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Wallace set for last season at No. 18 Mississippi

By WTOP Staff

DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Nobody is going to confuse Bo Wallace with Eli Manning.

Manning is royalty in the Ole Miss football universe, still loved in Oxford for his clean-cut looks, family pedigree and two Super Bowl rings.

Wallace is known more for his shaggy hair, gunslinger mentality and long road to the Southeastern Conference that started at Arkansas State, moved to a junior college and ended with the Rebels.

But both have one thing in common: They’re successful college quarterbacks. And if Wallace has a good senior season, he might pass Manning for several Ole Miss career passing records.

“I’m thrilled that we have him,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said on Monday. “I like the demeanor he has right now. I like the leadership he’s trying to show, the way he’s studying film. It’s his last chance and he could do something special.”

The 18th-ranked Rebels open their season against Boise State on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Wallace said he’s aware of his place in the Ole Miss record books and the records he could have with a productive fall. He also has a chance to be among the top 10 in SEC history in career passing yards.

“It definitely motivates me,” Wallace said. “I feel like I have the guys around me. If I just give them the ball — they’ll make big plays.”

But Wallace said individual numbers are secondary to the one goal that really matters: Leading the Rebels to their first SEC championship since 1963.

That, of course, will be a monumental task. The Rebels are the only team from the SEC Western Division that has never played in the championship game since the league split into two divisions in 1992.

“We’re all ready to go,” Wallace said. “We’re tired of playing against each other — against the scouts. We’re ready to go against some competition and see what we have this year.”

Wallace has always been someone who shows his emotions. He made it clear he was upset when the league’s media selected him as the third-team preseason All-SEC quarterback in July.

The 6-foot-4, 217-pounder is the active career leader in just about every league passing category.

Freeze said he has no problem with Wallace’s anger if it’s channeled in the proper direction.

“I just think he’s hungry to go out and prove that he can have a better year than he did in the last one and the one before that, and he’s had two pretty good ones,” Freeze said.

Freeze didn’t always have such good things to say about Wallace during his first two years with the program — and his ire rarely had much to do with his performance on the field.

There were no serious behavior problems, but the coach often said that his quarterback needed to make sure his priorities were in the right spot. Wallace said those criticisms have finally made a mark.

“I just think I’ve matured,” Wallace said. “It’s crazy — you see your last year coming and you see the goals that you want to accomplish. You kind of self-reflect and look at the things in the past that might have held you back from those things.”

Wallace also hopes a return to full health will increase his production.

He played nearly his entire sophomore season in 2012 with an injury to his throwing shoulder that required offseason surgery. He was able to return for his junior season in 2013 and started all 13 games, but acknowledges that some of his deep throws lacked the usual zip.

Now after a full offseason of weightlifting and other strength drills, his arm feels normal.

“I have a lot more confidence this year,” Wallace said. “I had a great camp. Last year I didn’t have a good camp at all. It took me two or three weeks just to get back in the groove. But from day one (this year), I’ve felt good and I still feel good.”

___

Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP

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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