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Lot of change for North Texas after breakthrough

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

DENTON, Texas (AP) — North Texas made a big breakthrough last season winning nine games, including a bowl on New Year’s Day.

Now comes a significant test for coach Dan McCarney and the Mean Green after their first winning record in nine seasons. They will be trying to do it again while replacing so many starters.

“It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s nerve-wracking when you have so many guys that you don’t know who your best guy’s going to be, don’t know who your starters are going to be,” McCarney said.

Four of the Mean Green’s five returning offensive starters are linemen, three of them seniors with at least 34 career starts. That means all those new starters at the skill positions should be well-protected.

Linebacker Derek Akunne and three players in the secondary account for the four returning defensive starters.

“We’ve tried to build in our program, and embed it in the culture of this program, expect to win, believe you can win, regardless of who’s back, who’s not back, who started, who didn’t start, who played, didn’t play,” McCarney said. “Regardless of all that stuff … it’s a culture of trust, it’s a culture of leadership and it’s a culture of expectations to win, and we have to build on that every day.”

North Texas is 18-19 in three seasons under McCarney, a drastic improvement from the 13-58 record the six years before that.

Here are five things to watch this season for North Texas, which won seven of its last eight games in 2013, and capped its first Conference USA season winning the Heart of Dallas Bowl:

TAKING SNAPS: The leading candidates to replace graduated quarterback Derek Thompson are junior Andrew McNulty and sophomore Josh Greer, a junior college transfer. McCarney calls them “two of the smartest guys that I’ve been around in a long time. They’re really smart, they grasp the offense, they understand what we have to do on offense.”

PRESEASON PICK: Conference USA coaches are among those who have tabbed North Texas as the preseason favorite in the league’s West Division. “When I heard that stuff, it was almost laughable to me,” McCarney said. “If we had that team coming back with all those seniors, I’d say, yeah, you’re right. This is one of the youngest teams I’ve had in my life.” At the same time, McCarney said he’d rather the Mean Green be picked for success than people “saying they stink as usual, it’s North Texas.”

CHAMPIONS TOGETHER: North Texas will be the opponent for coach Charlie Strong’s first game at Texas, the Aug. 30 season opener in Austin. McCarney, Strong and new Longhorns defensive coordinator Vance Bedford were on the Florida coaching staff together during the 2008 season when the Gators were national champions.

BIG EXPERIENCED MEN: Cyril Lemon, Mason Y’Barbo and Antonio Johnson, the fourth-year starters on the offensive line, all weigh in at about 300 pounds. Lemon and Y’Barbo have both started 37 games, the most for any current player, while Johnson has 34 starts. Sophomore Kaydon Kirby started all 13 games last season, and 365-pound senior and former junior college transfer Shawn McKinney could fill the other starting spot up front.

MAXIMUM EXPOSURE: For the first time in school history, the Mean Green anticipate all of their games will be on television. Conference USA has a new deal that ensures all the league games are televised. The only of the UNT’s 12 games not already set for TV is its Oct. 4 game at Indiana, though McCarney expects that to change.

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Online:

AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org

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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