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After eventful offseason, Northwestern meets Cal

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern hopes the headlines will finally focus on victories.

The Wildcats enter the season hoping to capture attention for their play rather than their leading role in the college unionization debate, and it starts with Saturday’s opener against California.

“I think everybody that’s associated with college football is always excited this week,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said.

Considering everything that’s happened in recent months, that might be more than just coach-speak where Northwestern is concerned.

Besides serving as the ground zero for a movement that could alter the college landscape with former quarterback Kain Colter leading the push to form the first union for college athletes, the Wildcats took some big hits with the unexpected losses of some key players. Front-line receiver Christian Jones and defensive tackle Sean McEvilly suffered season-ending injuries, and star running back Venric Mark decided to transfer.

Those were big blows for a team coming off a 5-7 season, particularly the loss of Mark. He missed most of last season because of a broken ankle after rushing for 1,366 yards as a junior in 2012 and was granted a medical hardship by the Big Ten that gave him a fifth year.

But instead of a triumphant return, he got suspended for the first two games for violating a team rule. The school announced two weeks ago he was transferring to play closer to his family in Texas.

As for the unionization issue, that’s still looming in the background. The effort started to pick up momentum last season and the team voted in April, shortly after National Labor Relations Board regional director Peter Ohr ruled that the Wildcats’ scholarship football players were “employees.” The NLRB impounded the ballots pending an appeal by the university so the results of the vote are not known.

A more immediate concern is Saturday’s game, the start of what both teams hope will be a rebound season.

California went 1-11 last year, its first under Sonny Dykes. The lone win was against lower-division Portland State after losing the season-opener to Northwestern. The Golden Bears lost their final 10 games and have dropped 16 straight to FBS opponents.

Things weren’t quite as bad for Northwestern, but they sure were disappointing. The Wildcats were 4-0 coming off a 10-win season and were leading Ohio State by 10 at home before everything unraveled.

With that in mind, here are some things to look for in this game:

QUARTERBACKS IN SPOTLIGHT: California’s Jared Goff is looking to build on a strong freshman season, while Northwestern’s Trevor Siemian hopes to show he can handle the job by himself after sharing time with Colter the past two seasons. Siemian, a senior, has thrown for more than 3,700 yards in his career, and he ranked sixth in the Big Ten in completion percentage (59.7) last season. Goff was one of the few bright spots for Cal last season, breaking the single-season school records for yards passing (3,508), total offense (3,446), passes completed (320) and passes attempted (531). He is also fully recovered after having surgery on his throwing (right) shoulder.

“It’s been a year and everything’s slowing down and becoming more comfortable,” Goff said. “Last year at this time I didn’t really even know what to expect.”

SLOW IT DOWN: Fitzgerald wasn’t happy last year when Dykes accused Northwestern of feigning injuries to slow Cal’s no-huddle offense. And he insisted this week that’s not the Wildcats’ style.

“I think I made my point pretty clear after the game,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s not something that we do.”

UNBEARABLE ‘D’: Cal comes in with a revised defense and a new coordinator in Art Kaufman after giving up 45.9 points per game while getting devastated by injuries. Defensive end Brennan Scarlett is back after missing last season because of a hand injury, and the Golden Bears are counting on him to ignite their pass rush.

NO GREEN RB: Yes, losing Mark hurt Northwestern. But they still have a solid tailback in Treyvon Green. He ran for 736 yards — 5.4 per carry — and eight touchdowns as a junior last season.

MORE BALANCE?: As good as Goff looked last season, Cal had no balance on offense, ranking fifth in passes and 104th in rush attempts. With freshmen Tre Watson and Vic Enwere along with returning running backs Daniel Lasco and Khalfani Muhammad, Cal has more options to run the ball.

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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