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Nasri. Clichy, Abidal left off France roster

By WTOP Staff

PARIS (AP) — Midfielders Samir Nasri and Yoann Gourcuff were left off France’s 23-man World Cup roster on Tuesday along with defenders Eric Abidal and Gael Clichy.

Nasri, who scored the first goal in Manchester City’s Premier League-clinching win over West Ham on Sunday, was suspended for three games by the French Football Federation following a profanity-filled rant at a reporter following France’s loss to Spain in the quarterfinals of the 2012 European Championship. He returned to play in World Cup qualifiers.

“Samir’s performances with the France team were not at the level of his performances with his club,” Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps said. “He’s an important player and a regular starter at Manchester City. That’s not the case today with the France team.

“And he also said he’s not happy when he’s a substitute. I can tell you that you can feel it in the squad. Because of those two or three reasons, I decided not to select him in this squad.”

France went 0-2-1 at the 2010 tournament, with players bickering and boycotting a training session after Nicolas Anelka was sent home for insulting then-coach Raymond Domenech during a 2-0 loss to Mexico.

The French have exhibitions against Norway, Paraguay and Jamaica leading to this year’s tournament, then ares grouped with Honduras, Switzerland and Ecuador at the World Cup.

Deschamps, a member of the 1998 World Cup champions, decided not to pick a preliminary 30-man roster.

“It’s not necessarily the 23 best French players, but it’s the best squad in my eyes to go as far as possible in this competition,” he said. “The best solution was to give a list of 23 players right from the start, to create a good mindset, so there would be no sense of insecurity.

“When you give a list of 30 players, you have about 15 players who could be worried about making the cut or not.”

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Mickael Landreau (Bastia), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham, England), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)

Defenders: Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle, England), Lucas Digne (Paris Saint-Germain), Patrice Evra (Manchester United, England), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal, England), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto, Portugal), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal, England), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool, England), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid, Spain)

Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (Paris Saint-Germain), Clement Grenier (Lyon), Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Paul Pogba (Juventus, Italy), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle, England), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille).

Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, Spain), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal, England), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad, Spain), Loic Remy (Newcastle, England), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Backup players: Remy Cabella (Montpellier), Maxime Gonalons (Lyon), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Loic Perrin (Saint-Etienne), Stephane Ruffier (Saint-Etienne), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton, England), Benoit Tremoulinas (Saint-Etienne)

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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