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Panthers trying to get past tumultuous offseason

By WTOP Staff

STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he’s looking for bigger and better things from his team this year despite a tumultuous offseason.

“Status quo isn’t good enough,” Rivera said following rookie minicamp practice Friday.

The Panthers went 12-4 last season to win the NFC South before losing 23-10 at home to San Francisco in the divisional playoffs.

Improving on that could be difficult considering their all-time leading wide receiver Steve Smith was released, left tackle Jordan Gross retired, quarterback Cam Newton underwent ankle surgery and “franchise” defensive end Greg Hardy was arrested for assault on a female and communicating threats.

“It’s been an interesting offseason,” Rivera said. “When we first got into the season a very wise sage, (Panthers communications director) Charlie Dayton told me (that success) is going to bring a whole new set of problems. So we will just deal with them and move forward.”

Hardy is first and foremost on Carolina’s mind.

The Panthers made him their franchise player in March, a significant one-year, $13.116 million investment that prevented them from re-signing several of their other free agents. Hardy didn’t take long to sign the offer sheet.

It might be a good thing he did.

The contract is guaranteed, although his arrest certainly muddies the team’s decision on whether or not to give him a hefty long-term contract extension as they were hoping to do this offseason.

Rivera declined to answer a number of questions about Hardy, who was released from jail Wednesday on $17,000 bond, except to say “Greg’s a heck of a young man and we’ll go from there.”

He wouldn’t say if Hardy has been asked to stay away from the facility.

“The biggest thing we need to do more than anything else is focus in on what we’re doing on the football field and let other things play out,” Rivera said. “The most important thing is the guys who are here and working hard. It’s about who is here and doing the things we need to get done.”

Only rookies and tryout players participated in the minicamp practice, which run through Saturday.

Rivera said Carolina feels good about its wide receiver position despite parting ways with the Smith and the allowing its other top three wideouts — Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon — to leave via free agency.

He’s also optimistic last year’s right tackle Byron Bell or converted defensive tackle Nate Chandler will be able to protect Newton’s blindside that Gross manned for years.

The Panthers will rely heavily on Kelvin Benjamin, the team’s first-round draft pick from Florida State.

Rivera said Benjamin made a good first impression Friday.

“He’s everything we thought he would be,” Rivera said. “We’re not in pads but watching his route running, watching him catch the ball, and some of the adjustments he makes are really good to see.”

Benjamin said he’s familiar with most of the routes the Panthers had him run Friday.

He’s also excited about working with Newton, who is out of his boot and has begun rehabilitating his surgically repaired left ankle.

‘We’ve talked,” Benjamin smile when asked about the Pro Bowl quarterback. “He challenged me in Madden (video football), so we will be playing Madden probably later on.”

Rivera said he believes this year’s team can be as talented as last year’s club, which surprised many by winning the division after a 1-3 start.

“Everything we do is to get better,” Rivera said. “We’ve had to evaluate our team, look at team and make some very tough decisions going into free agency and tough decisions going into the draft and we are going to have to cope with them. It’s our job to coach these guys up and get them in position to perform at the highest level possible for us to win football games.”

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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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