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Chelsea faces mismatch in last 16 of League Cup

By WTOP Staff

STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Two days after playing at Old Trafford, Chelsea will experience the other side of English football when the Premier League leaders visit fourth-tier club Shrewsbury for the biggest mismatch of the last 16 of the League Cup.

The 9,875-capacity Greenhous Meadow Stadium will have a slightly different atmosphere to Manchester United’s “Theatre of Dreams” for the superstars of Chelsea, who will be looking to avoid one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history.

Shrewsbury, which is 72nd in the English football pyramid, has already eliminated Premier League opposition in Leicester and is looking to repeat the exploits of Bradford, which beat three top-flight teams to reach the final in 2013 while playing in the fourth tier. Chelsea, which is unbeaten in all competitions this season, will be a different proposition entirely.

“It’s all about a fantastic evening on Tuesday night, an evening in isolation where we can go and absolutely enjoy it,” Shrewsbury manager Micky Mellon said.

In other last 16 matches, Manchester City hosts Newcastle and Liverpool is at home to Swansea.

Here are some things to know about this week’s games in England’s second-tier knockout competition:

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DROGBA RETAINED?

Didier Drogba rolled back the years by scoring a towering header for Chelsea in the 1-1 draw at United on Sunday, his first league goal in his second spell at the club.

The 36-year-old Drogba played the whole game at Old Trafford and may be called upon again at Shrewsbury.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is unlikely to risk bringing back Diego Costa, who has had hamstring problems and also spent a night in the hospital last week with a stomach virus. The other striker in Chelsea’s squad, Loic Remy, was also not in the squad against United.

Drogba has only had one week of full training after injury problems.

Mourinho is likely to rotate his lineup given the quick turnaround, so expect starts for the likes of Andre Schuerrle, John Obi Mikel, Mohamed Salah and Petr Cech.

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RODGERS SEEKS RESPITE

It’s been a tough week for Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers after a big home loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League and a 0-0 home draw against Hull in the Premier League.

His old club arrives at Anfield on Tuesday looking to increase the misery.

Rodgers spent two years in charge of Swansea from 2010-12, guiding the Welsh club into the Premier League in his first season and moving to Liverpool 12 months later.

Swansea beat Liverpool at this stage of the League Cup in Rodgers’ first season at Anfield. On that occasion, Rodgers played a string of fringe players.

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PELLEGRINI DILEMMA

With a Manchester derby looming next weekend, Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini has some selection dilemmas for the visit of Newcastle on Wednesday as the defending champions look to stay on course to defend their title.

Pellegrini will likely utilize the strength of his squad, with established internationals Fernandinho, Martin Demichelis, Stevan Jovetic, Bacary Sagna and James Milner set for starts after being on the bench for the 2-1 loss at West Ham on Saturday.

Newcastle beat Tottenham 2-1 away in the Premier League on Sunday.

“Hopefully, we can take that to Manchester City,” said Sammy Ameobi, one of the Newcastle scorers. “Anything is possible if we go out with the right attitude.”

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CHANCE FOR UNDERDOGS

There will be at least two non-Premier League teams in the quarterfinals, with third-tier rivals MK Dons and Sheffield United playing each other and Derby traveling to Fulham in a meeting of two second-tier teams.

In other matches, Tottenham and West Bromwich Albion play second-tier side Brighton and Bournemouth, respectively.

Stoke hosts Southampton in an all-Premier League matchup, having played each other on Saturday. Southampton won that game 1-0 at home to move into second place in the standings.

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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