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Penn State, UCF set for Ireland season opener

By WTOP Staff

KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The idea started with a phone call.

With the aftermath Penn State’s sex abuse scandal erasing his team postseason prospects until at least 2016, then-Nittany Lions’ head coach Bill O’Brien picked up the phone and called an old friend to pitch a game with UCF in Ireland.

“Billy had called…because what he was trying to do because of the probation Penn State was on was get the kids a trip,” UCF coach George O’Leary recalled this week. “I said ‘Fine, I’d be willing to play that.’ And we worked it out.”

A year’s worth of planning and a few personnel changes later, the Nittany Lions and Knights are set to open the 2014 season in the first game outside the United States for both programs. It will mark the eighth regular-season game between NCAA schools in Ireland. Penn State and UCF will meet in Croke Park on Saturday and game has been dubbed the “Croke Park Classic.”

There are only sparse connections to Ireland on sides.

O’Leary’s grandfather was born in Cork, Ireland, just three hours away from Dublin. That is also the hometown of Knights’ kicker Sean Galvin.

For Penn State, new coach James Franklin’s mother is originally from England, and his parents were married in Ireland. He has family he hasn’t seen in 15 years and they’ll be at the game where they will meet his wife for the first time.

The game brings lots of mystery for Irish locals, who don’t know much about American football. Still, O’Leary expects there to be a lot of interest in what’s going at a Gaelic football-built stadium that will swallow up the American 100-yard field.

“I think the Irish will be at the game,” he said. “I would assume they’d root for Galvin. And probably the name O’Leary doesn’t hurt.”

Though his team took in some sites and Irish culture this week, Franklin said it wouldn’t distract them too much from football.

“We’re going to play a game and so is Central Florida,” Franklin said. “They’re having to deal with all the same issues of flying to another country, time zone, all those things. This is not going to be an once-in-a-lifetime experience. For us, this is a business trip to go and play in a football game.”

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Here are some things to watch for during Penn State and UCF’s season opener in Dublin:

NEW STAFF AT PENN STATE: O’Brien’s departure and the arrival of Franklin in the offseason from Vanderbilt has put the Knights at somewhat of a disadvantage preparing for the Nittany Lions this time around after last season’s 34-31 win. And Franklin has already created a different culture in Happy Valley. Fifth-year linebacker Mike Hull, who has had three different coaches in his Penn State career, said it was noticeable early. “Coach O’Brien’s was run like an NFL camp, not as much hitting, not as much physicality,” he said. “I think Coach Franklin is right in the middle.”

YOUNG QUARTERBACKS: Penn State got a lot out of Christian Hackenberg as a true freshman last season. He completed 59 percent of his passes, with 20 touchdowns on the way to being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The Knights are also going young following the departure of Blake Bortles to the NFL. They will start redshirt freshman Pete DiNovo, who won a preseason battle with sophomore Justin Holman.

KNIGHTS DEFENSE: UCF has one of the most-experienced defenses in the American Athletic Conference, returning nine starters. The Knights have 24 of 30 defense players back that saw action in at least one game in 2013.

NOT YOUR FATHER’S STADIUM: Both teams will have to adjust to a large playing surface that could cause some depth-perception issues. A Gaelic pitch is about 20 yards wider and deeper than a U.S.-sized field. The stadium seats 82,000, but the configuration for Saturday allows for 55,000 seats.

DAN ROONEY TROPHY/SPECIAL HELMET: The winner of Saturday’s game will receive the Dan Rooney Trophy, named after the chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012. It is a replica football, made of bog yew and Pittsburgh steel, with the yew coming from the remains of forests that grew 4,200 years ago in the Irish midlands. UCF will also don a special helmet for the game, featuring a pair of shamrocks above its logo.

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AP staff writer Shawn Pogatchnik contributed to this report.

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Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower

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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