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Karlovic beats American Ginepri at Newport

By WTOP Staff

KEN POWTAK
Associated Press

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Second-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia used his overpowering serve to beat American Robby Ginepri 7-6 (2), 6-2 Monday in the opening round of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.

The 6-foot-11 Karlovic had 17 aces and only two double-faults, winning 92 percent of his first-serve points during breezy conditions on the grass at Newport.

The tournament is held in conjunction with the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. On Saturday, Lindsay Davenport heads a class that includes coach Nick Bollettieri, executive Jane Brown Grimes and broadcaster John Barrett in the contributor category and five-time Paralympic medalist Chantal Vandierendonck.

The Hall of Fame Championships is the only tournament in North America held on grass courts.

Top-seeded John Isner is scheduled to play Tuesday. He’s looking for his third title in Newport after winning in 2011-12.

The 35-year old Karlovic, a quarterfinalist in Newport last year, had first serves clocked in the 118-123 mph range in windy conditions.

“You must always adjust with the toss, and I was able to,” he said.

After Karlovic went up 5-2 with his second ace of the tiebreaker, Ginepri, a 2003 Newport champion, hit a forehand return into the net and followed with a backhand that sailed wide.

The 31st-ranked Karlovic broke serve in the second and final games of the last set.

“It’s always difficult on grass courts,” he said. “I was a little lucky on the tiebreak, and I was able to return better and break him twice.”

In other first-round play, 2009 Newport champion and American Rajeev Ram ousted Australian Matthew Ebden, 6-2, 7-5. American Donald Young, the No. 5 seed, was upset by Samuel Groth of Australia 7-6 (7), 6-2.

“I’ve played here a lot of years,” Ram said. “I don’t know if I remember it being this windy.”

Sixth-seeded Steve Johnson needed only 47 minutes to top wild-card entry and fellow American Clay Thompson 6-1, 6-2; Dudi Sela of Israel beat Michal Przysiezny of Poland 6-1, 7-6 (2); Japan’s Tatsuma Ito beat American Mitchell Krueger 7-6 (7), 6-1; and Malek Jaziri of Tunisa defeated Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania 7-5, 6-3.

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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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