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Mannion embarks on final season with the Beavers

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — The difference in Sean Mannion is marked: The once soft-spoken and reserved quarterback for Oregon State has blossomed into a confident full-fledged leader in his senior season for the Beavers.

“I think it’s just growing older and getting more comfortable in your surroundings,” said Mannion, a fifth-year senior. “At this point I’ve been here four, going on five years. You get comfortable with everyone and you get a feel about how to talk with your teammates about whatever is going on, good or bad. It happens with experience.”

A perfect fit in Oregon State’s pro-style offense, Mannion set a Pac-12 season record for yards passing last season with 4,662. He threw an Oregon State-record 37 touchdown passes, third-most for a single season in conference history.

Mannion, who has 10,436 career yards passing, needs 1,839 more this season to pass USC’s Matt Barkley as the all-time Pac-12 leader. The Beavers open the season at home Saturday against Portland State.

His favorite target last season was Brandin Cooks, who became the Biletnikoff award winner as the nation’s top receiver, setting a league record with 128 catches and a national-best 1,730 yards.

Cooks declared for the NFL draft a year early and went to the New Orleans Saints in the first round.

Mannion weighed his options and consulted the NFL Draft Advisory Board, which projected him as a third-round selection.

“I thought over the NFL, but ultimately I thought I could still make improvements at the college level. I know someday I want to go to the NFL, but I want to know I became the best college player I could first,” he said. “From there it was an easy decision — I love it here at Oregon State. There’s nowhere that I’d rather be right now, improving as a player and helping our team win games this season.”

Oregon State coach Mike Riley couldn’t be happier.

“I’m really proud of him just because he’s a great young man in our program, (going) from a guy that was probably what I would call relatively shy when he was a freshman into being now a guy that is not only a leader by example, but a vocal leader, too,” Riley said at Pac-12 media day.

Just a season ago in fall camp, Mannion was competing with Cody Vaz for the starting job. Mannion came out on top, but got off to a rocky start when the Beavers fell 49-46 at home to lower-division Eastern Washington in the season opener.

The Beavers rebounded and reeled off six straight wins to become bowl eligible seven games into the season. Along the way, the 6-foot-5 Mannion was widely considered a Heisman hopeful.

But Oregon State lost its remaining five regular-season games. The slide ended with a 38-23 victory over Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl, giving the Beavers a 7-6 finish.

Mannion said the season was a learning experience for everyone. He feels Oregon State is stronger for it heading into the game against the Big Sky’s Vikings.

“I think everyone who is back from last season knows you have to play one week at a time — it’s a cliche I know. But really you’ve got to focus on what you can do each day to improve and only have your one opponent in mind,” Mannion said. “I think taking that approach will help us avoid some of the pitfalls we had last season.”

As for Mannion’s goals? That’s pretty simple.

“A Rose Bowl,” he said. “That’s it. That’s all that matters to me.”

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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