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Bengals put QB McCarron on injured list

By WTOP Staff

JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — AJ McCarron will have to wait for at least six weeks to get his NFL career going.

The Bengals put McCarron on an injury list Saturday, leaving the fifth-round draft choice ineligible to practice with the team for the first six weeks of the season. A sore shoulder forced him to miss training camp practices.

McCarron was the ninth quarterback taken overall in the draft. He won national titles with Alabama in 2011-12 and went 36-4 as a starter. Cincinnati is interested in McCarron as a backup to Andy Dalton, who got a six-year contract extension this month.

McCarron will continue on his throwing program. He’s eligible to go onto the active roster following the sixth week of the season.

“AJ’s doing really fine,” coach Marvin Lewis said during a conference call on Saturday. “Doing very well.”

Jason Campbell is the backup as the defending AFC North champions get ready for their season opener in Baltimore in a week.

Four draft picks from recent years were waived on Saturday as Cincinnati got to the 53-man roster limit. The Bengals also released safety Danieal Manning, an offseason free agent acquisition from Houston.

The Bengals brought back the core of the team that has reached the playoffs each of the last three seasons but lost its opening game all three times. They made it through training camp and the preseason with few injuries.

“Going into the year, we’ve got to feel good about where we are and excited about where we are,” Lewis said. “And they understand what’s ahead.”

The Bengals’ most noteworthy roster move came on Friday, when they released running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. He was their leading rusher each of the last two seasons, but wound up sharing the role with Giovani Bernard last year.

The Bengals drafted Jeremy Hill in the second round, giving them another running back that can catch the ball. Bernard and Hill were the top two backs during training camp drills, with Green-Ellis relegated to third.

“It’s good for Bennie to go somewhere and get an opportunity to play,” Lewis said. “He handled the whole thing very classy all the way through the spring and everything. We kept him here for a while to give us insurance in case anything happened to anybody.”

Four former draft picks were among those waived on Satuday: H-back Orson Charles (fourth round 2012), receiver Cobi Hamilton (sixth round 2013), defensive end Dontay Moch (third round 2011) and defensive tackle Devon Still (second round 2012).

The Bengals also waived offensive tackle Dan France, cornerback Victor Hampton, defensive tackle David King, receiver Colin Lockett, cornerback Onterio McCalebb, defensive end Sam Montgomery, fullback Nikita Whitlock, halfback James Wilder Jr. and center Trevor Robinson, who started seven games in 2012 as an injury fill-in. Rookie Russell Bodine won the starting job at center in camp.

Offensive tackle Will Svitek was released, guard Trey Hopkins went on injured reserve with a leg injury, and cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris went on the suspended list. He’ll miss two games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Also, cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks was waived with an injury settlement.

___

Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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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