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SEC’s Slive continues push for Big Five autonomy

By WTOP Staff

DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive is confident the NCAA reform he’s been pushing for years will take a big step toward becoming a reality in August.

The longtime leader of the SEC gave his annual state-of-the-conference speech at the beginning of the league’s media days on Monday and wasn’t shy about putting more pressure on the NCAA. He said college athletics “must be willing to make appropriate changes,” including giving the Big Five conferences autonomy to make their own bylaws.

“We are not deaf to the din of discontent across collegiate athletics that has dominated the news,” Slive said.

The SEC has discussed several changes to the current system, including full cost-of-attendance scholarships and providing long-term medical coverage to college athletes. The NCAA’s board of directors will vote on the Big Five’s autonomy request in August.

Slive said during the SEC’s summer meetings in June that the Big Five — which also include the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 — would consider forming a “Division IV” if they weren’t granted autonomy on some NCAA governance issues.

He was optimistic then, and also on Monday, that such a drastic measure won’t be needed.

“There is some angst on the part of many, but I think many realize we’re moving into the 21st century, things are different and expectations of student-athletes are different,” Slive said. “I think when push comes to shove, it will pass.”

Slive didn’t make any references to Division IV on Monday, but said the five conferences would “consider the establishment of a venue with similar conferences and institutions where we can enact the desired changes in the best interests of our student-athletes.”

He wasn’t afraid to pull from the history books to make a point on the rapidly changing world of college athletics, quoting Dwight Eisenhower, Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela at different moments.

Some of the SEC’s proposed measures would likely put a squeeze on Division I’s smaller schools that don’t have the same financial resources.

Slive acknowledged those concerns, but many factors — ranging from a push for athlete unionization at Northwestern to Ed O’Bannon’s high-profile lawsuit against the NCAA — have put pressure on schools to act quickly.

Slive said if the Big Five are granted autonomy, change could happen in a matter of months.

“The first item on the agenda would be the full cost of attendance – that’s clear,” Slive said. “Then we’ll build from there.”

Other topics of discussion by Slive during Monday’s address:

— The SEC Network makes its debut on August 14th and has already been picked up by cable providers like DISH Network and AT&T U-Verse. But several other prominent carriers have not signed on as of Monday. Slive said “there are ongoing conversations with other major providers.”

— Slive announced that the SEC will have the authority to place programs in several bowls. Under the league’s new bowl agreement, the Capital One Bowl will have the first selection of available SEC teams after the college football playoff. Then the SEC will place teams in the Belk Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Music City Bowl, Outback Bowl, TaxSlayer Bowl and AdvoCare Texas Bowl.

“Before making the final decision, the conference will consult with our institutions and with the bowls, but the decision will be ours,” Slive said.

The SEC also has agreements with the Birmingham Bowl and the Independence Bowl.

— Slive also used his yearly address to tout the league’s success in all sports. The SEC had won seven consecutive football national championships before January, when Florida State narrowly topped Auburn in the BCS title game. Kentucky and Florida made the NCAA basketball tournament’s Final Four while Vanderbilt recently won baseball’s College World Series, giving an SEC team the title for the fourth time in six seasons.

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Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP

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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