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2013 1st-round pick Cooper opens season on bench

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Jonathan Cooper says he understands why he won’t be starting when the Arizona Cardinals open their season Monday night against San Diego.

Coach Bruce Arians confirmed Wednesday that Ted Larsen will start at left guard. Cooper, the seventh overall pick in the draft last year, will be left to try to work his way back from what’s been a rocky effort to get the job after missing all of last season with a broken leg.

“He had his opportunities,” Arians said. “You can’t get there in a day’s practice. … Like I said before, I don’t care about draft status. I want to see results on the field, and Ted Larsen has way outplayed him.”

Early in training camp, Arians criticized Cooper for not shaking the rust off more quickly. Then the big offensive lineman was sidelined with turf toe.

“I honestly don’t feel like from my performance, from injuries, the time I’ve had off, I have not earned that spot,” Cooper said after Wednesday’s practice.

Cooper was the first player drafted after Steve Keim took over as general manager and Arians was hired as coach.

From the start, Cooper showed the mobility that the left guard needs under Arians’ system, before he went down in the third preseason game.

“I felt like last year I was on the verge of being a pretty good player,” Cooper said, “so I’m trying to get back on that track and really just work to be a great NFL player.”

It won’t happen in a hurry, now that the preseason is over.

“It’s very hard now to get an opportunity because you only get in pads one day a week,” Arians said. “It’s hard, unless somebody gets hurt. Now he better be ready if someone goes down. That’s probably going to be his best opportunity right now.”

Cooper has been surprisingly positive, at least publicly, throughout his ordeal.

“I understand what’s going on,” he said. “I’m not mad or upset. I’m just really hungry to improve so when my time comes I’m ready to go.”

Arians said Cooper is healthy enough now to fight through the toe injury.

“But you still have to play well,” the coach said. “His play before the injury wasn’t stellar. He was looking like a guy who’s coming back off a year’s injury. He’s going to be a heck of a player. It’s just a matter of time and taking the right approach with him and letting him get healthy.”

Cooper was asked what the coaches want to see out of him.

“They want to see me continue to work hard and just improve, all the way around, not one specific thing,” he said, “just continue to improve and be the player they drafted.”

Cooper acknowledged that he lost confidence as he fought back from the injury but “I feel like I’m in a good place now. I understand what I have to do. It’s just a matter of doing it.”

“It’s definitely helping me build character, I know that much,” he said, “because it’s been a difficult road. But I know that I’ll be fine if I just keep working, keep my head down and be the best I can be.”

___

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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