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Petersen ready to see Miles on practice field

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — Chris Petersen can’t wait to see quarterback Cyler Miles take his first snaps when Washington begins fall camp.

Even if Miles is only going to be a spectator when the Huskies opens their season Aug. 30 at Hawaii.

“I’m anxious to get him back in the mix and see what he can do. He’s like a freshman,” Petersen said on Sunday on the eve of his first fall camp at Washington. “I’m always so anxious to get the freshmen out there. You’ve recruited them, you’ve seen them but you don’t know until you go out there and watch them run around. You’re really excited about some and some you’re like, ‘I thought he would be a little further along.’ It’s always such an interesting process and for Cyler I feel the same way because he just wasn’t with us. I’m anxious to get him out there and see what he does.”

Because of his success with quarterbacks in his eight seasons at Boise State, quarterback will always be a position associated with Petersen. And it’s the biggest question for Washington when they begin camp on Monday.

It seemed straightforward when Petersen left Boise State and replaced Steve Sarkisian with the Huskies. Miles was the presumptive replacement for Keith Price, who finished his career as one of the top passers in Washington history. Miles appeared in eight games with one start last season and threw for 418 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another 200 yards.

But that was before Miles got involved in off-field troubles that left him suspended for spring practices. Miles was investigated for his role in a Super Bowl night fight that included former teammate Damore’ea Stringfellow, who was dismissed from the program.

Miles was reinstated after not being charged by prosecutors, but was suspended for the Huskies season opener against Hawaii. And while he may eventually be the best fit for the offense Petersen wants to run, he’s essentially in last place in the competition to be the starter.

“He’s behind. He’s done some things, as much as he can after spring ball, to get caught up. That’s a lot of meeting time, that’s a lot of practice time, that’s a lot of reps,” Petersen said. “He’s had these concepts, a lot of them. Some of them might be renamed and those sorts of things . that’s such a detailed position it’s going to take him a while to process that. It’s hard. He missed a lot.”

With Miles away during the spring, the starter reps were split between sophomore Jeff Lindquist and redshirt freshman Troy Williams. When the Huskies begin on Monday with split practices, Williams and Lindquist will be with the veterans in the morning while Miles and freshman K.J. Carta-Samuels will be going in the afternoon with mostly underclassmen and newcomers to the program.

“I’m anxious to see what that is going to look like. I know those guys made progress throughout the spring,” Petersen said. “I think the number one thing is just consistency. Consistency with accuracy, consistency with decision making and if those two things have improved, whoever that is, is going to have a leg up on the other one.”

Petersen also made clear that any assumption Miles will take over as the starter in Week 2 against Eastern Washington is just a preconceived guess.

“That’s an assumption from you guys,” he said. “You know better than I do. You’ve seen him a lot more than I have. That’s something we’ll deal with down the road.”

NOTES: DE Marcus Farria was dismissed from the program last week for violation of “team standards,” according to Petersen. … WR Kasen Williams (leg/foot) should be full participant when practices began. Williams broke his lower left leg and injured his left foot last October vs. California.

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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