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US team claims 3 golds on Day 5 at world juniors

By WTOP Staff

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Shamier Little won the 400-meter hurdles Saturday in the IAAF junior world championships in Hayward field, besting British challenger Shona Richards.

Little, who fell while competiting at the world juniors in 2012 in Barcelona, got her redemption with a winning run of 55.66 seconds. It was one of eight total gold medals for the U.S. team at the international track event.

“To go 55 seconds, and this being my third time doing it, it’s great,” she said.

A sophomore this fall at Texas A&M, Little won the women’s 400 hurdles at the NCAA outdoor championships in a school-record 55.07 last month. She also won the event at the U.S. junior championships held earlier this month at Hayward Field.

The bespectacled Little joins two other Americans who have won junior titles in the 400 meters at the world championships: Lashinda Demus in 2002 and Takecia Jameson in 2008.

“I got to about 150 when I felt I had it,” Little said. “My coach was screaming and around the ninth or 10th hurdle I was just focusing on getting my feet down and getting my trail leg over.”

Richards finished in a British junior record mark of 56:16 for the silver.

The United States also won the women’s 400 relay in 43.46, besting rival Jamaica. It was the third-fastest time ever in the event at the junior worlds.

The U.S. team was anchored by 16-year-old Kaylin Whitney, who won the gold medal in the 200 and the bronze in the 100 this week. She was the youngest gold medalist at the international event that runs through Sunday.

“It was a flawless race. My take off was great, the hand-off was perfect,” she said. “I told my body that it can’t get tired before the end of this race.”

The U.S. men also won the 400 relay in 38.68, beating runner-up Japan. The team was anchored by incoming Florida State freshman Trentavis Friday, who also won the individual 200 the night before.

“We stuck to our strategy, each worried about our own race and our own lane and that brought us to the finish,” Friday said.

In other final events on Saturday, Ruth Jebet won the first junior world championship for Bahrain by winning the 3,000 steeplechase in 9: 36.36.74.

Rouguy Diallo of France won the women’s triple jump in a wind-aided 47 feet, 4 1/2 inches. Countryman Axel Chapelle won the pole vault at 18-2 1/2.

It is the first time the junior world championships have been held in the United States. Nearly 1,600 athletes from 170 countries are taking part in the event that runs through Sunday.

Sanctioned by the sport’s international governing body, the junior worlds include athletes born between 1995 and 1998.

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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