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Gunner Kiel is the new quarterback at Cincinnati

By WTOP Staff

JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — One of Gunner Kiel’s biggest challenges is keeping his excitement in check.

During the first few practices of Cincinnati’s camp, the sophomore transfer from Notre Dame got caught up in the moment. It’s quite a kick being the starting quarterback.

“The first few days were a little shaky,” Kiel said. “I think I came out anxious and excited. I think that got me to play a little uncomfortable.

“So at times I have to calm down and relax and play the game I love, not do too much. I know I’m going to make mistakes, but learn from the mistakes.”

If Kiel keeps his calm and learns his lessons, the Bearcats (9-4) should be a contender during their season of transition. They’re picked to win the American Athletic Conference, which is undergoing yet another reconfiguration. And the Bearcats will be playing all of their games off campus at Paul Brown Stadium while Nippert Stadium gets renovated.

They’ve got an experienced offensive line and a defense that is deeper and faster, returning eight of its starters. There’s also a well-rounded group of receivers led by Shaq Washington and Mekale McKay. The challenge is to get Kiel to settle in and relax. He had a tough scrimmage during spring football, followed by an impressive one a week later.

“It’s time to learn from your mistakes and your successes,” coach Tommy Tuberville said. “He’ll probably have a little of both. We need him to just lead the offense. Hopefully we can see that same leadership that we saw from him last spring at the end.”

Five things to watch from the Bearcats:

RUN IT: They used an assortment of running backs last season, with mixed results. Tuberville is hoping that 220-pound Tion Green will win the job and and give the Bearcats a dependable power back, but he hasn’t done enough to claim the job so far. Ralph David Abernathy IV will be moved to slot receiver much of the time.

“Anytime you’ve got a young quarterback, which we’ll have if Gunner plays most of the time, you’ve got to have a good running game to help him out,” Tuberville said. “And we’ve got a good group. Now, we don’t have a guy yet that’s separated himself.

“It will be running back by committee and hopefully somebody separates himself as the year goes on.”

MUNCHIE: Quarterback Munchie Legaux got an extra season of eligibility to recover from two torn ligaments and cartilage damage in his left knee, suffered on a hit early last season. At first, there were fears he’d never play again because of the severity of the injury, but he’s splitting plays with the backup quarterbacks during camp. Legaux thinks he’ll be ready to play during the season.

IN THE AAC: The conference undergoes another makeover this season, with Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina making it an 11-team league. Navy comes aboard next season, when the league will have two six-team divisions. There’s no conference title game this season, and Cincinnati won’t play defending champion Central Florida under the scheduling format. The Bearcats will have two chances to prove their worth during nonleague play: Saturday, Sept. 27 at Ohio State and Saturday, Oct. 11 at Miami, Florida.

“We’re very underlooked,” Kiel said. “We’ve had great success in the past. We definitely have a chip on our shoulder.”

FASTER D: The Bearcats had 18 players contribute significantly on defense last season. This year, they expect to use 26 or 27. With eight starters back, it should be improved. “We’re rebuilding our team on speed,” Tuberville said. “We’re much faster than we were last year and we’ve got a lot more experience.”

AWAY FROM HOME: With Nippert being renovated, the Bearcats will play at the Bengals’ downtown stadium, where they’ve hosted game on occasion over the years. One of Tuberville’s challenges will be to try to make it feel like their home field. They’ll hold some practices under the lights when the Bengals aren’t using the stadium in order to get acclimated. They’ll open the season on Friday, Sept. 12 at Paul Brown against Toledo.

“It’ll be fun for our players, it’ll be fun for our fans,” Tuberville said. “But there’s no place like home.”

___

Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay

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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