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Wilkshire, Kennedy among 4 cut by Australia

By WTOP Staff

SYDNEY (AP) — Veteran Dynamo Moscow defender Luke Wilkshire was one of four players cut by coach Ange Postecoglou as Australia reduced its squad to 23 players for the World Cup.

Wilkshire, a 32-year-old right back who played for Australia at both the 2006 and 2010 tournaments, did not figure in Postecoglou’s plans since the new coach replaced Holger Osieck in November.

“A whole range of things — balance of squad, individual, condition they’re in, how they respond to training,” Postecoglou told Australian Associated Press about Wilkshire being dropped. “Was he unlucky? Yes, but so were others. Someone has to miss out.”

In a statement Tuesday from the team’s training base in Vitoria, Brazil, Football Federation Australia also said veteran striker Josh Kennedy and young playmaker Tom Rogic were cut for injury-related reasons — Japan-based Kennedy with a back ailment and Rogic with a groin injury.

The fourth player cut was Newcastle Jets goalkeeper Mark Birighitti.

The 21-year-old Rogic, considered to be one of the best young stars in Australian football, was substituted at halftime during Australia’s 2-0 win over local side Parana Clube on Monday.

The Australia coaching staff had been monitoring the fitness of Rogic, who played the last half of the A-League season with Melbourne Victory on loan from Scottish club Celtic.

Kennedy’s omission means that young Newcastle Jets striker Adam Taggart will get a chance to play in Brazil as Tim Cahill’s understudy. Taggart scored 16 goals to lead the A-League last season.

Birighitti’s omission was no surprise. Australia’s first-choice goalkeeper is Mat Ryan with the German-based Mitch Langerak and Adelaide United’s Eugene Galekovic to back him up.

However, Birighitti is likely to stay in Brazil because of concerns over Langerak, who has a knee injury. Australia can make late changes, only through injury, until 24 hours before its opening match against Chile in Cuiaba on June 13.

With Ivan Franjic of the A-League’s Brisbane Roar still recovering from a knee injury, the only other specialist right back was Wilkshire. But Postecoglou said his priority was to have more options up front.

“It’s no secret we’re light across the whole back four, but at the same time we’re pretty happy with what we’ve got,” he said. “I felt that in midfield and up front we needed some variations.”

Australia also faces defending champion Spain and 2010 runner-up the Netherlands in a tough Group B.

Without Wilkshire and Kennedy, the squad loses the experience of almost 120 international appearances.

“I made decisions early on in terms of the experience question and part of that was regenerating the squad,” Postecoglou said. “We’ve started on that course and we won’t change. The price you pay is experience, but this experience will be invaluable for some of the younger guys.”

___

Australia squad:

Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan (Club Brugge), Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund), Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United).

Defenders: Ivan Franjic (Brisbane Roar), Jason Davidson (Heracles Almelo), Matthew Spiranovic (Western Sydney Wanderers), Bailey Wright (Preston North End), Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Motors), Ryan McGowan (Shandong Luneng).

Midfielders: Mile Jedinak (captain, Crystal Palace), Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory), James Holland (Austria Vienna), Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town), Oliver Bozanic (Luzern), Matt McKay (Brisbane Roar), Mark Bresciano (Al-Gharafa).

Forwards: Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), Dario Vidosic (Sion), Tommy Oar (FC Utrecht), James Troisi (Melbourne Victory), Ben Halloran (Fortuna Duesseldorf), Adam Taggart (Newcastle Jets), Mathew Leckie (FSV Frankfurt).

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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