preseason game.

“Last year when we practiced against these guys everything was new,” Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin said. “We were a new defense. So this year we’re more experienced, got a year under our belt. We play faster. We’ve just got confidence.”

The pace was slower than planned Wednesday when heavy rain throughout the practice curtailed it.

Players saw some good in that after coming off the field in soggy uniforms.

“You never know if you’re going to have a game in this type of weather, so why not practice in it every now and again?” Philadelphia tight end Brent Celek said with a laugh. “Hopefully, this is the only one.”

Tom Brady is used to playing in damp conditions.

“It was kind of a New England-type day. We had a bunch of these last year and, really, for the most part the weather has been great all camp,” the Patriots quarterback said. “It’s good to get work in like this. Certainly, against a playoff-caliber team, it’s always good.”

Brady is expected to play Friday night after sitting out last Thursday night’s 23-6 loss at the Washington Redskins. Coach Bill Belichick rarely announces who will play in preseason games.

“I’ll be ready to play for as long as he wants me to,” said Brady, who turned 37 on Aug. 3. “That’s very valuable playing experience for me, too. It doesn’t matter how many years you’ve been doing it, you’ve got to get out there and play under game situations and get your body going at the level that it needs to be at.”

Foles started his second NFL season on the bench last year before taking over for Michael Vick and leading the NFL in passer rating. He threw 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions.

“Everything I do I’m a little bit better (than last summer) and I want to come out here each and every day and try to gain a little bit,” Foles said. “You can just imagine playing in all the games I did last year from when we had the practice (with the Patriots). I’m a lot different but still want to get better.”

He can do that this Friday after a poor performance last Friday night in a 34-28 loss to the Chicago Bears. He completed 6 of 9 passes for 44 yards with two interceptions.

“Will I make mistakes again? Yes, I will make mistakes,” Foles said. “But I want to overcome them and I want to show my teammates that it’s not going to rattle me.

“When you have games that you don’t feel like you play well, you love coming out here on a practice field and working on stuff.”

He worked well on Tuesday, throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“It was what we expected out of Nick,” Kelly said. “We’ve grown accustomed to it.”

Brady also values all the work he gets in joint practices where the competitive level is higher than when he’s facing his teammates.

“They’re great,” he said. “In a preseason game, I don’t get as many reps, so certainly a lot of situational stuff we did today is so valuable.”

He didn’t interact much with Foles in the first two days of practice, but Foles hoped to learn by watching. Both teams will have walkthroughs on Thursday.

“Tom’s one of the best to ever play the game and it’s great to watch him and see how he conducts an offense and where he throws the ball,” Foles said.

Brady focuses on what he needs to do, not what Foles is doing.

“I haven’t seen him much,” Brady said. “It’s hard enough preparing for my own job.”

NOTES: Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin left practice early with pain in his left hamstring. “It shouldn’t be a big deal,” said Maclin, who missed all last season with a torn ACL. … Newly acquired defensive linemen Ben Bass from Dallas and Jerel Worthy from Green Bay did not practice for the Patriots.

___

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