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Dumais adds to his collection of national titles

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Troy Dumais says a change in his workout approach helped the four-time Olympian roll to his latest national championship.

Dumais won the 3-meter competition Saturday at the U.S. diving championships for his 15th national title in a 3-meter event and his 36th national crown overall. As the oldest diver in this week’s championships, the 34-year-old from Ventura, California, is learning he must make some concessions to age.

“I took yesterday off because my knee was a little sore,” said Dumais, who posted 492.3 points. “Normally I wouldn’t do that. I would fight through the pain. And I’ll tell you right now, my legs felt great today. It’s just one of those things. I’m 34 years old. You don’t recover as fast as these young bucks. You have to take your own training into your own hands.”

Samantha Bromberg, a Texas sophomore from Bexley, Ohio, won the women’s 10-meter with 368.15 points to continue her recent success in that event. Bromberg also won the 10-meter in last year’s national championships and winter national championships.

Bromberg wasn’t sure whether she’d compete in the 10-meter after spraining her right ankle last week. After testing out the ankle in the preliminary rounds for the women’s synchronized 10-meter, Bromberg decided to give it a shot. She also will be in Sunday’s synchronized 10-meter final.

“I wouldn’t have been very happy just watching,” Bromberg said. “I’m one of those people who want to be in the meet and be in the event, so I tried it. It’s gotten a ton better.”

Annika Lenz, a UCLA diver from Altadena, California, finished second in the women’s 10-meter with 312.6 points. Olivia Rosendahl of Los Angeles was third with 301.70.

In the men’s 3-meter, Aaron Fleshner was second with 449.25 points after winning the 1-meter title Wednesday. Darian Schmidt had 446.5 points to edge 15-year-old Jordan Windle for third by one-tenth of a point.

Toby Stanley of Noblesville, Indiana, and Mark Anderson of Lake Forest, California, won the men’s 10-meter synchronized title with 383.40 points. Zachary Cooper and Tanner Wilfong were second with 352.86. Brandon Loschavio and Tarek Abdelghany were third with 313.95.

Stanley initially was planning to enter this competition with another diver. When those plans fell through, Stanley connected with Anderson, a Texas sophomore who had teamed up with him before.

“We’re so much alike,” Stanley said. “We have the same diving technique, so it really wasn’t hard to match up.”

Ariel Rittenhouse of Santa Cruz, California, and Amanda Burke of Southampton, Pennsylvania, won the women’s 3-meter synchronized championship with 311.70 points. Maren Taylor and Deidre Freeman were second with 284.40. Brooke Schultz and Sarah Bacon finished third with 279.96

Rittenhouse and Burke just started diving together the last couple of weeks.

“It’s exciting that with only two weeks of training together we’ve done so well,” said Rittenhouse, a 2008 Olympian. “We knew we could do well, but it’s all happening very fast.”

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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