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Duke leads NCAA Women’s Golf Championship

By WTOP Staff

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Duke took a six-stroke lead over defending champion Southern California on Thursday in the third round of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship, and the Blue Devils’ Celine Boutier tied the Trojans’ Doris Chen atop the individual standings.

Duke matched top-ranked Southern California with a 2-under 278 to reach 16-over 856. Second-round leader Oklahoma struggled to an 11-over 291 to drop into third at 26 over. UCLA was fourth at 27 over, followed by Mississippi State at 30 over, and Arizona, Arizona State and North Carolina State at 31 over.

Boutier led Duke with a 3-under 67 to match Chen at 3-under 207. Chen had a 68. Iowa State’s Chonlada Chayunun, Michigan State’s Alysssa Ferrell and Stanford’s Lauren Kim were even par.

The Blue Devils four counting players had five birdies on the final four holes. Yu Liu shot 68, Alejandra Cangrejo 71, Latitia Beck 72 and Sandy Choi 74. The top four of five scores count in the team total.

“I was watching on 14 and we made several bogeys there and I knew USC was closing in,” said Duke coach Dan Brooks, seeking the school’s sixth national championship — including 1999 in the hail-shortened event at Tulsa Country Club. “We made some good birdies on the closing holes that were big for us.

“The girls played very well today. The wind blew again, but it was a little more predictable and not as gusty. They stayed patient. We had our share of mistakes and some went in the water, but they recovered emotionally and it was great.”

In addition to Chen’s 68, USC counted a Kyung Kim’s 67, Sophia Popov’s 70 and Karen Chung’s 73. Defending NCAA champion Annie Park shot 76.

Instead of giving her squad a pep talk Wednesday night, USC coach Andrea Gaston sent her team out to individual dinners with their families.

“We knew they would fuel their own fire after yesterday,” Gaston said. “There was really nothing more we could say. They would have to figure it out.”

Duke won titles in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007, and USC won in 2003, 2008 and 2013.

“I knew they were lurking back there,” Brooks said. “They just took their time. They are a really great team and have a lot of talent and drive in their players. We have to get after it tomorrow.”

Oklahoma, which has never won, made it into the final pairing thanks to Kaitlyn Rohrback’s 71. She was 4 over after a double bogey on the sixth hole, but made four birdies against one bogey coming in.

Chirapat Jao-Javanil, the 2002 champion, had a 71. Second-round individual leader Alexandra Kaui had a triple bogey on the par-5 third hole and a quadruple-bogey 7 on the sixth to shoot 80 and fall into a tie for 16th.

“We’ve got 18 holes to play and anything can happen,” Sooners coach Veronique Drouin-Littrell said. “We kind of had a tough day today. Alexandra is a freshman and I’m sure she’s mad now but she’ll bounce back and be ready to contribute tomorrow.”

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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