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Oregon State kicks past Portland State 29-14

By WTOP Staff

JIM BESEDA
Associated Press

CORVALLIS, Oregon (AP) — Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion passed for 328 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another score Saturday to pace the Beavers to a 29-14 victory over Portland State.

Trailing 14-13 at halftime, Oregon State forced turnovers on five of Portland State’s first six possessions of the second half and took the lead for good on Garrett Owen’s 26-yard field goal with 10:58 to play in the third quarter.

Owens added field goals of 25, 25, 31 and 23 yards to help the Beavers of the Pacific-12 conference avoid a season-opening loss at home to a FCS school for the third time in four seasons.

Oregon State’s Storm Woods had 16 carries for 126 yards rushing. The Beavers finished with 505 yards total offense to Portland State’s 215.

Portland State backup quarterback Paris Penn finished with nine carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings of the Big Sky conference, who managed only 40 yards offense in the second half.

Oregon State scored on two of its three first-quarter possessions with Owens hitting a pair of 25-year field goals to give the Beavers a 6-0 lead.

Portland State, with only 36 yards offense in the first quarter, crossed midfield for the first time on the first play of the second quarter when backup quarterback Paris Penn scored on a 58-yard run to put the Vikings in front 7-6.

The Beavers answered with a 10-play, 82-yard scoring drive with Mannion scoring on a 6-yard run to make it 13-7 with 9:36 to play in the second quarter. It was Mannion’s second career rushing touchdown and first since his freshman season.

Penn put the Vikings back in front 14-13 with 5:38 remaining the half when he scored on an 11-yard run, capping a nine-play, 73-yard scoring drive that was aided by four OSU penalties, including a late hit out of bounds and a roughing the passer call.

At halftime, Oregon State had run 37 plays to Portland State’s 27 and had a 285-175 advantage in total offense. The Beavers also had been penalized 10 times for 89 yards, while the Vikings were flagged once for 10 yards.

Portland State opened the second half with a turnover when wide receiver Darnell Adams attempted a deep pass that was intercepted by Oregon State’s Ty Zimmerman at the Beavers’ 40.

OSU then went 51 yards in eight plays, setting up a 26-yard field goal by Owens that put the Beavers back on top, 16-14.

The Beavers forced three more turnovers before the end of the third quarter, including a fumble that set up Mannion’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Woods, and an interception that set up a 31-yard field goal by Owens.

Portland State fell to 2-31 against NCAA Division I FBS programs, including a 0-13 mark against Pac-12 teams and a 0-4 record against Oregon State.

Next week, the Beavers play at Hawaii, while the Vikings are home against NCAA Division II Eastern Oregon.

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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