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Chiefs return from bye week, turn to San Diego

By WTOP Staff

DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid won his first 13 games the week after a bye. He’s lost his last two.

That doesn’t mean he changed anything this season.

Reid gave his team nearly a full week off, despite a frustrating loss at San Francisco that sent the Kansas City Chiefs into their bye with a 2-3 record. That is a departure from many coaches who give their players only a couple of extra days off.

“Listen, I’ve done it this way for a long time and it’s been fairly successful,” Reid said. “Sometimes I think it’s good to step away whether you’re doing well or not doing well. Coming off a win or a loss I think sometimes it’s good to get away and get recharged.”

Reid took the same approach during his long tenure in Philadelphia. He picked it up in part by working under Mike Holmgren in Green Bay.

“Mike did it actually one time in Green Bay and gave the players more time than what they normally get,” Reid said on a conference call with reporters. “Normally they’d practice during the week and he gave them — might have been a week, but more than one or two days off. I thought it could kind of rejuvenate and get them back healthy.”

In that respect, it appears to have worked perfectly this time.

Reid said that Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry planned to return to practice Monday and could be available for Sunday’s game in San Diego. Berry has been out since spraining his right ankle in a loss at Denver on Sept. 14.

“We’ll see how he does from there,” Reid said.

Ron Parker has filled in admirably for Berry in his absence, but he’s more adept at playing cornerback. By moving Parker to safety, the Chiefs were perilously thin elsewhere in the defensive backfield, especially after nickel back Chris Owens went down.

Owens is still sidelined by a knee injury, Reid said. Wide receiver Donnie Avery also was scheduled to miss Monday’s workout after surgery for a sports hernia.

Middle linebacker Joe Mays, who broke his wrist in training camp, is eligible to return this week after landing on injured reserve with the designation to return. But Reid said that Mays is still not ready to begin practicing after surgery last month.

“He’s getting there,” Reid said. “It’s not this week.”

Otherwise, Reid said the banged-up Chiefs are finally starting to get healthy. They’ve played through injuries to running back Jamaal Charles and the loss of several starters to injured reserve, including linebacker Derrick Johnson and right tackle Jeff Allen.

Yet they are still off to a 2-3 start, despite a brutal schedule. After playing the Chargers, they have a trio of games against the struggling Rams, Jets and Bills, which could give the Chiefs a good dose of momentum heading into a Week 11 matchup against Seattle.

“We had a lot of new faces in there so you don’t know how those guys are going to play when they get an opportunity. And I think they stepped up and showed they can play and compete. They’ve got a certain toughness about them, which I like,” Reid said.

“Some of the fundamentals and techniques we’ve got to get corrected here,” he added, “but that grit, that’s a tough thing to coach.”

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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