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Pack prez hopeful Favre returns for game this year

By WTOP Staff

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Flush with cash, the Packers have a 112,000 name-long waiting list for season tickets filled with die-hards eager to see a team that figures to be an NFC contender for years to come.

Under a bright blue sky, Green Bay team brass gave shareholders a rosy forecast Thursday for the future of the NFL’s only publicly-owned franchise.

About the only thing missing from this green-and-gold picture was former star Brett Favre swaggering on to the Lambeau Field turf to toss around a football with current franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Soon enough, that might just happen, too.

Team President Mark Murphy reiterated that he is hoping Favre returns to Lambeau Field for a game this year, though not to retire his No. 4 jersey just yet.

“Well, our hope is coming back from (2016) he’ll be a first-ballot inductee” to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Murphy told reporters after addressing the more than 14,700 fans attending the annual shareholders meeting. “Prior to that we’d want to induct him into our hall and then also retire his number.”

Favre had a public falling out with the team’s front office in 2008 in the middle of a “will-he-or-won’t-he-retire saga. The Packers traded him to the New York Jets, and he later played two more seasons for the rival Minnesota Vikings.

The sides have made efforts to mend the relationship with Favre firmly in retirement. Murphy for years has said he hopes to retire Favre’s jersey, and a possible reunion is usually a popular offseason topic in Packers country.

The prospect of returning to Lambeau arose again when Favre told ESPN radio in Chicago on Monday that he wasn’t concerned about being booed at Lambeau, following a separate report to the contrary.

“I’m very hopeful that when he does come back that he will be fully, fully supported by our fans. I’m confident in that,” Murphy said. “In terms of when he would come back, we’ve had ongoing discussions with him, very good relations. We are talking about bringing him back for a game this year.”

Franchise leaders dressed in business attire offered boardroom-like reports — complete with slideshow presentations displayed on the stadium’s two giant video boards — to shareholders dressed in Packers gear. One man wore a yellow foam cheesehead with “NFL Owner” etched on the side in green.

The Packers have more than 360,000 shareholders, and a lot of them figure to be in town this weekend. Players report to training camp Friday and the first practice is Saturday.

“We don’t predict at this event,” general manager Ted Thompson said in giving his department report, “but we do expect to win.”

The team has reported that its revenue rose 5 percent to a record $324 million, though net income is down to $25 million because of an expected spike in player costs, including salaries. The Packers re-signed Rodgers and star linebacker Clay Matthews in 2013.

The team expects player costs to decline next season given the normal ebbs and flows of contract cycles. Regardless, there appears little to worry about financially: John Meng, of the board’s investment committee, reported corporate reserves of about $271 million in 2014, up roughly $90 million from 2010.

Only the Packers and Patriots have made the NFL playoffs each of the last five years. Last year’s stadium project increased Lambeau’s seating capacity to about 80,700 — second largest in the league behind MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, yet, the Packers still have a long waiting list for season tickets despite playing in the league’s smallest market.

Murphy told shareholders that he expected the Packers to play a game in the next few years in London, where the league plans to play more games anyway.

“But it will be an away game” on the schedule, Murphy said. “We will never take (away) a home game.”

The team is also looking to install a variable pricing ticket system next year. Murphy said about 10 other teams in the league this season are using such a system, which would create tiers of ticket prices based on the attractiveness of the matchup.

The Packers try to keep their ticket prices around the league average. The team said this year they are 17th in the league, at about $80.

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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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