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Dantonio says MSU ‘extremely concerned’ about allegations

By The Associated Press

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — With his program embroiled in a sexual assault investigation, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio decided more conventional questions about spring practice would have to wait.

There are far more serious issues facing the Spartans this offseason.

“I think to stand up here and talk about who’s going to be our quarterback right now is trivial compared to what we’re dealing with. That’s why I’ve not wanted to do that,” Dantonio said. “Didn’t want to come up and talk about spring practice or talk about depth charts or those type of things because I thought it was unfair to the investigation as a whole. So we refrained from doing that.”

Allegations of sexual assault have been made against three Michigan State football players. The school announced Feb. 9 that the players had been suspended from team activities. On Tuesday, Dantonio held a news conference for the first time since that announcement.

The names of the players have not been released, and prosecutors have not announced any decision on charges. Reporters have not had access to spring practice at Michigan State, but the spring game Saturday is still taking place as scheduled.

“Obviously, I anticipated that this would be sort of finalized to some extent, just in terms of the investigative process, but that’s not been the case,” Dantonio said. “Because we had a spring football game on Saturday, because it’s a community event, because we have a huge youth clinic that last year drew 1800 young people, wanted to come before everybody today and just sort of step out into the light a little bit.”

Dantonio did not discuss specifics about the allegations or the investigation. A staff member associated with the football program also was suspended, and a Title IX consultant was retained to conduct a separate investigation into whether the school’s Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct policy was violated.

“The allegations are something we’re extremely concerned about here. I think we’ve acknowledged that fact as we’ve gone through this,” Dantonio said. “Probably the primary reason I’ve not met with the press prior to this is because of that fact. We wanted to respect the process in all, and everything that goes along with that.”

Dantonio said it wouldn’t have been right for the Spartans to go through a normal spring football routine — with media availabilities for players, for example — while the investigation was ongoing.

“I hope everybody understands that it’s not business as usual,” he said. “We’ve got to teach people how to play defense and tackle and things — we’ve got to do our day-to-day things — but to come out here and have our players be interviewed and act like there’s nothing going on, I just think it’s inappropriate, and that’s why I haven’t done it.”

The first question Dantonio took was about whether anyone on the team might currently be suspended, beyond the three players involved in the sexual assault investigation.

“There are some players that are suspended,” he said. “I’ll just leave it at that.”

Later, Dantonio indicated that players on the field Saturday would be identifiable. The spring game is being televised by the Big Ten Network.

“I’m going to allow our players to play with their respective numbers on their backs,” Dantonio said. “But I think the question that was asked before or mentioned, or the statement that was mentioned before about, some have been suspended for other reasons, is very true. So I would be careful to paint a brush over our entire program.”

Dantonio was asked why he wouldn’t identify players who might be suspended for reasons unrelated to the sexual assault investigation.

“I don’t think that would be fair to do that right now, just based on the situation,” he said. “I think that in doing that, I’m pointing a compass toward other individuals. I’m not going there with that.”

Dantonio was then asked about the possibility that players who miss the spring game might come under suspicion — and whether that was fair to players who might miss it for reasons that have nothing to do with the sexual assault allegations.

“You’ll be the person lumping them in,” Dantonio said. “So if you write about it, no, I don’t think it’s fair.”

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More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 .

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Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

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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