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Virginia men’s hoop coach Bennett gets new deal

By WTOP Staff

HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer

Virginia wants to keep men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett in Charlottesville for many more years.

Coming off the program’s best season in decades, the school announced Tuesday that Bennett has signed a new seven-year contract that will keep him courtside with the Cavaliers through the 2020-21 season.

The new deal is affirmation for Bennett, who is 106-60 in five years as Virginia’s coach.

“The vision he had for our program when he accepted the head coaching position is developing according to his plan,” athletic director Craig Littlepage said in a release by the school. “It will be exciting to watch the development of our players and the program in the coming years.”

The contract replaces an extension Bennett signed in 2012 that would have taken him through the 2018-19 season. It increases his salary and supplemental income to $1.942 million, according to a release from the school, up from $1.7 million.

Bennett was named the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year after leading Virginia to a school record-tying 30 victories and the ACC regular season and tournament championships. It was the Cavaliers first outright regular season ACC title in 33 years, and first tournament championship in 38 years.

The highlights also came in a season when the ACC added high level programs in Syracuse and Pitt.

The Cavaliers (30-7), who have been among the nation’s stingiest defensive teams throughout Bennett’s tenure, also were a top seed in the NCAA tournament and made their first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 1995. Their season ended there with a 61-59 loss to Michigan State.

Bennett hopes the season was just the start of more good things to come now that all the players in the program are players he recruited, and most have had time to learn his offensive and defensive systems.

“I love coaching at the University of Virginia and living in Charlottesville where the community has been wonderful to my family,” he said in the school release. “I feel we are building something special here and this commitment by the University is another great step towards ensuring we continue to compete at a high level.”

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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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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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