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For Stevens and his family, time for an All-Star vacation

By The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brad Stevens was preparing to have this weekend off. A family trip was in the works, likely to someplace relatively close to home like New York or Washington.

The getaway is still happening.

The days off have been cancelled.

Stevens has never been to an NBA All-Star Game, and that’s about to change. Boston’s fourth-year coach will lead the Eastern Conference side in New Orleans this weekend, a perk that comes with his team sitting at No. 2 in the East and with Stevens well on his way to having the Celtics improve their record for the third consecutive season.

“My 11-year-old son is really excited,” Stevens said. “My 7-year-old daughter is just as excited but for different reasons. She hasn’t gotten the basketball bug like my 11-year-old. She’s just looking forward to hanging out with our staff’s other kids. We’re excited and to spend that moment together and share that moment together, I think it is the best part about this for our staff and our family.”

Stevens and the Celtics’ staff got the nod because of the league rule preventing a coach from having to accept All-Star responsibilities in consecutive seasons. Cleveland leads the East, which means Tyronn Lue would have been in line for the job — but he and the Cavs’ staff had the All-Star gig in Toronto last season.

Celtics All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas said he thinks Stevens and his staff deserve the spotlight.

“That says a lot,” Thomas said. “That says we’re winning, we’re doing pretty good — and for them to get there, I’m happy. I’m happy for them.”

The Celtics were 25-57 in Stevens’ first season and gotten better ever since. They went 40-42 in his second year and made the playoffs, then were 48-34 last season and got Stevens his first two playoff victories.

This year, they’ve won 11 of their last 12 games going into the pre-All-Star finale in Chicago on Thursday night — and are on pace for the franchise’s best record since the 2010-11 season. Many players around the league, including some of the ones Stevens will coach this weekend like LeBron James, have long said from afar how impressed they’ve been with the job he’s done.

“At the end of the day, you do this job because you really like working with your team and like the chance to compete as an organization,” Stevens said. “If somebody gives you accolades, that’s nice to hear but it’s not the end-all, be-all for me.”

Stevens came to the Celtics from Butler, where he went to consecutive NCAA championship games. It’s a daunting leap from the college level to the NBA, especially for a first-time pro coach, even moreso when that first-timer is taking the reins of a storied franchise like the Celtics.

He’s rarely seemed flustered.

Stevens usually walks the sideline calmly, rarely raising his voice. His intellect is well-known, but that cool demeanor is something that University of Miami coach Jim Larranaga — whose son Jay is an assistant on Stevens’ staff — thinks sets Stevens apart.

“Brad Stevens is headed to the Hall of Fame,” Larranaga said. “You see what he did in college — amazing. But when he goes to Boston, takes a team that trades away its best players … is starting over almost from scratch and he’s built it to second place in the East only behind Cleveland, the world champions? He’s an amazing coach.”

Other than asking his video staff to get some things together, Stevens has not done any All-Star planning yet. There’s only two games in the NBA on Thursday night and he’s coaching in one of them — meaning his All-Star break, which was already going to be busy, starts later than just about everyone else’s.

Stevens’ schedule for this weekend is already loaded with community-service events and media responsibilities, plus family time. He’s not sure how much time he’ll have to socialize with players while in New Orleans.

“I like the idea of obviously getting the chance to be around them as they’re getting ready to play a game and see what they’re like in a game,” Stevens said. “I’ve admired the way these guys have played for a long, long time. These are some of the guys in the league you lose sleep at night trying to figure out how to slow down. It’s pretty neat when a lot of those guys are under one roof.”

In other words, it’s going to be a memorable family vacation.

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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