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‘Canes are struggling, and fans aren’t happy

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Around Miami, nobody is happy these days.

Former players are bashing coach Al Golden and his staff on sports radio and through social media. Fans are talking about staying away from games — which are rarely well-attended anyway — in protest, and one person announced plans to fly a banner over Sun Life Stadium on the day of the Florida State game later this season to express his displeasure with the program.

On the field, Miami is a mediocre 3-3 heading into this weekend’s game against Cincinnati.

“I don’t listen to anything,” Golden said regarding the crescendo of criticism. “I never have.”

The Hurricanes will not win the national championship and probably have lost any realistic shot of getting into the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. They are 55-45 in their last 100 games — the worst such stretch since the 1970s when football was so irrelvant to the university that school officials were close to disbanding the program.

Golden was hired to restore Miami’s shine. That job is a long way from done, and even after an NCAA scandal fan patience is wearing thin.

“This is a rebuilding process,” Miami athletic director Blake James told The Associated Press. “It’s not flipping a switch.”

Larry Coker won Miami’s last national championship in 2001, but eventually was fired after losing 15 games in six years. Randy Shannon was hired to replace Coker, his tenure ending after four years of small crowds, small recruiting budgets and small win totals. That opened the door for Golden, who turned Temple from a doormat to a bowl team.

Then the NCAA mess hit in August 2011, and Golden’s job got considerably harder overnight. The scandal came to an end nearly a year ago, but the aftereffects — recruiting restrictions on official visits, scholarship reductions, probation — are still there.

Many recruits Miami targeted during the two-year saga decided to play elsewhere because of fears of what penalties the Hurricanes would face because of a rogue booster’s actions.

Still, many around the program just aren’t seeing enough improvement.

“The most upsetting part of this mess is the players,” former Miami lineman Joaquin Gonzalez, one of the more outspoken Golden critics, wrote on Twitter. “We actually have great talent but talent without proper direction is pure waste!!!”

The defensive scheme gets questioned after every loss. Offensive playcalling was the subject of scorn after a Week 1 loss to Louisville, though that has quieted down considerably given the emergence of true freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya. Special teams — which Golden coaches — have struggled this season as well.

For his part, Kaaya is blocking out the noise.

“It would be a bad thing if no one had anything to say,” Kaaya told AP. “For us, we just worry about what’s on our team, what’s happening in our facility. The only thing that matters is this family. I’m playing for those guys. I’m playing my heart out for those guys. That’s what matters.”

Other issues facing Miami are either excuses or valid points, depending on perspective.

The demolition of the Orange Bowl and move to Sun Life, some 16 miles north of campus, has never been well-received. The move to the ACC gave the school some more financial security, but wins have been much harder to come by since the conference switch.

Since the start of 2006, Miami is just 33-34 in ACC play.

“Coach Golden inherited a program that had gone down some, but he’s built it back,” said Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville, a former Miami assistant during glory days of the 1980s and 1990s. “He’s done with mostly players from South Florida, which is what that program was built on. It’s hard to sustain the success that was there in the ’90s and ’80s. It was almost unheard of because they came from nowhere … and I can see them coming back.”

But when?

Miami would have been in the ACC title game in 2012 if not for self-imposed sanctions while waiting for the NCAA saga to end. The Hurricanes held back five scholarships as part of those penalties, then forfeited nine more over a three-year span. And the last time Miami was dealing with sanctions, it went 5-6 under Butch Davis, then began loading up for what became the championship season of 2001.

“I just go about my job every day,” Golden said. “I just go about working every day. My concern is the staff and my concern is the student-athletes that play for us. I put those people first and I don’t worry about anything else.”

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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