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Iowa’s White wants Hawkeyes to be more intense

By WTOP Staff

LUKE MEREDITH
AP Sports Writer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa senior Aaron White still can’t quite put his finger on why the Hawkeyes collapsed last season.

What White has learned is that the Hawks will need to worry more about their intensity than their expectations in 2014-15.

White will enter next season as the face of the program with Devyn Marble’s departure to the NBA. It’ll be a major challenge for White, the leading returning scorer from a team that reached as high as No. 10 in the country before losing seven of their last eight games and falling to Tennessee in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

“Last year was the first time that we expected to do big things. Early on in the year we had guys saying we could go to the Final Four, we had a chance to go to the Sweet Sixteen. That’s a lot of pressure on a team, especially a team that hasn’t been in the limelight up until that point. So for myself, and the rest of guys really learned not to buy into anything,” White said. “You can’t take anything for granted.”

To that end, White has done everything in his power to improve this summer.

White participated in skills academies hosted by Kevin Durant and LeBron James in the past few weeks. The invitations to those camps are reserved for the nation’s top players, and what struck White was how spirited the competition was at all times.

White, a third-team All-Big Ten pick last season, returned to Iowa City intent on pushing his teammates more than ever.

“We’ve got to really ramp up the intensity,” White said. ‘Even if it’s cheering on the sideline or whatever it may be, we’ve just got to do everything at a high level because that’s how the game is played,” White said.

White has also worked this summer to fix his jumper, perhaps the most glaring deficiency in his game.

White shot a career-high 58.4 percent from the floor last season in averaging 12.8 points a game. But the majority of his baskets came from inside the paint, and down the stretch he often passed on open mid-range jumpers.

If White can develop a perimeter game that opponents have to worry about, he could easily emerge as one of the Big Ten’s best players next season.

“Half the battle with the jumper is that you have to be confident shooting it,” White said. “I wasn’t confident shooting the ball at the end of last year and that’s why I didn’t shoot it. In order for me to perform how I need to perform and to help us is to make open shots.

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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