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UMass, Boston College renew Bay State rivalry

By WTOP Staff

JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The statue of Doug Flutie outside Boston College’s Alumni Stadium was playfully defaced this week when someone — presumably by a UMass supporter — draped a Minuteman jersey over it. Flutie retweeted a photo with the comment: “Ew.”

That’s probably the first time in a long while that the folks in Chestnut Hill gave much thought to their cross-state rivals.

Boston College and UMass will meet in their season openers on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots and the off-campus host for the Minutemen since they moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2012. While Boston College spent last year righting itself in the Atlantic Coast Conference and returning to the bowl rotation, UMass has struggled since moving to the FBS as a member of the Mid-American Conference with back-to-back 1-11 records.

So while the game is being billed as “The Battle of the Bay State,” UMass has some distance to go before it replaces the Boston University hockey team as a legitimate BC rival.

“Are we ready to play at an ACC level? We will find out,” UMass coach Mark Whipple said. “It’s a tough opener, but one our guys will be excited about.”

UMass hasn’t had much of a home-field advantage in the mostly empty stadium it borrows from the Patriots, winning there just once in two seasons. Still, BC coach Steve Addazio was concerned that his players might be awe-struck when they walked into the home of the three-time Super Bowl champions so he brought them down for a quick preview.

“As you would expect, the bus pulled up and the guys were gawking,” Addazio said. “They saw it, so now the next time there won’t be a lot of that. That’s why we did it.”

Here are some things to look for in Saturday’s game:

HISTORY: The rivalry goes back to 1899, when BC won 18-0. The Eagles hold a 19-5 advantage overall; UMass has not beaten its bigger Bay State brother since 1978, and the Minutemen have won only twice in the series since World War I. The teams have not met since UMass moved to the FBS.

NEW COACH/OLD COACH: Whipple is back at UMass after Charley Molnar went 2-22 in two seasons in Amherst after the Minutemen moved up from the Football Championship Subdivision. Whipple had been the head coach at UMass from 1998-2003, leading them to the Division I-AA national championship in his first season.

NEW QBS: Both teams will start transfers at quarterback: Tyler Murphy came to BC from Florida, where he completed 112 of 185 passes for 1,216 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions before missing the final three games with a sprained throwing shoulder. A Connecticut native, Murphy was recruited to Florida by Addazio when he was an assistant with the Gators. Blake Frohnapfel came to UMass having graduated from Marshall in three years after backing up 2012 Conference USA MVO Rakeem Cato. With Marshall, Frohnapfel was 35 of 53 for 386 yards and five touchdowns.

HOME ON THE ROAD: Although it is technically a road trip for Boston College, the game at the home of the New England Patriots is only about 30 miles from Chestnut Hill — closer to the Eagles’ campus than it is to UMass in Amherst almost 100 miles away. It is the first of five straight games that won’t require the Eagles to get on a plane before they travel to North Carolina State on Oct. 11.

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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