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Patriots trade Mallett to Texans

By WTOP Staff

JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

Jimmy Garoppolo will be carrying a clipboard for Tom Brady on the New England Patriots’ sideline this season.

The Patriots traded former Brady backup Ryan Mallett to the Houston Texans on Sunday, elevating Garoppolo to the No. 2 job behind the two-time NFL MVP.

Garoppolo was a second-round pick in this year’s draft — the highest coach Bill Belichick has ever selected a quarterback in New England.

“We have three good players at that position, three players we have a lot of confidence in,” Belichick said on Sunday just hours before the trade was announced. “It’s a good situation.”

Mallett was 14 for 26 for 161 yards and a touchdown this preseason, and his fate seemed decided when Garoppolo played the entire exhibition finale on Thursday night against the New York Giants.

Originally a third-round draft pick from Arkansas, Mallett played four regular-season games in three years with the Patriots, completing one pass.

In Houston, Mallett will move into the backup role created when the Texans cut Case Keenum later Sunday. Keenum had been competing with rookie fourth-round pick Tom Savage for the No. 2 role behind Harvard product Ryan Fitzpatrick.

In the preseason, Garoppolo was 46 for 79 for 618 yards, five touchdowns and an interception.

But the Patriots are hoping he returns to the bench and stays there.

Brady has only missed games because of injury once in his career since inheriting the starting job from Drew Bledsoe in 2001. With Brady’s knee torn up, Matt Cassel led the Patriots to an 11-5 record in 2008 but missed the playoffs — one of just two seasons in the Brady era in which New England failed to make the postseason.

Also Sunday, the Patriots claimed defensive linemen Bruce Gaston and Kelcy Quarles off waivers. New England released linebacker Chris White.

Gaston was a rookie free agent from Purdue cut by Arizona on Saturday. He played 50 consecutive games at Purdue and finished with 131 total tackles, seven sacks, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

Quarles was cut by the Giants on Saturday. He played in 35 games in three years at South Carolina, finishing with 105 total tackles and 13 sacks.

White played two seasons with the Buffalo Bills before joining the Patriots last season. Originally a sixth-round draft pick from Mississippi State, he played in 16 games and finished with one tackle on defense and nine special teams tackles.

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AP Sports Writer Chris Duncan contributed to this story from Houston.

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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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