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Steelers eyeing needs after uneven preseason

By WTOP Staff

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — One of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s pet phrases is: “Your tape is your resume.”

Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is hoping he won’t have to polish his up when rosters are trimmed to 53 players on Saturday.

The former first-round pick made a compelling argument during training camp, making contributions on special teams and catching a team-high nine passes for 98 yards during Pittsburgh’s 1-3 preseason.

Heyward-Bey is fighting for a spot behind Pro Bowler Antonio Brown, second-year prospect Markus Wheaton and veteran Lance Moore on the depth chart and seemed to get better as he grew more familiar with offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s multi-faceted approach.

“I just went out there with the mindset of getting better each and every day, dealing with the coaching staff and I think that’s a good way to go about it,” Heyward-Bey said. “I think that’s a good way to go about it because you don’t stress about it.”

The Steelers signed Heyward-Bey to a one-year contract in March hoping they could succeed where Oakland and Indianapolis failed. The speedy seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft has failed to live up to expectations, spending four unimpressive seasons with the Raiders before catching 29 passes a year ago for the Colts.

Heyward-Bey missed time early in camp with concussion-like symptoms and fell into a competition with Derek Moye and Justin Brown for playing time with the second unit. He started to flourish during joint practices with the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago, putting together an 85-yard touchdown catch-and-run that showcased the dazzling quickness that has only shown itself occasionally during five uneven years in the league. Six catches in the preseason finale against Carolina on Thursday night followed.

“That’s the plan, you want to get better each and every day, each and every game,” he said. “I think I’ve done that.”

It’s unclear if third-string quarterback Landry Jones can say the same. A fourth-round pick last spring, the former Oklahoma star looked much improved in practice but couldn’t seem to make that success translate under the lights. Jones went 14 of 19 for 97 yards in Thursday night’s 10-0 loss to the Panthers and failed to lead the Steelers into field-goal range.

Jones felt he did some good things but didn’t exactly impress Tomlin.

Asked late Thursday night if he’s ready to make a decision on whether the Steelers can afford the luxury of carrying three quarterbacks, Tomlin wasn’t exactly effusive.

“I’m not confident of anything right now in that regard,” he said. “I’ll look at the tape and we’ll make appropriate decisions based on performance.”

The Steelers won’t exactly head into the opener against Cleveland on Sept. 7 with momentum after ending the preseason with a pair of duds. Though most of the regulars emerged from August healthy, rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant sprained his right shoulder on Thursday and his immediate status is unclear. That uncertainty is probably good news for Heyward-Bey but perhaps not for Jones. The games start counting for real in less than 10 days and Pittsburgh has needs in several other areas besides a position where franchise cornerstone Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a season in which he took every offensive snap.

“This business, being cut, staying here, that’s so far out of my control I don’t even like thinking about it,” Jones said.

___

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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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