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UEFA to select hosts for continent-wide Euro 2020

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — As UEFA prepares to select the 13 host cities for the 2020 European Championship, Michel Platini’s continent-wide project still faces skepticism and question marks.

Is it an innovative response to Europe’s financial issues and the escalating cost of sports events, or a major logistical gamble?

The selections made Friday could answer some of those questions.

Instead of selecting a host nation, UEFA will pick 12 cities across the continent that will be awarded three group-stage games in the 24-team tournament, plus a single knockout match from the round of 16 or quarterfinals rounds.

Wembley Stadium in London is the favorite to be chosen by UEFA’s executive committee to stage the semifinals and the finals, with rival Germany considering withdrawing Bayern Munich’s stadium from the running to help its chances of hosting Euro 2024 outright.

Whichever cities are chosen, fans and organizers alike are sure to face plenty of challenges.

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LOGISTICS

A lasting memory of the World Cup in Brazil will be the tournament’s ability to create a party atmosphere for the tens of thousands of visiting fans — from the beaches to the jungle. Euro 2020 will be far more disjointed, with the showpiece matches limited to just one city per country for a few days.

Fans accustomed to basing themselves in one or two countries for a month of football will have to rack up air miles following their team across Europe. While trips to the three group-stage fixtures can be booked in advance, the destinations in the round of 16 and quarterfinals will be unpredictable.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said the multinational plan lacks “soul and heart.”

However, by spreading the tournament out, the burden on a single nation’s infrastructure — from airports to hotels — will be eased, potentially providing more options for fans that cut travel costs.

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FINANCIAL FACTOR

UEFA is billing the Euros for Europe as a celebration of the tournament’s 60th anniversary, but it was also a response to the Eurozone’s financial crisis and the cost of staging sporting spectacles.

Concerns had been raised in Poland and Ukraine about the spending on airport upgrades to cope with Euro 2012, and on new or existing stadiums. With the Euros expanded to 24 teams from 2016 in France, the pool of countries capable of hosting the tournament on their own will be restricted.

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THE NEWCOMERS

The 2020 format favors bids from countries which never hosted a major tournament before, and have less chance of being able to go it alone.

From the east, there are bids from Azerbaijan (Baku), Belarus (Minsk), Bulgaria (Sofia), Hungary (Budapest) all featuring new stadiums. Existing venues have been proposed by Macedonia (Skopje), Romania (Bucharest) and Denmark (Copenhagen).

From the British Isles, Scotland (Hampden Park, Glasgow), Wales (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) and Ireland (Aviva Stadium, Dublin) have submitted bids but one is likely to end up disappointed.

“Some of the cities seem far more enthusiastic than others — maybe because some haven’t hosted major sports events before, while some of the other bidders are more established,” UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino told the September edition of Sport Business magazine.

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POLITICAL ISSUES

Israel’s hopes of bringing games to the 32,000-capacity Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem could be hampered by the fallout from the recent war with Hamas in Gaza, with the outbreak of hostilities an ongoing concern. There is a current UEFA ban on European games being played in Israel.

“The Israeli political situation is described in the bid as complex,” said UEFA’s Euro 2020 evaluation report.

The situation in Russia was later called “increasingly complex.” The new St. Petersburg Stadium, which is due to open in 2016, is bidding at a time when Russia is isolated in Europe after being condemned for its intervention in Ukraine.

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FAMILIAR FACES

Bids were not submitted from the hosts of the last three editions of the Euros — Portugal, Austria-Switzerland and Poland-Ukraine.

But the Netherlands, which co-hosted Euro 2000 with Belgium, proposed Amsterdam and the Belgians are bidding with a planned new stadium in Brussels.

Italy, which has hosted the 1968 and 1980 Euros, is bidding with Rome’s Olympic Stadium, the Friends Arena in Stockholm is the entry from 1992 host Sweden, and a new Bilbao stadium is in the running from Spain.

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Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris

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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