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Palmer leads late rally, Bears beat Jaguars 20-19

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Jay Cutler figures he won’t know who his backup quarterback is until the Chicago Bears wrap up the preseason.

Through two games, it’s tough to say who’s leading the competition — Jimmy Clausen or Jordan Palmer?

Palmer came on in the fourth quarter to lead two touchdown drives after Clausen struggled at times, and the Bears rallied to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-19 on Thursday night.

“They both practice well,” Cutler said. “They’re both overcoming adversity in practice from time to time. They’re preparing really hard. I’m glad I don’t have to make the decision.”

Jacksonville’s Chad Henne passed for 130 yards and a touchdown, and Blake Bortles threw for 160 in relief before Palmer led the Bears back in the fourth. Senorise Perry scored on a 5-yard run with 50 seconds left, and C.J. Wilson intercepted a pass to seal the win.

Jared Allen made his first appearance for Chicago after signing in the offseason and finished with one tackle for a loss. He just missed a sack on the game’s opening drive when he slipped, but it was mostly a quiet night.

“That’s the toughest part of transitioning from training camp to the game,” Allen said. “In training camp you’ve got to run by the quarterback.”

The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end sat out last week’s opening win over Philadelphia after he missed practices because his wife had a baby.

Henne showed mobility in the pocket and completed 12 of 17 passes before leaving with a 13-7 lead in the second quarter.

“We feel very strongly about Chad,” coach Gus Bradley said.

But he also plans to give Bortles some snaps with the first team, possibly in the coming week.

The rookie looked sharp again after an impressive showing last week in a victory over Tampa Bay. The No. 3 pick in the draft, Bortles went 11 for 17, but the Jaguars came away with the loss.

Cutler completed 7 of 9 passes for 79 yards and called it a night after throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall early in the second quarter.

Clausen got the first call after Cutler left the game, with Palmer serving as the second man in relief in a flip from the preseason opener. But Clausen struggled through some headset problems after a strong performance last week.

The former Notre Dame star and Carolina Panther went 11 of 15 for 94 yards. He also had a pass intercepted by Josh Evans early in the third quarter off linebacker Telvin Smith’s deflection after the headset went out on him.

“There were three to five plays where it just became confusion and he really didn’t get us into the best plays,” coach Marc Trestman said. “He was trying to make something good out of a bad situation, and there wasn’t any way I could help him. That group of I would say up to a half a dozen plays when Jimmy was in there, it was very difficult to evaluate.”

Palmer started the fourth quarter and threw for 73 yards, completing 6 of 9 passes.

“This is a competition and coaches have done a phenomenal job of making it very fair, evaluating us every day and so when you get to the preseason, you wait until your turn and then you go in there and try to make the most of it,” Palmer said.

Martellus Bennett had a 25-yard catch after being suspended by the team last week for an altercation in practice with cornerback Kyle Fuller, who left this game after injuring his ankle on the opening possession.

The Jaguars scored on all three first-quarter possessions while grabbing a 13-0 lead, with Josh Scobee kicking a pair of field goals and Henne hitting Marqise Lee with a 6-yard touchdown pass. The TD came after Chicago’s Eric Weems fumbled away a kickoff.

The Bears cut it to 13-7 early in the second quarter, when Cutler hit Marshall with a 4-yarder to cap a 10-play drive. But a 43-yard field goal by Scobee late in the half made it 16-7.

Notes: Trestman said he has no issue with Marshall serving as an analyst for Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” show. “I trust Brandon,” he said. “He asked me about it. I trust him to make a decision that was in the best interest of the team first, and I know Brandon. I know he’ll do that.” … Trestman had few details on CB Kyle Fuller (ankle) and backup TE Zach Miller (foot) after they left the game with injuries. He did say the bruised knee that kept DE Willie Young out of the game is not serious. … Jaguars RT Austin Pasztor (broken hand) and backup C Luke Bowanko (sprained ankle) left the game.

___

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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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