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With youthful squad, Hodgson expects bold England

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — When the eyes of the football world turn to this city in middle of the Amazon rainforest for the first time on Saturday, Roy Hodgson wants his youthful England team to be adventurous against Italy.

Having prepared for several weeks for the humidity, Hodgson won’t hear any excuses about the draining conditions at the Arena da Amazonia, calling on his players to emulate the entertainment seen in the opening games of the World Cup.

“We’ve seen attacking football, we haven’t seen one team defending, we’ve seen both teams going at each other,” Hodgson said Friday. “That might show why it’s possible to win games 3-1 (Brazil-Croatia) or 5-1 (Netherlands-Spain) because it’s not a game of football with only one team interested in winning where the other team is interested in either trying to keep the score down or not lose.”

When asked if England would be bolder, Hodgson replied: “England teams don’t go out to keep a clean sheet and not attack. And on this stage, we’d be even less inclined to do it.”

How daring will Hodgson be in England’s Group D opener? Probably not too impulsive with the starting lineup, saving some of the most inexperienced but talented youngsters, including 20-year-old midfielder Ross Barkley and 19-year-old winger Raheem Sterling, to be deployed from the bench.

“No doubt if I was watching from afar with no responsibility I’d be clamoring myself (for them to start),” Hodgson said. “These are the players who don’t have the baggage to carry with them, they are exciting talents with fantastic potential, but you have to be careful that we don’t throw them into the lions’ den too early.”

The younger players have to be an upgrade on the veteran ones before Hodgson lets them in.

“I won’t go for youth just because there is a clamor for youth,” Hodgson said. “I’ll only go for youth because youth will work and the person I’m putting on the field as a young player can cope with it, deal with it and show all of his qualities.”

Hodgson sees no reason why 24-year-old striker Daniel Sturridge, after scoring 21 league goals for Liverpool last season, can’t make a similar impact at his first World Cup to Pele back in 1958.

“When he came to Sweden in ’58 he wasn’t even well-known in Brazil,” Hodgson said. “A month later he’s superstar and went on to be an even greater superstar for goodness knows how many years.”

No one is more experienced in one of England’s youngest-ever World Cup squads than 34-year-old captain Steven Gerrard, who has made 111 appearances.

“We have also got that newness and freshness in the squad — the people everyone is talking about Raheem, (defender) Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley,” Gerrard said. “He has picked a very bold and brave squad. People talk about is Roy brave or negative? I think the 23 players he has picked he has shown his intent.”

Gerrard could be one of just six players in the starting lineup to have played in England’s quarterfinal loss on penalties against Italy at the 2012 European Championship. Goalkeeper Joe Hart, defender Glen Johnson, midfielder James Milner and forwards Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck are also in line to start.

“It is the players’ responsibility when to get the transition right on when to be bold and brave and attack and go for the jugular, and when to stick together when times are tough,” Gerrard said. “There are going to be times when they help us in terms of providing a bit of energy or legs or a sprint back.”

Not that Hodgson is overly concerned about the heat here.

“We’ve prepared for them and aren’t making contingency plans because the game is being played in Brazil,” he said. “We’ll keep a close eye on the players to see if any of them are flagging a bit late on, we’ll change them.”

___

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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