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Sparks return home after winning road trip

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks left for their four-game road trip languishing near the bottom of the Western Conference. Now they return home with renewed confidence and in the midst of a season-high winning streak.

The Sparks (10-11) had struggled this season closing out games, losing five times when they led in the final few minutes. Parker took responsibility for the late-game collapses saying that she had to make sure the ball was in her hands to make the right play when it mattered.

“I need the ball,” Parker said. “Whether I’m making the shot or the right pass, I should be the one who makes the play.”

In the current three-game winning streak the Sparks haven’t let the game come down to the final possessions. Los Angeles blew out New York and Connecticut before using a late run to beat Indiana by eight points on Tuesday night. Parker had a season-high 34 points in the win over the Fever.

“It’s easier when we don’t make it come down to the end,” Sparks coach Carol Ross said laughing after the 26-point win over Connecticut on Sunday. “It helps that we have our team back now.”

The Sparks were missing guard Kristi Toliver for seven games while she was playing for the Slovakian national team.

“It definitely wasn’t an easy decision,” Toliver said. “It was a decision that happened a year and half ago, that’s when the process started. It was a little easier making it then because in that time I wasn’t having to leave a team. When it became a reality it was a lot more difficult and was tough.”

By becoming nationalized for Slovakia, Toliver can earn more money playing overseas in the winter since most foreign teams have a limit on the number of non-European players they can have on their rosters. Gaining Slovakian citizenship helps Toliver skirt that problem.

Ross understood her point guard’s difficult choice.

“It’s nature of the culture we’re in,” Ross said. “It certainly affected us. She’s a great player for us. It had a negative impact, at the same time we’ve got to get to a place where our league is beneficial enough where they have hard decisions to make, I know she hated leaving.

“She felt terrible about it. That’s the position we put them in. She has to do what she has to do from a business standpoint. I don’t blame her at all. We’ve got to be able to as a league do more to help them financially.”

With a win on Thursday over Washington, the Sparks will head into the All-Star break at .500 and hold a three-game lead over fifth place Seattle for the final playoff spot in the West.

“We’ve had problems peaking too early in the season and not accomplished our main goal of winning a championship, so maybe peaking later now will help us,” Toliver said. “If we stay the course and competitive we’re one of the best teams in the league and we’re still most feared in the league. We’re not too concerned about our record.”

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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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