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De Marchi wins 7th Vuelta stage, Valverde leads

By WTOP Staff

ALCAUDETE, Spain (AP) — Alessandro de Marchi of Italy pulled away from a small breakaway group to win an accident-filled seventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Friday, while Alejandro Valverde maintained the overall lead.

Former Tour de France champion Chris Froome fell early in the stage and cut his right hip, but he managed to get back on his bike and finished strongly, shaving two seconds off Valverde’s lead.

De Marchi, riding for Cannondale, shed the other three escapees and rode alone for the last 13 kilometers (8 miles) to complete the hilly 169-kilometer (105-mile) ride through rolling olive groves in just over four hours.

De Marchi described his first stage win in a grand tour as his best day on a bike.

“I have waited a long time for the moment,” said the 28-year-old De Marchi.

Froome, who withdrew from last month’s Tour de France after a series of falls, shook off his latest spill and chipped into his rivals’ advantage with a sprint at the finish.

Nairo Quintana remained in second place at 15 seconds behind Valverde, his Movistar teammate. Alberto Contador was third at 18 seconds off the pace, with Froome now just two seconds slower.

Several other riders were not as fortunate.

Ivan Santaromita became the first rider to withdraw from this Vuelta when he fractured a finger during a fall with two other riders, who both later called it quits as well.

Ryder Hesjedal’s chances of keeping with De Marchi in the breakaway were ended when his bike slid out from under him on a turn. Warren Barquil then received a hard knock in the final sprint and grimaced as he walked his bike across the finish line.

“It wasn’t as hot as yesterday, but it was still beating down,” Valverde said about the temperatures that still reached 37 degrees Centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit), down from 40 degrees the prior two days.

“I didn’t have any close calls, but you had to be very careful because there were a lot of crashes and it was dangerous,” Valverde said.

Saturday’s stage is a 207-kilometer (128-mile) ride from Baeza to Albacete.

The 21-stage race ends in Santiago de Compostela on Sept. 14.

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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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