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Tennessee’s open practice has attendance of 40,000

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s newcomers are hoping the open practice Saturday gave them at least some idea of what it’s like to perform in front of a big crowd at Neyland Stadium.

For the second straight year, the Volunteers tuned up for the season by opening a Neyland Stadium workout to the public. This year’s open practice drew an announced attendance of 40,000, a slight increase from last year’s total of 39,000.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones noted many of Tennessee’s newcomers indicated they had never played in front of a crowd this big. Tennessee plans to rely heavily on a recruiting class that was ranked among the top five in the nation by multiple services.

“At my junior college, we only had about 200 people at the games,” wide receiver Von Pearson said. “And this is only practice.”

Fourteen of Tennessee’s newcomers were here for spring practice and got to participate in the Orange & White Game, which had an announced attendance of 68,548. But this was an entirely new experience for the other 18 members of that heralded signing class.

“It definitely gets you acclimated for what it will be like for game day,” freshman linebacker Dillon Bates said. “You know it will be double this on game day, but (it helps) just to get acclimated a little bit and kind of get used to playing in front of people and really focusing in and dialing in on what you’re supposed to do.”

Jones spent much of the practice holding a microphone, exhorting fans to make as much noise as possible in third-down situations and during field-goal attempts.

The fans got to see some typical practice drills as well as some scrimmaging. Some of the drills were particularly crowd pleasing. In one drill, players tried to catch punts while cradling a few other footballs in their arms. In another drill, players practiced fumble recoveries by diving for a football hidden underneath a pile of padding.

This practice also showed plenty of competition remains heading into the Aug. 31 season opener against Utah State.

Tennessee’s first-team offensive line included Jacob Gilliam at left tackle, Marcus Jackson at left guard, Mack Crowder at center, Jashon Robertson at right guard and Kyler Kerbyson at right tackle. That represented a change from the start of training camp, when the first-team line featured Kerbyson at right guard with Coleman Thomas at right tackle. Robertson, a freshman, moved from defense to offense early in training camp.

“Tonight will serve as a great evaluation tool, and then moving forward next week…. on Monday we’ll start working on our starters and guys who we feel will be out there when we take the field against Utah State,” Jones said.

NOTES: Defensive lineman Trevarris Saulsberry was helped to the sidelines after getting hurt during practice. There was no immediate word on the nature or severity of his injury. … Defensive end Curt Maggitt was held out of Saturday night’s practice as he continues to rest an ankle injury. Maggitt and Jones have said the injury isn’t serious. … The entire Tennessee coaching staff was doused with ice water after the practice as part of the Ice Bucket Challenge to help fight ALS.

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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