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Neymar, Messi set up winner for Barcelona debutant

By WTOP Staff

LONDON (AP) — Returning from his World Cup-ending injury, Neymar combined with Lionel Messi on Sunday to set up a winning goal for a teenage newcomer to Barcelona.

Substitute Sandro Ramirez, a Barca academy graduate, had been on the field only 12 minutes when he scored in a 1-0 victory at Villarreal.

The goal maintained Barcelona’s perfect start to the Spanish league. In England, Liverpool convincingly beat Tottenham while Arsenal slumped to its second draw in three matches.

The best of the action from Europe’s top leagues Sunday:

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SPAIN

Barcelona was held in check by Villarreal until the 82nd minute, when Messi took Neymar’s pass and drew goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo off his line before picking out Ramirez to push the winner into the net.

Messi had previously been denied twice by the goal frame when Asenjo blocked his free kick onto the post in the 28th and his shot stuck the upright in the 76th. But he delivered when hemmed in by Asenjo and a defender on the right side of the goal, squeezing a low pass under the goalkeeper for the streaking Ramirez to tap home from close range.

Neymar came on as a second-half substitute for his first competitive game since fracturing a vertebra at the World Cup. He missed last weekend’s league opener with a sprained left ankle.

Barcelona has two wins in two games, and Real Madrid tried to keep pace when it played at Real Sociedad in a late game.

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ENGLAND

Liverpool had the look of Premier League title challengers again during a 3-0 win at Tottenham, while Arsenal’s scoring struggles were once more exposed in a 1-1 draw at Leicester.

Alexis Sanchez scored in the 20th minute, his first league goal for Arsenal since joining from Barcelona. The goal was offset within two minutes by Leonardo Ulloa’s header for newly promoted Leicester.

Liverpool, though, recovered from its setback at Manchester City at the start of the week with a convincing performance at Tottenham. Newly signed striker Mario Balotelli made his debut, but the goals came from forward Raheem Sterling, captain Steven Gerrard’s penalty and new defender Alberto Moreno.

Unbeaten Aston Villa beat Hull 2-1 for its second win in three games.

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ITALY

Filippo Inzaghi got off to a winning start as AC Milan’s coach, his team easing to a 3-1 victory over Lazio in its Serie A opener.

Goals from Keisuke Honda and Sulley Muntari and a penalty from Jeremy Menez gave Milan a comfortable lead before Lazio pulled one back with an own goal from new Rossoneri signing Alex.

New Milan goalkeeper Diego Lopez saved Antonio Candreva’s penalty kick in stoppage time.

It was a convincing performance by Milan, which showed how little it missed Balotelli after his move to Liverpool last week. Balotelli’s replacement, Fernando Torres, was watching in the stands at San Siro after completing his two-year loan move from Chelsea.

Also, Atalanta drew 0-0 at home to Hellas Verona.

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FRANCE

Bordeaux dropped its first points this season by drawing with Bastia 1-1 in the French league.

Bastia striker Gadji Tallo pounced on a loose ball to score with a low strike in the 18th minute before Bordeaux forward Diego Rolan tied it by firing into the bottom corner in the 79th.

Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain hosted Saint-Etienne in a late game.

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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