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Volleyball to be hot ticket for 2016 Rio Olympics

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s loss to Poland in the final of the men’s volleyball world championship on Sunday was a blow to the South Americans, but should boost the sport in two years at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Poland upset three-time defending champion Brazil 3-1 in Katowice to end an astounding three-week tournament in Poland that drew more than 500,000 fans — including 62,000 for the tournament’s opening match in Warsaw’s national stadium.

Poland won its only other men’s volleyball title in 1974, and then took Olympic gold in 1976.

“I have no doubt volleyball is going to be a big success at the Olympics,” Ary Graca, a Brazilian who heads volleyball’s world governing body the FIVB, said in an interview from Poland with The Associated Press.

He suggested it would be among the hottest tickets in Rio.

“I know everybody in Rio,” Graca joked. “The politicians are going to asking me for everything.”

Brazil is a dominant player in indoor volleyball and beach volleyball, and the sports are probably No. 2 in the country behind football.

The Olympic volleyball venues in Rio are also on schedule. Several others have been facing well-publicized delays.

The Maracanazinho, a 12,000-seat arena located next to the famous Maracana stadium, has already been built and will host indoor volleyball. And beach volleyball will be played at a temporary venue on Copacabana beach.

“Tonight and the last three weeks have shown that volleyball is one of the most popular sports in the world,” Graca said. “The huge numbers of fans in Poland have demonstrated that volleyball can be a spectacular festival of sport and entertainment. This gives us real momentum going into Rio 2016 where the Brazilian passion for volleyball will ensure one of the greatest Olympic competitions of all time.”

Graca described the atmosphere at the tournament as “like football” with fans singing, swaying and chanting.

“Football is not so popular here (in Poland) as in the rest of the world, and volleyball has taken its place,” Graca said. “It’s amazing the popularity of the volleyball here.”

Volleyball officials say the sellout for the opener on Aug. 30 between Poland and Serbia was the largest crowd to attend a volleyball match since 95,000 crowded into the Maracana in 1983 to see Brazil face the Soviet Union in an exhibition match.

Graca said if the Olympic final was played at the Maracana, it would be a sellout.

“For sure,” he said.

That, of course, will not happen with all matches set to be played indoors.

In addition to three consecutive men’s world titles, Brazil’s men were silver medalists in the last two Olympics, and won Olympic gold in 2004 and 1992. Brazil lost to Russia in the 2012 gold-medal match, and fell to the United States in 2008 in Beijing.

The Brazilian women are just as good. They have won the last two Olympic gold medals — beating the United States in both finals — and silver at the last two world championships.

The Brazilian men won beach gold in 2004, and the women won gold in 1996.

___

Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP

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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