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Romo ready at last when Cowboys face Ravens

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tony Romo hasn’t taken a snap in a game since he played through a back injury to lead a drive that kept Dallas in playoff contention late last season.

The 34-year-old quarterback has eased his way back in since surgery to repair a herniated disk, staying out of competitive situations during the offseason and taking frequent days off at training camp.

Romo won’t play long in the Cowboys’ preseason home opener against Baltimore on Saturday night, but he will be the starter after skipping the first exhibition game last week in San Diego.

He led the offense in two joint practices with Oakland this week. Dallas broke camp in California on Friday.

“I felt like this was a big week for Tony,” tight end Jason Witten said. “I felt like this was a really big week for our team and felt he’s done a really great job setting the tempo for us.”

Romo finished a winning drive after the injury to beat Washington last December but had to watch from home when the Cowboys lost to Philadelphia with a playoff berth on the line. He gets his first chance to run the offense with new play-caller Scott Linehan.

It will be Joe Flacco’s second game with first-year Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. He brings the West Coast offense to coach John Harbaugh’s staff after being fired in the middle of last season with the Texans on their way to 14 straight losses after a 2-0 start.

Linehan and Kubiak had strong debuts last week. Romo backup Brandon Weeden completed 13 of 17 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers, while Flacco led an 80-yard scoring drive in his only possession against San Francisco.

And Linehan should have several more toys to play with after Witten, running back DeMarco Murray and receiver Dez Bryant sat against the Chargers. He also seems to think a lot of Murray’s backup, Lance Dunbar. The 2012 undrafted free agent was a healthy scratch in San Diego along with the stars, so the Ravens game will be his first under Linehan as well.

“He has a really good way of finding what his players do well and highlighting them and featuring them and also attacking maybe some matchups,” coach Jason Garrett said. “We’ve always tried to do that. The transition has been really smooth for us.”

It will be Kubiak’s second game with running back Ray Rice, who had three carries for 17 yards against San Francisco. Rice will miss the first two games of the regular season after being suspended following his arrest for domestic violence.

“John and I talked about what he wanted to be on the offensive side of the ball, but we haven’t spent any time talking about what happened last year,” Kubiak said. “Everybody has bought into what we’re doing. We have to go take another step this week.”

Linebacker Rolando McClain is expected to make his Dallas debut against the Ravens after Baltimore traded him for a late-round pick before training camp. The Cowboys are trying to replace middle linebacker Sean Lee, who tore a knee ligament in the offseason and is out for the year.

McClain never played for the Ravens, twice retiring after they picked him up when Oakland gave up on the former top 10 pick after three seasons.

“He just needs to play,” coach Jason Garrett said. “He needs to keep coming out here and practicing well and understand what we’re asking him to do from a defensive standpoint. Gain the trust of his teammates and coaches.”

Both defenses have work to do. While the Cowboys struggled to stop the Chargers, the Ravens let the 49ers march to a field goal on Colin Kaepernick’s only drive. Because of injuries, Baltimore’s focus is on the defensive line and secondary.

“We have to start faster now,” defensive coordinator Dean Pees said. “I think we were a little hyped up because there were a couple times where we ran up field on a running play and the ball gashed us.”

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Online:

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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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