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Syracuse’s Shafer upbeat after 2nd win

By WTOP Staff

JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer

Two games into his second season at Syracuse, Scott Shafer likes the direction his Orange seem to be headed after a disappointing start.

“I thought that they definitely improved. They definitely upgraded their game,” Shafer said of Saturday’s 40-3 road victory over Central Michigan. “I did see good strides.”

Those steps came after plenty of bad ones in the season-opener against Villanova. Syracuse (2-0) won that one by a single point in double overtime, and it took a trick play — a pass by punter Riley Dixon — to produce the winning touchdown and a failed gamble by the Wildcats on a two-point conversion attempt to finally get the job done.

Last week, quarterback Terrel Hunt redeemed himself after being ejected late in the first half against Villanova for throwing a punch at a defender. The temper tantrum placed his team in jeopardy with virtually no experience on the depth chart behind him, but they managed to survive against a tough FCS squad.

Against the Chippewas, the 6-foot-3, 234-pound Hunt kept his cool while being showered with taunts and displayed his speed, toughness, and passing accuracy directing the Orange’s spread, no-huddle system. Hunt had 13 rushes for 92 yards and three scores, and was 20 of 30 for 175 yards and one TD passing.

Hunt also was not sacked, the Orange had just one three-and-out drive, and Adonis Ameen-Moore had 106 yards on nine carries to help Syracuse pile up 289 yards on the ground.

A week after allowing 389 yards to Villanova, the Orange gave up just 217 against Central Michigan and got two scoring plays from its defense. Marqez Hodge returned a fumble 36 yards early in the second quarter to give Syracuse the lead for good, and Cameron Lynch forced an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone for a safety early in the third.

Syracuse got a nice break when CMU’s Thomas Rawls, the team’s leading rusher, was scratched prior to the game for a violation of team rules and the Chippewas managed only 34 yards rushing.

That didn’t matter much to Shafer.

“When I turn on the tape, it looked like the Syracuse team,” Shafer said. “We were physical up front on both sides of the ball. We were taking shots on defense and playing physical, playing football the way it’s supposed to be played.”

Not letting up will be key with Maryland (2-1) visiting the Carrier Dome on Saturday. Shafer hopes that won’t be a problem and doesn’t expect it to be — even knowing that the Orange will be on a big stage in prime time the following week against 10th-ranked Notre Dame (3-0) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

“The message is focus on ourselves and then focus on the opponent at hand. End of story. Shafer said. “It’s easy to stay focused on Maryland because when you watch them on tape they’re a very good football team.”

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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