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Kaaya quickly emerges as a Miami leader

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Brad Kaaya was taking a midday walk around Lake Osceola on the Miami campus one day this week, fiddling with his phone and perfectly blending in with other students.

For a rare moment, he seemed to be just like everyone else.

Such moments of solitude are rare for the Hurricanes’ quarterback.

The start of Kaaya’s college life has been the wildest of whirlwinds, replete with him moving 2,500 miles from his California home to enroll at Miami, coming into his first season buried on the Hurricanes’ depth chart, emerging from training camp as the starter and doing things no other true freshman has in the program’s storied history.

His next challenge? Kaaya and the Hurricanes (2-1) visit No. 24 Nebraska (3-0) Saturday night, in what will be one of the top-attended Miami games ever.

“It’s been about taking it one step at a time and just soaking up every single moment,” Kaaya said. “Since I got here in May, going through camp, I was a sponge, absorbing anything I could absorb, watching film, taking advantage of each and every moment and everything else I could, going day by day.”

The approach seems to be working.

Kaaya threw for 342 yards — a Miami true freshman record, school officials said — and four touchdowns last week in a win over Arkansas State. No true freshman has more yards (693) or touchdowns (seven) so far this season than Kaaya, who remains solidly in the starting role even though senior Ryan Williams has been cleared to play following offseason knee surgery.

“You can never judge someone’s work ethic, their sacrifice, their dedication, their ability to see it,” Miami coach Al Golden said. “That part of it’s hard to see. He was here live in camp, so we saw him throw live. We knew he had a good arm. But since he’s arrived on campus he’s lost about 22 pounds, he’s learned a lot of football, he’s moving better, he’s quicker and he’s just really mature.”

The maturity has been needed.

Williams got hurt in spring practice, ending his chance to open the year as the starter. Kevin Olsen was on the team last year, but was suspended for the season’s first two games and now isn’t even a Miami student; his departure was announced Tuesday, one day after he was charged with DUI.

So with Williams and Olsen both out of the Week 1 mix, it came down to Kaaya and senior transfer Jake Heaps. Kaaya won the job and Miami has raved about him ever since.

“Nothing fazes him,” running back Duke Johnson said. “He’s been very cool ever since he got here.”

That cool has been tested. Kaaya’s first collegiate quarter wasn’t even in the books before he got drilled in the chin on a sack, a play where he tasted blood in the back of his mouth and thought his jaw was broken.

Not long afterward, he threw his first Miami TD pass.

“I think he has been a leader for us,” Golden said. “Whether he was the starter or not, he’d be a leader for us. He’s demonstrated it. He’s setting standards and he’s demonstrating leadership ability and what needs to be done.”

The cool will be tested again Saturday night, on national television.

More than 90,000 fans are expected at Nebraska, the overwhelming majority of them to be wearing Cornhusker red and not Hurricane orange. Nebraska is even honoring its 1994 national-title team, one that beat Miami 20 years ago to win that championship. The atmosphere will be frenetic, for certain.

“He’s got such an awesome demeanor,” offensive line coach Art Kehoe said. “If somebody says something to him, he doesn’t get riled or flipped out. He’s just a really cool customer.”

Much like he doesn’t let attention faze him, praise doesn’t seem to inflate Kaaya’s ego either.

He saw freshmen quarterbacks like Penn State’s Christian Hackenburg and Houston’s John O’Korn play at a high level last season, and figured there’s no reason why he couldn’t do the same.

“I saw what guys did before me,” Kaaya said, “and said, ‘Why not me?'”

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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