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United gets last-gasp equalizer to thwart Chelsea

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

Robin van Persie rescued a point for Manchester United to keep Chelsea from moving eight points clear of defending champion Manchester City in the Premier League.

Chelsea looked to have sealed the win thanks to veteran striker Didier Drogba’s header, but Van Perise leveled in the fourth minute of injury time to secure a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

In Italy, league leader Juventus beat Palermo and in France Marseille missed the chance to notch a club record ninth straight win when it lost at Lyon, which improved to third.

Here is a look at the other action from Europe’s top leagues on Sunday:

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ENGLAND

Premier League leader Chelsea dropped points for only the second time this season at Manchester United in a draw that also celebrated in the blue half of the city.

Chelsea was on the verge of moving eight points clear of defending champion Manchester City when Netherlands striker Robin van Persie slammed home a loose ball in the fourth minute of injury time.

Didier Drogba put Chelsea ahead in the 53rd minute with a glancing header from a corner, for the 36-year-old striker’s first league goal since joining the club for a second spell.

Surprisingly, Southampton is Chelsea’s nearest challenger after nine games, four points behind Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten side. City is two points further adrift in third.

Tottenham’s disappointing start to the season continued with a 2-1 loss at home to Newcastle, which further eased the pressure on visiting manager Alan Pardew.

Samuel Eto’o scored twice in Everton’s 3-1 win at Burnley.

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ITALY

Unbeaten Juvenuts beat Palermo 2-0 to move three points clear of Roma at the top of Serie A, thanks to forward Fernando Llorente’s first goal of the season and another from midfielder Arturo Vidal.

Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat trick as Napoli came from behind to defeat Hellas Verona 6-2, while Inter Milan won 1-0 at 10-man Cesena.

AC Milan drew 1-1 at home to Fiorentina in the evening match.

Juventus dominated but failed to create any real opportunities until shortly after the half hour when Carlos Tevez surged forward on a counterattack to set up Vidal.

Llorente then headed in Andrea Pirlo’s corner in the 64th minute.

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SPAIN

Sevilla scored twice in the final minutes to stun visiting Villarreal 2-1 and move level on points with Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league.

Villarreal substitute Luciano Vietto appeared to have grabbed the winner at Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium with a goal in the 79th minute.

But Denis Suarez swept in the equalizer in the 88th, and striker Carlos Bacca converted a penalty kick two minutes into injury time.

Sevilla’s record of seven wins, one draw and one loss is the best ever through the first nine rounds for the Andalusian club.

Madrid was left in third place one point behind, followed by Valencia and Atletico Madrid another point back.

Atletico remained level on points with Valencia after it earned a testy 1-0 victory at 10-man Getafe thanks to Mario Mandzukic’s goal.

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GERMANY

Borussia Moenchengladbach held Bayern Munich to an exciting 0-0 draw on Sunday as the Bundesliga’s top two teams remained unbeaten.

Bayern, looking to extend its lead at the top of the table, had goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to thank for keeping the game scoreless and its closest rivals four points at bay after nine games.

Bayern came closest early on, first through Thomas Mueller and then David Alaba, who hit the post in the 10th minute.

Earlier, Mainz slipped to its first Bundesliga defeat of the season, losing 3-0 at Wolfsburg, which is third.

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FRANCE

Midfielder Yoann Gourcuff scored his third goal in two games as third-place Lyon beat Marseille 1-0, ending the French league leader’s bid to win a club record ninth straight league game.

Gourcuff followed up his brace against Montpellier last weekend with an accomplished finish in the 65th minute to break Marseille’s resistance.

Marseille’s loss leaves it four points ahead of Paris Saint-Germain. Lyon is five points behind.

Also, winger Max-Alain Gradel scored late in the second half as Saint-Etienne beat resilient Metz 1-0, while Brazilian midfielder Carlos Eduardo scored five goals as Nice won 7-2 away to Guingamp.

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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