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Gay rights advocate helping Rams, Sam adjust

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The head of an advocacy group for gay and lesbian athletes said he spent a full day this week helping the St. Louis Rams prepare for the arrival of Michael Sam, who hopes to become the first openly gay player in the NFL.

Wade Davis, executive director of the You Can Play Project, said Rams coach Jeff Fisher reached out to him after the team chose Sam in the seventh round of the draft on Saturday. Davis, who has been advising the NFL on diversity matters for the last year, said he was confident Sam landed with the right team — starting with a head coach who wasn’t afraid to draft him.

During a daylong visit to Rams Park on Monday, Fisher told players they could feel free to approach him if they have any issues regarding Sam.

“Hey, if any of you guys are uncomfortable, coach Fisher wants you to know his door is open,” Davis said. “Everyone in this needs to have a voice.”

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league has been working with teams and players “on ensuring a respectful culture.” Davis met with owners and head coaches at league meetings in March, and Aiello said diversity was discussed with owners, head coaches and team executives.

“The work is continuing and will include training resources for every team,” Aiello said.

Aiello wouldn’t discuss specifics of the league initiative, or whether any of it was prompted by the bullying scandal involving Miami players accused of targeting Jonathan Martin. Davis said the initiative for gay rights has been in the planning for more than a year.

The 36-year-old Davis is a former NFL defensive back who came out as gay after ending his career, which included getting twice cut by Fisher after brief stints in Tennessee. He has plans to meet with a handful of other teams regarding diversity issues, but said he couldn’t divulge specifics.

“A bunch of teams want me to come talk to them,” Davis said.

Davis also said he knows of at least “a couple of players” in the NFL who have come out only to their teams, as Sam did before his final season at Missouri last year.

“Their teammates know,” Davis said. “And those are the only people that need to know.”

Sam, the SEC co-defensive player of the year, arrived Monday along with the rest of the draft class for a week of rookie orientation. That same day, Davis was at Rams Park for nine hours, holding separate meetings with the coaching staff and front office, some veteran players and support staff. He said he had a shorter meeting with the draft picks, plus spent time with Sam, whom he’d met prior to the player’s coming out announcement in February.

While in St. Louis, Davis concentrated on de-bunking myths about gay athletes and discussed strategies for supporting Sam.

Rather than label his session with players a workshop or seminar, Davis called it a “conversation layered with personal narrative.” After establishing rapport, there was a question and answer session, and Davis said he finished with mostly common sense points of emphasis.

He stressed to players that they need not “walk on eggshells” around Sam, but simply to treat him with respect like any other teammate. Davis said players were eager to help. The question he heard most: How best to shield Sam from disruptive media attention and allow him to concentrate on making the team?

Sam has agreed to be the subject of a documentary series on Oprah Winfrey’s cable network, seemingly at odds with that goal. Yet he, too, asked Davis about strategies to “get the media out of here.”

Davis responded that every practice, every day, is an interview with the Rams. Sam, after all, is the 249th pick of the draft and must crack a team that seems deep with defensive ends.

“I told Mike, ‘You’re walking into this as a scrub,'” Davis said. “You can’t think of yourself as a celebrity.”

Still, cameras will follow Sam whenever possible for now and was the star attraction on Tuesday when draft picks were introduced, typically a largely ceremonial occasion.

“I welcome him with open arms,” said running back Tre Mason, a third-round pick. “Everyone’s entitled to who they want to love, and he’s a man of his own and he’s entitled to do that. We’re a team, and he’s also a family member to us and to me now.”

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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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