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Belgium full of confidence before Group H opener

By WTOP Staff

FRANK GRIFFITHS
Associated Press

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) — Belgium returns to its first World Cup in 12 years brimming with confidence and determination before the Group H opener against Algeria.

Belgium’s best cluster of players in a generation is in fierce competition for a starting place Tuesday at Estadio Mineirao. It’s so fierce that a couple of players have picked up knocks in aggressive training sessions.

Coach Marc Wilmots hopes the competitiveness will produce a strong fighting spirit against the Algerians, who have been playing with more flair in recent years. In some respects, Wilmots doesn’t know what tactics to expect from the African team.

“I can’t really look into the cards of the Algerians,” Wilmots said. “They have been playing a 4-3-3. They can play a 4-4-2. We can prepare for 3,000 different options — the only thing we can do is be ready.”

Belgium is widely considered the favorite in Group H, which also includes Russia and South Korea, even without the presence of preferred lone striker Christian Benteke, who missed out on Brazil because of injury. Belgium boasts a crop of talent playing for top clubs teams in Spain and England, including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, midfielder Eden Hazard and captain Vincent Kompany.

But Algeria comes to this tournament hoping to surpass the achievement of the 1982 World Cup team, which beat European champion West Germany in a group game. Even though it didn’t get past the group stage, it’s still considered to be the north African country’s best team.

Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic acknowledges that Belgium is considered the favorite to win, particularly as two-thirds of his squad is playing in a World Cup for the first time.

“We will be playing against a very good Belgian team that remains for me the favorite, but in football everything is possible,” he said. “We have worked hard for an upset here in Brazil. We have a lot of respect for the Belgians, but we have assets to exploit.”

One of those assets is star player Sofiane Feghouli, who was born in France to Algerian parents. His fine first touch and deft passing ability in central midfield makes him Algeria’s biggest threat. The country is lucky to have the 24-year-old Feghouli after France tried to lure him to its national team. Algeria’s other attacking options include Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Slimani.

The 1982 World Cup still hangs heavily over Algerians. After the country upset West Germany, Algeria was eventually eliminated after a seemingly contrived result between Austria and Germany in their last group match put both of the European teams through to the next round.

It’s the bitterness still felt by Algerians over that tournament that drives the current group of players.

“If we want to stage an upset Tuesday, we must be effective and play with heart,” Feghouli said. “The World Cup is a tournament that motivates each player, who knows he has a duty in front of 40 million Algerians that love Algeria, so we just need to get down to work.”

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Associated Press writer Karim Kebir in Algiers, Algeria, contributed to this report.

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Follow Frank Griffiths on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fgriffithsap

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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