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Arkansas enjoys confidence boost after easy win

By WTOP Staff

KURT VOIGT
AP Sports Writer

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Brandon Allen wasn’t about to complain about Arkansas’ 73-7 thrashing of Football Championship Subdivision opponent Nicholls State on Saturday.

Much like the rest of his teammates, the quarterback was less focused on the lack of competition and more on the team’s first win in nearly a year — a win that snapped a school-worst 10-game losing streak.

While the dominating win showed a glimpse of how far Arkansas (1-1) has come in its second season under coach Bret Bielema, it also provided a much-needed boost of confidence for the maligned Razorbacks and their fans.

Now the question becomes will that boost translate to an improved follow-up performance when the Razorbacks return to more equal competition at Texas Tech (2-0) this week?

Allen, following a performance in which all four of his completions went for touchdowns, thinks so.

“It changes a lot,” Allen said. “Any time a team can get on a roll and start winning a few games in a row, that really helps the whole team’s mindset, gets things going a lot smoother. So I think this win here is going to carry us on to next week. We’re going to start tomorrow and get ready for them. Enjoy this tonight and then move on to Texas Tech.”

The Razorbacks won their first three games last season in Bielema’s first year, but none came in anywhere near as dominating fashion as Saturday’s 66-point win. Arkansas lost its final nine games a year ago, and it failed to score more than 34 points in any game — a total it topped in the first quarter against the Colonels.

Much to Bielema’s delight, Arkansas’ surging ground game — led by the duo of sophomore Alex Collins and junior Jonathan Williams — overwhelmed Nicholls State on its way to 495 yards rushing on 40 carries.

Even with sophomore running back Korliss Marshall missing the game with an arm injury, Collins and Williams picked up any slack. Williams led the way with 143 yards rushing on only four carries, including a 90-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and Collins added 131 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries.

“I think Collins, (Williams) and of course when we get Korliss in there, they are three very explosive players,” Bielema said. “I think they feed well off one another. It’s fun to see.”

Arkansas played well for a half in a season-opening loss at No. 5 Auburn before faltering in the second half, but it had no such late woes against the overmatched Colonels. The Razorbacks averaged a school-record 12.7 yards per play in the win, gaining 684 yards of total offense on 54 plays.

Bielema is counting on the opening road loss to provide experience for Arkansas against the Red Raiders, who have struggled in wins over Central Arkansas and Texas-El Paso to open the season.

“If that game had been at home or we hadn’t had that game in our hip pocket right now, we wouldn’t be as prepared as we’re going to be this week to do that,” Bielema said. “The blessing in disguise was we’ve been on the road already.”

Despite the relief following Saturday’s win and surge in confidence, don’t expect the Razorbacks to fall victim to overconfidence this week. Not yet, at least.

“There was a lot of energy and a lot of emotion in the locker room,” Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers said. “But we don’t want to get too high on it, because we know we’ve got to take care of business next week, and we still have a lot to prove.”

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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