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Liberty beats Dream 83-76 in Cooper’s return

By WTOP Staff

MATT WINKELJOHN
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Tina Charles had 29 points and 14 rebounds as the New York Liberty beat Atlanta 83-76 to spoil Dream coach Michael Cooper’s early return to the sideline.

Cooper missed Atlanta’s past five games after being diagnosed with early-stage tongue cancer, and had surgery July 24. Team officials at the time said that Cooper, 58, was expected to miss about two weeks.

By winning eight of their past 12 games after a 4-11 start, the fourth-place Liberty (12-15) have pulled within five games of the first-place Dream (17-10) in the East, and New York took the season series against Atlanta 3-1.

Atlanta leads second-place Washington by 4 games, and Indiana by 4 1-2

If the playoffs began now, New York and Atlanta would meet in the first round.

Should Charles keep playing this way, New York’s chances might be good against anybody. Over the past six games, she’s averaged 22.7 points and 12.7 rebounds.

“It was a must win as far as a playoff berth; Atlanta already has a playoff berth, we don’t,” Charles said. “So we just came in here with great intensity and energy. We were doing all the little things. We only had three turnovers in the second half and that was the biggest thing, I think.”

Atlanta this week qualified for the WNBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, but the Dream have dropped five of seven games.

Angel McCoughtry led Atlanta with 28 points, including four 3-pointrs, and Sancho Lyttle added 16 points for the Dream.

McCoughtry and Lyttle scored 10 points each in the first half and the Dream led 35-34.

In the third period, Charles scored 10 points, rookie Anna Cruz added nine and New York turned five Atlanta turnovers into 10 points as the Liberty put the game out of reach.

“In the six years that I have been here, every time it’s the second half (of the season) where we play this way until the playoffs,” Lyttle said. “I don’t know why, but I want to live to see the day that we don’t.

“Maybe we’ve lost focus a little bit. Maybe we’re playing like we know too much.”

Cooper, sporting atypical beard stubble on his face, told team officials he wanted to be present for the Dream’s, “Breast Awareness Health,” initiatives, which on Sunday included acknowledging survivors of breast cancer.

The Dream wore pink uniforms for the annual event.

“I would like to thank all my friends and fans for all the well wishes and support,” said in a statement released by the Dream before the game. “I am excited to get back to coaching.”

It is unclear if Cooper will accompany the Dream on their upcoming four-game road trip, which begins Tuesday in Phoenix.

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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