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Jaguars open camp amid renovations on, off field

By WTOP Staff

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley’s first team meeting of training camp included a video.

And not his usual PowerPoint presentation, either.

Bradley called his players into the stadium Thursday night to watch panoramic clips of the city on the team’s new scoreboards — the largest in the world. They were visually stunning for some and educational for others. They also helped reinforced Bradley’s message about understanding and appreciating what owner Shad Khan has done for the small-market franchise.

“Now it’s our turn to do our part and get better,” receiver Cecil Shorts III said Friday.

There’s plenty of room for improvement, too, as the rebuilding Jaguars open camp for Bradley’s second season.

Jacksonville finished 4-12 last year, the team’s third consecutive losing season. Despite the on-the-field woes, there has been plenty of optimism surrounding the team since. It has a lot to do with Khan’s commitment, general manager Dave Caldwell’s personnel decisions and Bradley’s leadership.

The scoreboards are part of it, too.

The city and the Jaguars just completed a $63 million renovation to EverBank Field. The upgrades include massive scoreboards, two pools that overlook the field and 20 pricey cabanas. Khan donated $20 million to the project, bringing his investment total to $31 million since buying the team for $770 million in November 2011.

Khan already funded projects to revamp the locker room, the weight room and the training room.

“I know people are talking about us,” Caldwell said. “There’s a lot of positive things going around this team and it’s not just the football-related stuff. It’s the scoreboards, it’s the stadium, it’s Shad. I always say hopefully we can match what they’re doing, that we don’t let them down. They’ve raised the bar for us to be more competitive.”

Being more competitive should be the goal for Jacksonville after last season.

The Jaguars lost their first eight games last year by double digits, a historically futile stretch that made it clear Jacksonville’s rebuilding project was a full-blown, ground-up restoration.

The Jaguars showed some life late, winning four of five games after the rough start. They dropped their final three games and finished with a third consecutive losing record.

But the modest turnaround combined with what seemed like a solid draft and a few key free agents have the Jaguars hopeful of better results in 2014.

“It’s a completely different feeling walking into the locker room because you get the sense that everybody’s on the same page, Mr. Khan, Dave Caldwell, Gus,” longtime place-kicker Josh Scobee said. “They’re trying to get all of us buy in, too, and that’s not hard to do because their message is always the same. That’s what’s nice: Getting that consistent message and it’s always positive.

“It’s a breath of fresh air. You want to see them have success because they’re the type of people that deserve it the way they go about it.”

The Jaguars also have something that’s been missing in Jacksonville for years: stability.

Khan is committed to Caldwell and Bradley, who are intent on building through the draft and not rushing anything. That’s why they’re taking it slow with quarterback Blake Bortles, the third overall pick in May’s NFL draft. Barring injuries, Bortles will open the season as Chad Henne’s backup and might not start until 2015.

“The thing Gus talks about all the time is creating a stress-free environment,” Bortles said. “Pressure is what you put on yourself and the things you can control. So obviously I put a lot of pressure on myself and the categories of things I can control. But as far as anxiety and stress and all that, there’s none of that.”

But plenty of talk about the scoreboards, which will be unveiled Saturday between a soccer friendly between Fulham FC and DC United and a Carrie Underwood concert.

“It’s pretty special,” Caldwell said. “It’s a brand new stadium. We pulled up some of the slides from a meeting last year with the old scoreboards, and if you ever did a compare and contrast, it’s like high school to Disney World.”

___

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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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