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Wie returns to action after Women’s Open victory

By WTOP Staff

KURT VOIGT
AP Sports Writer

ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — Michelle Wie has enjoyed a week full of celebration and national attention since finally winning her first major championship in the U.S. Women’s Open.

The most recognizable name in women’s golf danced with her trophy and appeared on the morning television circuit, taking in the rewards after beating top-ranked Stacy Lewis by a stroke Sunday at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.

“It feels great, but I don’t know how people in showbiz do it,” Wie said about the attention.

Wie received congratulatory messages from Arnold Palmer and Condoleezza Rice, among others, as well as flowers from Adam Sandler.

“I feel like that’s the biggest prize in golf, getting flowers from Happy Gilmore,” Wie joked.

Celebration aside, Wie will return to play Friday in the NW Arkansas Championship. And she’ll do it in former Arkansas star Lewis’ backyard at Pinnacle Country Club.

Lewis, a two-time winner who also has four runner-up finishes, nearly chased down Wie during the final round last week. She shot a 66, bolstered by eight birdies, before congratulating Wie — her training and practice partner in Florida — as she walked off the 18th green.

The duo will once again headline this week’s event, and not only because of their back-to-back tee times Friday.

While Wie’s popularity follows her wherever she goes on the LPGA Tour, Lewis’ star never shines more brightly than this week each year.

Pinnacle Country Club is approximately 20 minutes north of Fayetteville, where Lewis was a four-time All-American with the Razorbacks. The Texan embraces her college roots and party-like atmosphere at the event each year, handing out Arkansas memorabilia and leading the crowd in calls of “Woo Pig Sooie.”

“I don’t think there’s any other place on tour that supports someone individually like this tournament supports me,” Lewis said. “There’s no one else that has it.”

Lewis earned a rain-shortened unofficial win at the NW Arkansas Championship as an amateur at Arkansas in 2007. She was in contention last year before settling for third place behind winner Inbee Park, but that didn’t dampen the pro-Razorbacks crowds then — or this week.

“I joke with Stacy that it’s the one tournament I don’t want to play with you,” said Wie, also the winner this year in her home state of Hawaii. “Because it just gets so crazy.”

Nine out of the top 10 players in the world are entered in the tournament, with Wie’s Friday afternoon group with So Yeon Ryu and Paula Creamer following Lewis’ threesome with Lydia Ko and Jessica Korda.

Park won the tournament with a 4-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole against Ryu last year, and she will open Friday morning with Cristie Kerr and Azahara Munoz.

Whoever wins this week will once again have to overcome the pro-Lewis crowd, while Lewis is once again faced with living up to the expectations of her adopted state.

“Sometimes you just want to sit there and have dinner and not worry about it, but that’s just not the case here this week, at least for me,” Lewis said. “I’m just trying to be patient with it but at the same time enjoy it because nobody else on tour gets what I get here.”

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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