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Seattle, WR Doug Baldwin agree to extension

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — After the Super Bowl celebration wrapped up, Seattle general manager John Schneider laid out his contract plans to Doug Baldwin.

First on the agenda was getting an extension done with All-Pro safety Earl Thomas. Next was figuring out a deal with All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman.

And lastly was getting Baldwin locked up.

“It was kind of surprising at the end when he said it,” Baldwin said. “I didn’t believe him, to be honest with you. But here it is and it actually happened the way he said it would happen.”

The former undrafted wide receiver out of Stanford got his reward on Thursday when he signed an extension that will keep him with the Seahawks through the 2016 season. Baldwin will play the 2014 season under the second-round tender he received as a restricted free agent then will receive two additional years.

The deal, first reported by ESPN.com, is expected to be worth up to $13 million over the three seasons. The second-round tender for 2014 is worth $2.18 million.

“It all comes back down to what you value. In this game, your value is determined on the amount of money that they give you, but necessarily for me, the value that I wanted to get out of it, that varied,” Baldwin said. “It wasn’t necessarily just the money. It was the fact that I was able to stay here with an organization that I love, and teammates that I love.”

Much like Sherman, his teammate going back to college and close friend, Baldwin got his moment in the limelight, posing for pictures holding his jersey and thanking everyone who has helped along the way.

Baldwin said he didn’t want the attention of a formal news conference. But he did have a bottle of apple cider ready to pop in celebration.

“To me this is just part of the process,” Baldwin said. “This is not the end goal.”

Baldwin has proven to be invaluable for the Seahawks throughout his brief career. He was Seattle’s leading receiver as a rookie and after being slowed by injuries in 2012, bounced back with a standout season during the Seahawks’ title run.

Baldwin had 50 catches in the regular season and five touchdowns in 2013 and was especially reliable on third downs.

In the playoffs, Baldwin again came up big at key moments. He had a 24-yard, third-down reception in the NFC divisional playoff game that came one play before Marshawn Lynch’s clinching 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the 23-15 victory over New Orleans.

In the NFC championship game against San Francisco, Baldwin had one of the best games in his career. He finished with six receptions for 106 yards and had an important 69-yard kickoff return in the third quarter that helped swing momentum.

Baldwin added another five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl blowout of Denver.

It’s been a rapid rise for Baldwin, who went undrafted coming out of Stanford in 2011 and has used that slight as motivation throughout his career. Whether it was the talent of the Seahawks wide receiver corps being questioned or questions about whether he could be more than a receiver playing in the slot, Baldwin has not struggled to find motivation.

He could be moving into an expanded role in Seattle’s offense in 2014. With the departure of Golden Tate in free agency, the Seahawks need to find a replacement to play outside. While most of Baldwin’s success has come as a slot receiver, he has played on the outside and was in that role earlier this week during the Seahawks’ first organized team activity.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll took it one step further on Thursday by saying that Baldwin would be his starting split end.

“He’ll be all over the field,” Carroll said. “You’ll have a hard time tracking him down because he’s capable of playing all the positions and all of the spots.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.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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