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Raiders to leave early for East Coast

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Through three coaching staffs, hundreds of players and countless opponents, the Oakland Raiders have been unable to solve their East Coast hex.

With the Raiders having lost their last 13 games in the Eastern time zone, coach Dennis Allen decided this offseason that it was time to change things up.

Instead of leaving town after practice on Friday for the season opener against the New York Jets, Allen changed the usual schedule and will have the team depart for the East Coast on Thursday morning. That will give the Raiders a chance to practice in New Jersey on Friday and to have more time to acclimate to the three-hour time change before the early kickoff Sunday.

“In my mind, the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result,” Allen said. “To me, it’s something different, it’s trying something new. We’re trying to find every small little advantage we can that will give us an opportunity to play well and we’ll see how it goes.”

The fact that the first East Coast trip came in the season opener made the schedule change a bit easier. The Raiders were still able to have three practices this week at their facility in Alameda before leaving town.

Allen said he has no plans to make this the schedule on Oakland’s next two East Coast trips: to New England later this month and Cleveland in October.

But if the Raiders can win their first game back East since Bruce Gradkowski led a fourth-quarter comeback in Pittsburgh on Dec. 6, 2009, he might change his mind.

The Raiders have dropped 13 straight games in the East since then, losing by an average of more than 14 points a game. Eight of those losses have come in Allen’s first two seasons as coach in Oakland.

“It’s probably more of a fluke, but being here the past nine years with the Raiders, you do see a little sluggishness, even in pregame warm-ups,” long snapper Jon Condo said. “But that happens sometimes out here in Oakland on the West Coast, so it’s hard to explain if it’s because we’re on the East Coast or not.”

Condo said he tries to make sure he does not nap on the plane flights so he can get to bed at a decent hour when the team gets East. Staying hydrated for the long flights is also important.

Offensive lineman Khalif Barnes, in his sixth season with the Raiders, downplays the impact on the body clock and playing field of changing time zones, saying it has little impact on how the team has played.

“Everybody in this league has to deal with something, whether it’s East Coast teams coming to us, we go to them, playing in the hot weather,” he said. “There’s a bunch of stuff that people go through. I don’t want to use any excuses for it. We have to play well to win the game.”

Allen said another benefit of spending an extra day on the road this week is that it allows more time for players to bond. The team will arrive in New Jersey late Thursday afternoon, giving players a chance to go out for dinner with teammates before meetings and practice on Friday morning.

Allen said he did something similar as an assistant in New Orleans in 2008 when the Saints went to Indianapolis for a few days because of Hurricane Gustav before their opener against Tampa Bay.

“It almost makes you spend a little more time with your teammates to get to know them,” said safety Usama Young, who was also part of that Saints team with Allen. “It’s week one and we have a lot of new guys here. With all the new pieces that we added to our team, it’s good we do get to spend some extra time together before our first game.”

NOTES: MLB Nick Roach (concussion) was back at practice on a limited basis but has not yet been cleared to play in the game. … TE David Ausberry was able to participate fully in practice and could be ready to play Sunday for the first time since knee surgery early last month. … CB Chimdi Chekwa (knee) remains sidelined and rookie TC Carrie will likely play in his place in nickel formations.

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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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