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WIMBLEDON WATCH: Fognini slams tournament rules

By WTOP Staff

LONDON (AP) — Fabio Fognini’s tumultuous week at Wimbledon ended with a five-set defeat to Kevin Anderson. He didn’t go out quietly.

The fiery Italian, who was fined $27,500 by Wimbledon for unsportsmanlike conduct earlier this week, added more controversy Friday by criticizing the all-white clothing policy at the All England Club following his 4-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 loss.

“The only things I don’t like are the rules, Wimbledon’s rules, the white color,” Fognini said Friday in his post-match press conference. “Today I crashed the rackets against my knee because the court is really soft and I can damage it a lot.”

The 16th-seeded Italian also criticized Wimbledon organizers’ decision to schedule his match on a small court, suggesting that he was punished twice for his first-round fine.

“It’s strange because in the first round (against a qualifier) I play on Court Number 18,” he said. “Today I am 16 and he is 20 and we play on Court 17. But I don’t really care.”

Fognini said he won’t change his on-court demeanor.

“I will always be the same, sorry guys,” he said.

— By Samuel Petrequin — https://twitter.com/sampetrequin

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was on court for the fifth consecutive day when he beat Jimmy Wang on Friday at Wimbledon.

The 14th-seeded Frenchman had his first two matches each completed over two days at the All England Club. He made sure he didn’t spend too much time on court Friday in the 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 win.

Tsonga, who set-up a fourth-round match with Novak Djokovic, said he had experienced more taxing schedules earlier in his career.

“I’ve done worse when I was playing in challenger tournaments,” Tsonga said. “Sometimes I was playing in two tournaments at the same time and I remember that I once played seven or eight matches in seven days, with three matches the same day at one point.”

Tsonga hit a woman in the chest during his match with Wang. After celebrating his win, he gave her his towel to make amends.

— By Samuel Petrequin — https://twitter.com/sampetrequin

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WIMBLEDON GOES TO THE DOGS: Wimbledon went to the dogs for a few hours Friday morning when members of the London Metropolitan Police dog support unit did a routine sweep for explosives at the All England Club.

At least three dogs and their handlers did a thorough check of the hedges and a fence line near an entrance where tournament transport vehicles deliver players to the club throughout the day. Later they checked out the media center and dining area.

One dog — a Labrador retriever — wore a green shoulder collar with the words “Explosives Check” written on it.

While the dogs did their sweeps, Caroline Wozniacki arrived in a courtesy car for the first match on Court 3 against Ana Konjuh while former American player Lindsay Davenport, whose 1999 Wimbledon championship was among her three Grand Slam singles titles, juggled two coffee cups as she walked along the driveway in a tracksuit.

Former No. 1 Davenport, who was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame earlier this year and will be inducted in July, is here doing television commentary.

— By Dennis Passa — http://twitter.com/DennisPassa

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Wimbledon Watch follows tennis’ grass-court Grand Slam tournament in London as seen by journalists from The Associated Press. It will be updated throughout the day.

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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