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Colts-Broncos Capsule

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (12-6) at DENVER (15-4)

Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC

OPENING LINE — Broncos by 6½

RECORD VS. SPREAD (2013) — Indianapolis 9-7-2, Denver 12-7

SERIES RECORD — Tied at 11

LAST MEETING — Colts beat Broncos 39-33, Oct. 20, 2013, at Indy

AP PRO32 RANKING — Colts No. 8, Broncos No. 2

COLTS OFFENSE — OVERALL (15), RUSH (20), PASS (17)

COLTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (9), RUSH (26), PASS (13)

BRONCOS OFFENSE — OVERALL (1), RUSH (15), PASS (1)

BRONCOS DEFENSE — OVERALL (22), RUSH (7), PASS (27)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Colts finished preseason 0-4. … Won six straight over Denver, including Peyton Manning’s homecoming game last October. … Andrew Luck threw for 228 yards and three TDs in Manning’s return to Lucas Oil. … Colts head coach Chuck Pagano was born in Boulder, Colorado. … Manning was a 12-time Pro Bowler with Colts and had 11 4,000-yard seasons. … Indy has had at least one undrafted rookie make its roster for 16 straight years. Longest active streak. … Colts are 31-12 in prime-time games. … S Mike Adams needs 12 tackles against former team to reach 500 for career. … Luck is 34 pass attempts away from passing Jim Harbaugh (1,230) for sixth-most in team history. … With a reception, WR Reggie Wayne will have a catch in 191 regular season games, moving him past Marvin Harrison for most in Colts history. … WR T.Y. Hilton led team with 82 receptions for 1,083 yards last season. … Luck has had 11 winning drives in fourth quarter/OT, most through a QB’s first two seasons since 1970. … Broncos played in franchise’s seventh Super Bowl in 2013, losing 43-8 to Seattle. … Broncos are 34-19-1 in season openers, second only to Dallas (36-17-1). … Manning is 36 yards passing away from 65,000 for career. … WR Wes Welker serving first of four games for violating league’s drug-abuse policy. … Welker is eight receptions shy of tying former Bronco Rod Smith for most by an undrafted player. … Broncos have second-toughest schedule in league with opponents going 146-110 last season. … Owner Pat Bowlen stepping away from daily duties because of Alzheimer’s disease. Under Bowlen’s leadership, Broncos have had 18 winning seasons and 16 playoff appearances, most in league since he was introduced as majority owner in 1984. … Manning set records in 2013 for most TD passes (55), yards passing (5,477) and passing first downs (289). … Committed more than $100 million to add DE DeMarcus Ware, DB Aqib Talib and SS T.J. Ward in free agency. … LB Von Miller, S Rahim Moore, CB Chris Harris Jr. and DL Derek Wolfe all back from injuries. … Julius Thomas’ 12 TDs in 2013 were most by a Broncos TE.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://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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