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Tottenham signs Seattle’s Yedlin to 4-year deal

By WTOP Staff

TUKWILA, Wash. (AP) — U.S. national team defender DeAndre Yedlin signed a four-year deal with Tottenham on Wednesday but will remain in the United States with the Seattle Sounders through the remainder of the MLS season and potentially into 2015.

Both clubs announced the deal after Yedlin spent last weekend in London visiting with Spurs officials and the sides were able to finalize the deal. Tottenham said Yedlin would join the club ahead of the 2015-16 season, but Seattle general manager Adrian Hanauer said the window for the move is still unknown.

Hanauer said Yedlin could make the move during the January transfer window depending on where Tottenham stands. Or the move could come next summer and Yedlin could remain with the Sounders a little longer.

“We didn’t put the full-court press on DeAndre staying,” Hanauer said. “We weighed all the different factors, the benefits to our club, what DeAndre wanted, what the market was telling us out there in terms of the size of the transfer fee and ultimately made the decision based on that group of factors. We thought it was ultimately a good decision for our club, although a difficult one.”

Yedlin made his international debut this year and impressed when he came in for injured right back Fabian Johnson in the second-round loss to Belgium. He was immediately linked with clubs throughout Europe and Hanauer said there were a number of serious offers.

But Tottenham eventually became his destination. The 21-year-old was the first MLS homegrown player to appear in the World Cup and has been an MLS all-star selection each of his first two years in the league. The first inkling of Tottenham’s interest came in July when the Spurs were in Seattle for an exhibition with the Sounders as part of their preseason North American tour.

Yedlin could join Seattle teammate Clint Dempsey and goalkeepers Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel as Americans who have played for Tottenham. However, he may not be eligible for a British work permit. The rules of the British Home Office state a player must have appeared in 75 percent of his nation’s competitive international matches over the previous two years, and American forward Juan Agudelo was turned down when Stoke applied for a permit last year.

“DeAndre clearly wanted this transaction to occur as well and we want to do right by our players as well as our club,” Hanauer said.

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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