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Appalachian St, fab frosh & pace of play in Week 1

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

Texas A&M’s outburst, Boise State’s flop and Temple’s late-night surprise were just an appetizer.

The nonstop college football opening weekend includes Friday night fare, a full slate of Saturday of games, plus a sprinkling on Sunday and a big Monday nighter.

Some things you should know before taking in the rest of Week 1:

RETURN TO THE BIG HOUSE. The last — and only — time Appalachian State played at Michigan was memorable, to say the least. The big bad Wolverines were ranked No. 5 to start the 2007 season, with Mike Hart, Chad Henne and Jake Long leading a powerful offense. Appalachian State was a two-time defending national champion, but that was in FCS, what was once known as Division I-AA. The Mountaineers became the first FCS (or I-AA) team to beat a ranked major college team in a thrilling and stunning 34-32 victory. App State returns to the Big House on Saturday and it might be an even bigger upset this time around. The Mountaineers are in their first season as an FBS team, playing in the Sun Belt Conference, and coming off a 4-8 season. Michigan is unranked and looking to bounce back from a 7-6 season, but another loss to Appalachian State would not go over well.

FABULOUS FROSH. When a coach compares an athlete to make Michael Jordan, even if only with a passing reference, the bar has been set awfully high for that athlete. That’s how LSU freshman running back Leonard Fournette will start his career. The most notable name in the 2014 freshman class leads the No. 13 Tigers against No. 14 Wisconsin on Saturday night in Houston. Some other freshman running backs who have a chance to make an immediate impact: Elijah Hood for No. 23 North Carolina against Liberty; Tennessee’s Jalen Hurd against Utah State; and Royce Freeman for No. 3 Oregon against South Dakota.

THE HEISMAN CANDIATE AND THE REPLACEMENT. No. 5 Ohio State plays Navy in Baltimore and the star quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender will be found on the Midshipmen’s side. Keenan Reynolds ran for 31 touchdowns last season and is a dark horse candidate to win the Heisman. His candidacy would become far more serious with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State figured to have its own Heisman contender in Braxton Miller, but a shoulder injury has finished his season before it started. Redshirt freshman J.T.Barrett steps in for the Buckeyes to make his college debut.

TORTOISE AND HARE. The pace of play debate plays out on the field when Arkansas visits No. 6 Auburn. You might recall Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema was a vocal supporter of trying to implement rules to tap the brakes on up-tempo offenses, such as the one Gus Malzahn’s Tigers run. Auburn will start — at least — without quarterback Nick Marshall, who is being disciplined for a marijuana citation. That shouldn’t stop Malzahn from pushing the pace with backup Jeremy Johnson. And it’ll be interesting to see how long Marshall sits, especially if Arkansas can slow the Tigers and stay in the game with its power-and-patience approach.

NO SLUMP BUSTER. Georgia State snapped its 16-game losing streak on Wednesday with a last-second win against Abilene Christian. That leaves Miami, Ohio, with the longest losing streak among FBS schools, also at 16. The Redhawks and new coach Chuck Martin, the former offensive coordinator at Notre Dame, won’t have the benefit of starting against an FCS school the way Georgia State did. Miami is home against Marshall, which won 10 games last year and is the favorite to win Conference USA.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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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