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Spain back on track, England wins again

By WTOP Staff

STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer

Diego Costa finally transferred his prolific club form to international level to help Spain get back on track in European Championship qualifying, while Wayne Rooney edged England to another win on the road to France.

Playing his seventh game for Spain, Costa ended his international drought with the third goal in a 4-0 win over Luxembourg in Group C that ensured the European champions rebounded from its first qualifying loss in eight years, against Slovakia on Thursday.

It was much less routine for England in Estonia, with Rooney coming to the rescue with a 73rd-minute free kick in a 1-0 victory in Tallinn. England tops Group E with a maximum nine points from three games.

Also Sunday, Austria is the surprise leader of Group G after a 1-0 win over Montenegro.

Here is a look at Sunday’s qualifying action:

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GROUP C

Costa is the English Premier League’s top scorer with nine goals in his first season at Chelsea, and he is now up and running for Spain.

Costa’s goal from close range in the 69th minute added to first-half strikes by David Silva and Paco Alcacer — his third in as many appearances for the Spanish — before Juan Bernat completed a routine win from a pass by fellow debutant Rodrigo Moreno.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque dropped goalkeeper Iker Casillas to the bench and started David de Gea, who was rarely forced into action.

The win wasn’t enough to lift Spain to the top of the group, with Slovakia maintaining its strong start to qualifying by beating Belarus 3-1 mainly thanks to Marek Hamsik’s brace.

Slovakia is on nine points, Spain is level on six with Ukraine after its 1-0 win over Macedonia 1-0. Luxembourg and Macedonia have one point.

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GROUP E

With three wins from three games and no goals conceded, England is making light work of an easy-looking group that is offering Rooney a great chance to surpass Bobby Charlton as the country’s all-time top scorer.

The Manchester United striker moved to within six goals of Charlton’s haul of 49 with a free kick from 25 yards (meters) that curled over the wall and inside the near post, with goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko parrying the ball against the upright but unable to keep it out.

Until then, Estonia had frustrated England despite playing with 10 men from the 48th minute after captain Ragnar Klavan’s sending-off for two yellow cards.

Rooney endured a frustrating evening, wasting two decent first-half chances and then a one-on-one opportunity in second-half injury time but proved to be England’s match winner.

“It was hard work,” England manager Roy Hodgson said. “We played well in the first half without taking our chances and that meant that there was an air of frustration setting in. Everyone was aware that when you have played well you have to take at least one chance. Luckily we did that in the second half.”

Lithuania was also looking for a third win to open up group play but lost 2-0 to Slovenia, which joined its opponent on six points. Switzerland visits San Marino on Tuesday, with both sides without a point after two games.

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GROUP G

Russia and Sweden were the favorites for automatic qualification but are two points behind Austria after three games.

Rubin Okotie, half-Nigerian and born in Pakistan, was the match winner against a flat Montenegro side with a 24th-minute goal, pushing Austria to seven points.

Fabio Capello’s Russia was held to a surprising 1-1 draw by Moldova after Alexandru Epureanu canceled out Artyom Dzyuba’s penalty moments earlier for the hosts.

The match at Spartak Moscow’s Otkrytie Arena was Russia’s first at a completed 2018 World Cup stadium.

Russia is now unbeaten in five games since its 1-0 loss to Belgium in the World Cup group stage in Brazil.

Sweden toiled to a 2-0 victory over Liechtenstein, with Jimmy Durmaz scoring one goal and setting up Erkan Zengin for the other.

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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