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5 things to look for Tuesday at the French Open

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

PARIS (AP) — Five things to look for Tuesday at the French Open:

DJOKOVIC’S BID: Second-seeded Novak Djokovic continues his bid to become the eighth man to complete a career Grand Slam when he faces No. 8 Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals. Djokovic has won six major titles (four at the Australian Open, one apiece at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open) but his resume is missing a French Open trophy. He lost in the 2012 final to Rafael Nadal, who also beat the Serb in last year’s semifinals. If Djokovic wins, he would reach his sixth semifinal at Roland Garros; in the Open era, which began in 1968, only Nadal and Roger Federer have made it that far in Paris more often.

BEEN A WHILE: Raonic, meanwhile, will be trying to do something no Canadian man has done in 91 years — get to the semifinals of a Grand Slam tennis tournament. The last was William Johnston, who reached the final four at the 1923 U.S. Championships. Raonic, 23, lost his only two matches against Djokovic — both on clay — and is 0-6 for his career against men ranked No. 1 or No. 2. “Milos is playing the tennis of his life,” Djokovic said. “He has one of the best serves in the world. Very powerful, very precise. When he serves that well, there is not much you can do, really.”

CANADA, PART II: Another Canadian, 18th-seeded Eugenie Bouchard, is in the women’s quarterfinals, facing No. 14 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. Bouchard, 20, is on a nine-match winning streak and trying to get to a second consecutive major semifinal, after making it that far at the Australian Open in January. “I haven’t seen passion from her yet, but … she’s getting started and some people don’t show it as much,” 18-time Grand Slam title winner Martina Navratilova said. “But I’m sure she’ll be doing a pretty good dance here if she wins.”

SHARAPOVA VS. MUGURUZA: Instead of playing 2013 champion Serena Williams in a rematch of last year’s final at Roland Garros, four-time major champion Maria Sharapova takes on the woman who beat Williams in the second round, 35th-ranked Garbine Muguruza of Spain. “After Serena, many things happened. I tried to focus on every single match, match after match, because obviously people start having more expectations when you win such a match,” said Muguruza, who’ll be making her Grand Slam quarterfinal debut. Sharapova will be participating in her 21st; she’s 17-3.

CAN GULBIS KEEP GOING?: The man who eliminated Roger Federer in the fourth round, Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, will try to avoid a common pratfall in tennis — following a significant victory with a meek loss. Playing in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2008 French Open, Gulbis takes on No. 5 Tomas Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up. Gulbis is nothing if not honest when speaking to the media, which sometimes gets him in trouble. But he is consistent. When asked after beating Federer what the key would be to beating Berdych, Gulbis avoided the sort of platitude-filled answer players often provide to that question and instead said: “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it at all. I just came from this match. So honestly, I have no idea.”

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AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.

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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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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