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French Open Watch: Nadal wins match fit for Prince

By WTOP Staff

PARIS (AP) — So “King of Clay” Rafael Nadal’s record 32nd consecutive French Open victory was fit for a prince. Well, actually, Prince.

The American musician known for hits such as “Purple Rain” and “1999” was nearly hidden in the stands Monday, sitting in the very back row of the presidential box in the main stadium at Roland Garros and clutching a shiny cane.

Stayed till the last note of Nadal’s easy win, too.

When the match ended, Prince rose to leave. As he walked toward the exit, though, he paused and paid his respects by applauding.

— Howard Fendrich, http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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MAKING A STATEMENT: Sara Errani’s French Open news conference in her native Italian followed the usual script Monday — a dozen minutes of mostly mundane questions and answers about her fourth-round victory; about cramping in her right thigh; about a boisterous crowd; etc. — and then it most decidedly did not.

Errani, the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2012, pulled out a piece of white paper, unfolded it, and began reading a statement in Italian, addressed to members of her country’s media. Without looking up, the 27-year-old chastised reporters for not quoting her properly and for sensationalizing what she’s said.

Errani did not refer to any particular affront. She began by saying she was doing this “in light of events both in the past and recently.”

“I am a shy girl and I don’t love being the center of attention,” Errani said, adding that she’s always been willing to speak to reporters and recognizes she’s lucky to travel the world getting paid to play tennis.

But, she continued, “It’s happened too often that my statements or my answers have been manipulated, distorted or changed to try to find a shocking headline, make news or create gratuitous controversies.”

Errani also said a recent mention of her family in the media was in “poor taste and unfair.”

“I would like it, if when I respond to questions, people just write what I say,” she said.

After two minutes, Errani was done.

She grabbed a piece of tape and attached her sheet of paper to the wall behind where players sit during news conferences.

— Howard Fendrich, http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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EARNEST WORDS: As far as Martina Navratilova is concerned, Ernests Gulbis should keep doing his talking on the tennis court.

Gulbis beat 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in five sets Sunday to reach the French Open quarterfinals. Two days earlier, the 18th-seeded Latvian said he didn’t want his younger sisters to become professional tennis players because women should have other priorities.

Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, was asked Monday what she thought of Gulbis and his recent comments.

“He’s clearly getting his act together because he played the best tennis he ever played against Roger Federer yesterday,” said Navratilova, who is helping design a doubles trophy that is being named after her at the WTA Finals. “I’m glad he did his talking with the racket instead of his mouth.”

— Jerome Pugmire, http://twitter.com/jeromepugmire

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ALLEZ LES BLEUS: With the World Cup less than two weeks away, France midfielder Yohan Cabaye decided to momentarily swap the green grass of a soccer field for the red clay of Roland Garros.

Cabaye played in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Paraguay, and is expected to be on the team when France begins its World Cup quest against Honduras on June 14. France flies out to Brazil next Monday.

Cabaye, who plays his club soccer at nearby Paris Saint-Germain, wrote on his Twitter page that he was watching eight-time champion Rafael Nadal play. He even tweeted a photo of Nadal just as the Spaniard was poised to serve during his fourth-round win.

— Jerome Pugmire, http://twitter.com/jeromepugmire

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French Open Watch follows tennis’ clay-court Grand Slam tournament in Paris as seen by journalists from The Associated Press.

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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