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Bowen ready to take reins of Kansas football

By WTOP Staff

AMIE JUST
Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is turning to a native son to usher the Jayhawks through the rest of the season.

In fact, it’s hard to get more Kansas than Clint Bowen, who grew up in Lawrence, played for the Jayhawks and has spent many years as an assistant coach on two very different staffs.

Now, after Sunday’s firing of Charlie Weis, he’s the school’s interim coach.

“I’ve never known a day in my life when I wasn’t a KU football fan,” Bowen said in his first public comments Monday. “I grew up a Lawrence guy, grew up coming to KU football games, so to be standing here today is truly one of the greatest honors I’ve ever had in my life.”

Bowen has officially been part of the Jayhawk family for 24 years, playing for Glen Mason and coaching under Mark Mangino during two periods of relative success. But that same success has been hard to find the past five years, as Turner Gill and Weis struggled to put up wins.

Bowen certainly seems ready to hit the ground running, exuding energy in his first news conference. He said there are specific cornerstones that he holds, and he wants to instill those core elements into the players that he’s coaching.

“I have tremendous respect and admiration for the people that came before me,” Bowen said. “I have respect for the traditions of Kansas, respect for the values that this University and football program represent. I’m going to spend every day of the next nine weeks trying to instill in our players the value of what that means.”

Those nine weeks, which could amount to a job audition, started with the first practice of Sunday. Weis had just been dismissed by athletic director Sheahon Zenger. But rather than players arriving in shock, they arrived with a high level of energy, ready to start fresh.

“They were smiling,” Bowen said. “They had fun. We had energy. We flew around that thing and felt like the kids were ready to move on. I loved the tempo of practice, which is something that we’re going to continue. Urgency is a big word for us right now. Everything we do, we will do it with an urgent mentality.”

Especially when Kansas (2-2) visits West Virginia on Saturday.

Bowen is going to avoid changing “the big things” and focus on small changes. One of those that he mentioned was moving offensive coordinator John Reagan back to the press box, where he has a better vantage point of the field.

Another change that Bowen wants to make is to rekindle relationship between former players and the current football program. Many of them have been strained by years of losing.

“All the former players, anyone who hears this, we want them back,” Bowen said. “You’re welcome to our practices, you’re welcome in this facility. We want to see those people, the people who helped KU become what KU is, such a great place. We appreciate that and we want to show them we appreciate it. Former players mean everything to us.”

One thing Bowen doesn’t plan to change is his own demeanor.

As a defensive coordinator, it wasn’t uncommon to see Bowen jumping up and down, high-fiving his players after they made a good play. Bowen said he can’t change that.

“Game day is too fun,” Bowen said. “Game day is too exciting. When a kid makes a great play, I can’t change that. I’m not going to be a Tom Osborne, standing with my arms crossed. It isn’t me. It’s not what I do. It’s not what I want to do. If one of my guys makes a play, you have to celebrate, you have to have fun. I may even get amped up more.”

While he will be considered for the full-time job, Bowen insisted that he’s not focused on next season. His priority is to help get the Jayhawks onto solid footing this season.

“At the end of this season Dr. Zenger will make the best choice Kansas football,” Bowen said. “Whatever he decides is going to be the best choice for Kansas football and we will all be on board with that.”

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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