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Brazilian clubs without stadiums because of WCup

By WTOP Staff

TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian clubs are scrambling to find places to host their league matches because FIFA has taken over many of the country’s stadiums and training centers for the World Cup.

Beginning this week, teams are not allowed to play at the 12 stadiums that will be used during the World Cup, nor at the venues to be used for training.

Nearly 30 league matches had to be altered for the last four rounds before the World Cup break. Of the 20 clubs in the first division, 14 have to relinquish home-field advantage.

The only World Cup stadium holding a league match before the tournament is the Itaquerao — but only because FIFA requested another test event at the troubled Sao Paulo venue that will host the Brazil-Croatia opener on June 12.

The Brazilian league will stop on June 1. Only nine of the 38 rounds will be played before the World Cup break.

“This break is tough for us,” Sao Paulo coach Muricy Ramalho said. “We have to practice, we can’t just stop. This is a difficult year for all the clubs. The year will only start after the World Cup.”

FIFA and the local World Cup organizing committee began taking over the stadiums and training centers this week to make sure final adjustments can be made. In addition to the 12 World Cup stadiums, FIFA and local organizers also took over 24 venues considered official training fields in the host cities.

Defending champion Cruzeiro, Atletico Mineiro, Internacional and Santos are some of the clubs affected. Others include Corinthians, now playing at a smaller stadium in Sao Paulo, and Palmeiras, which moved its matches to interiors cities within the state. Flamengo is hosting some of its matches in a city 110 miles from Rio de Janeiro, while Bahia is traveling outside of its home state to play in Sao Paulo.

Without a place to practice, some clubs will travel outside Brazil during the World Cup. Atletico Mineiro will travel to China while Argentina uses its training center in Belo Horizonte. The United States will be the destination for Brazilian champion Cruzeiro, which ceded its base to Chile. Sao Paulo, whose training center will be used by the Americans, is also expected to travel to the United States.

In addition to stadiums and training centers, clubs are losing some of their players.

Even though Brazil’s preparations won’t start until next week, teams can’t use any players picked to one of the 32 national teams competing in the World Cup. Not even the seven alternates who are just on standby for Brazil’s squad are allowed to play.

Fluminense tried to appeal to FIFA to have goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri released, but football’s governing body denied the request. The player missed the team’s Brazilian league match against Sao Paulo on Wednesday.

“He won’t even train with the national team, it doesn’t make sense,” Fluminense director Mario Bittencourt said.

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Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni

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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