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Demaryius Thomas excused from Broncos camp

By WTOP Staff

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Both Demaryius Thomas and Chris Harris Jr. plan to practice next week with the first day of the Denver Broncos’ training camp.

Thomas was excused to attend the funeral of the grandmother who helped raise him in Georgia. Harris was held out while he awaits a trip to see his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, on Monday to check on his surgically repaired left knee.

Thomas attended the Broncos’ team meeting Wednesday, a day after his grandmother died, and received permission from coach John Fox to leave for a few days. He’s expected to rejoin his teammates Monday.

“He had a tragic loss. His grandmother in the Atlanta area passed away from Alzheimer’s,” Fox said. “That combined with the news of (Broncos owner Pat) Bowlen is pretty devastating stuff. That woman basically raised D.T. He’s back there in Georgia and left last night. He’s where he needs to be right now. We expect him back when the services are over.”

The Broncos announced Wednesday that Bowlen was relinquishing control of the team because of Alzheimer’s.

Thomas caught a team-best 92 passes for 1,430 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. He also set a Super Bowl record with 13 receptions.

Thomas’ agent and the Broncos have exchanged proposals on a long-term contract that general manager John Elway wants to get done within the next two weeks so that it doesn’t become a distraction.

Thomas is expected to be back Monday, the same day Harris hopes to get clearance to practice again.

Harris was supposed to see his surgeon earlier this week, but that appointment was delayed.

“It just worked out better, to give me an extra week,” said Harris, who was wearing a knee brace during sideline work Thursday, something he hopes to be able to ditch in a couple of weeks.

“I can’t go into games with a brace, no way,” Harris said with a chuckle.

All indications are Andrews will clear Harris, who expects to be eased into practice the way Von Miller has been. Both tore an anterior cruciate ligament last season, Miller in December and Harris in the playoffs in January.

Miller is participating in 7-on-7 and individual drills and retreating to the sideline during 11-on-11 portions of practice.

Bubba Caldwell got the bulk of work in his absence Thursday and tight end Julius Thomas, who’s also in contract negotiations, was split wide on some snaps.

The Broncos open the preseason Aug. 7 against Seattle, which routed them 43-8 in the Super Bowl.

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase made his players watch the first half of that debacle just before they scattered for vacation last month.

“I still haven’t watched the three I lost,” Elway cracked.

Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said he’s watched the loss to the Seahawks plenty of times.

“I watched it enough to hate them and you can write that down,” Knighton said. “And I’m looking forward to playing them again.”

The teams also play in the regular season when the Broncos visit the Seahawks on Sept. 21.

“We want to get that bad taste out of our mouth (but) playing them in Week 3 won’t get it out of our mouth,” Knighton said. “It will just be winning the Super Bowl. We want to hoist that trophy.”

Notes: Training camp is closed to the public this year because of a $35 million construction project that includes a new indoor practice facility. The Broncos will hold three practices at their downtown stadium, including one on Sunday. “Our guys are probably more disappointed about it than anybody, maybe even the fans,” Fox said. “… We’ll miss them, but we have to deal with it. It’s a safety issue here with the construction. We look forward to getting them back out here next year.” … Rookie WR Cody Latimer made several big catches, including a long TD reception from Brock Osweiler with top pick Bradley Roby in coverage.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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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