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Colts get back on track with 1st win

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Colts locker room is suddenly returning to normal.

Players were cracking jokes and cranking up the music Monday and the somber attitude that was around the past two weeks is gone.

All it took was one win to put everything in perspective.

“We’re too young into the season to have a ‘victory Monday,'” tight end Dwayne Allen said, referring to coach Chuck Pagano’s traditional reward — an extra day off. “But it (the win) definitely energized us on the plane ride home. It was a lot of fun, and there was a lot of energy in the building today.”

The next challenge is to keep that momentum rolling this weekend when the Colts host division rival Tennessee (1-2).

But in Indianapolis, this was a brand new experience.

Never before in the Andrew Luck-Pagano era had the Colts lost back-to-back games. Since 1999, the Colts had only opened 0-2 one other time. And after hearing all the talk about the low percentage of teams that make the playoffs after an 0-2 start and the even worse percentage for teams that go 0-3, the Colts were determined to remove themselves from that discussion.

They succeeded with an impressive 44-17 rout at winless Jacksonville on Sunday.

“It makes everything feel better,” Luck said. “It’s good to have a win, but you realize it’s just one and we’ve got to get our home record back on track now.”

Indianapolis (1-2) certainly appeared to take a major step forward.

Luck finished 31 of 39 for 370 yards with four touchdowns, a 140.4 quarterback rating and no turnovers for the first time this season. He benefited again from a strong ground game. Indy has rushed for 313 yards in the last two weeks.

Indy’s defense, which was gashed by Peyton Manning early in the season opener and wore down late against Philadelphia’s fast-break offense, proved almost impenetrable against the Jaguars in the first half, held tight in the second half and finished with four sacks — three more than they had in their first two games combined.

The result: Indy pulled within one game of division-leading Houston and put the fun back in the locker room.

“You know, winning has that kind of effect,” defensive end Cory Redding said with a smile.

But there’s plenty to fix, too.

While Luck has reduced his interception total each week and had nine different receivers with at least two catches Sunday, he is still getting sacked and hit too often. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw is emerging as a dual threat with three TD receptions in the past two games, but the Colts still need Trent Richardson to become a bigger presence in a budding ground game.

The defense needs to cut down its penalties, one of which negated a safety Sunday, and is still looking for a more consistent pass rush.

“Sometimes it’s hard to keep them from becoming complacent after a victory,” Pagano said. “We’ve got to do a great job of making sure we don’t take our foot off the gas and keep trying to get better.”

After opening the season with back-to-back games against defending division champs, the Colts won’t face another 2013 playoff team on the road all season. Plus, they’ll play three of their next four — Tennessee, Baltimore and Cincinnati — at home.

The way the Colts see things, they got their postseason aspirations righted Sunday. What they must do now is stay there by keeping things in sync inside and outside the locker room.

“We didn’t have to go out and reinvent the wheel,” Allen said. “We just had to go out and play our game.”

Notes: Pagano said receiver T.Y. Hilton could be limited in Wednesday’s practice with an injured ankle but he sounded hopeful that Hilton would play against the Titans. … Linebacker Andy Studebaker will be day-to-day, Pagano said, after hurting his hamstring during Sunday’s game.

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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