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Titans hit road for 1st time with trip to Atlanta

By WTOP Staff

TERESA M. WALKER
AP Pro Football Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Right guard Chance Warmack is excited about the Tennessee Titans’ first road trip this season, even with a long bus ride for just a scrimmage against the Falcons.

The second-year lineman said Sunday that he has never scrimmaged against another team. Another plus is that he’s from the Atlanta area, so plenty of family will be on hand Monday at the Falcons’ headquarters for a joint practice.

“Just excited to play somebody different,” Warmack said. “You don’t know their tendencies, you don’t know what they’re going to do as far as the moves they’re going to make. You have to go out for your technique and your rules. It’s going to be a good challenge.”

Coach Ken Whisenhunt and Atlanta coach Mike Smith scheduled this session about four months ago. Whisenhunt said the scrimmage helps break up training camp before their preseason opener Saturday against Green Bay. Their first preseason game on the road is Aug. 15 at New Orleans.

This trip will be made by bus. The Titans loaded up late Sunday afternoon and hit the road for the approximately 4-hour trip to Atlanta. The teams practice for two hours Monday afternoon, then the Titans load back up for the long ride home.

“It’s going to be tough,” Whisenhunt said. “Well, it’s going to be tough later in the season. Hopefully we’ll be in a big game that we’ve got to go on the road and win. These are the kind of things that lay the foundation for that.”

With this being a practice, the Titans haven’t studied the Falcons. Defensive lineman Jurrell Casey wasn’t sure if he’d face Atlanta rookie Jake Matthews. Whisenhunt wants to see how his Titans respond.

“It really comes down to playing your scheme, playing your technique and seeing if you can execute or win,” Whisenhunt said. “We’re doing that.”

The Titans practiced Sunday, though Whisenhunt gave a handful of veterans like receiver Nate Washington and safety Bernard Pollard the day off. After practice, they showered and grabbed dinner before boarding the buses. Casey said he planned to sleep as much as possible on the trip to make up for the long days and late nights of camp.

The Falcons are being filmed for HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” something Warmack had forgotten.

“You know they’re going to be coming hard,” Warmack said. “The cameras are going to be out there. We talked about it a little bit. But as a team, we’re going to focus on ourselves as a team and stay positive and have class out there.”

The Titans have had three small skirmishes in camp so far. Whisenhunt doesn’t fine players for fights in practice, but he also doesn’t want them being out of control in Atlanta. He said they’ve talked about that and he’ll repeat himself before the joint practice.

“We’re a team that not a lot of people are talking about or knowing about,” Whisenhunt said. “We’d rather have people talk about us from respect and not some dumb fight.”

Notes: DL Mike Martin (hamstring) missed his second straight practice, and DT Antonio Johnson (left knee) sat out again. Whisenhunt said they remain day-to-day.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

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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