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After quitting for kids, Foster heads to World Cup

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) — Even for a goalkeeper, Ben Foster’s brothers thought he was crazy.

Foster walked away from the England team in 2011 to spend time with his young children between club matches rather than traveling the world. In a sport where players are reluctant to show any weaknesses, it was a surprising decision by one of the country’s leading goalkeepers.

“A few thought I was barmy; a few could understand it,” the 31-year-old Foster recalled Monday. “My mum and dad were supportive, my sister too, but my brothers said, ‘What are you doing? What are you thinking?'”

Three years on, though, the West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper is back with England and thousands of miles away from home in Miami en route to the World Cup. He was persuaded to return to the international scene last year by coach Roy Hodgson, who previously managed him at West Brom.

“When he gave me the call to ask me to come back to the team it was a very easy decision,” said Foster, who will start Wednesday’s World Cup warm-up match against Ecuador on Wednesday in Miami. “The kids were a bit older, four and five now, and it’s a lot easier to be away from them. It was an easy decision to get back in.”

But it wasn’t so easy to walk away in 2011.

“I had a new born baby and another child under a year old. Family is a very important thing for me, and it felt like I was missing on them growing up,” Foster said in a hotel overlooking Biscayne Bay.

“Everyone is entitled to give that criticism because most of the people back in England would give their right arm to be at a World Cup. I’m no different. For me at the time it was a huge deal and a big decision to make. Even now I’d stick by the decision and it’s something I’d do again.”

It’s wasn’t due to frustration at being behind Joe Hart in the pecking order, as he will be in the competitive games at the World Cup barring injury.

“When I was away from home with the team it was all I was thinking about was,” Foster said of his children. “It was kind of taking away from my football, all I thought was I wanted to be back at home with my family. … It’s almost like home sickness, really. That was the overriding feeling whenever I was away.”

He said his England teammates aren’t afraid to open up about the potential struggles of spending almost two months on the road.

“We’re quite good at talking about things like that,” said Foster, a former Manchester United goalkeeper. “The good thing for this team at the minute, there are probably four or five teams with four or five players from each of those teams.

“So you are lucky to have a close friend near to you to talk through things like that. It’s not like a taboo when it’s hard to talk about it.”

___

Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris

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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