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49ers hold 1st camp practice at Levi’s Stadium

By WTOP Staff

CRAIG MASSEI
Associated Press

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Colin Kaepernick cradled his eight-month-old nephew, Ezekiel, in his arms, then lifted the infant into the air, gently bouncing him up and down.

A few feet away, Bruce Miller bumped fists with fans draped over the first row of seats. And Vernon Davis flashed a megawatt smile, pointing playfully at the legion of fans chanting his name.

The San Francisco 49ers are getting ready for their new house of energy and emotion.

The team conducted its first training camp practice at Levi’s Stadium on Monday afternoon, getting familiar not only with its new home field, but also thousands of fans who flocked to the stadium for a public practice and then got an opportunity to mingle with players afterward.

An allotted total of 10,000 tickets were distributed for the practice through an internet lottery, and with fans cheering and a sound system blaring, the 49ers already were feeling right at home.

“As soon as I stepped foot out there, they were playing music, and I just got to dancing and everything,” wide receiver Quinton Patton said. “It felt pretty good.”

The 49ers have been practicing all summer next door at their team complex, watching the finishing touches being put on the $1.2 billion stadium that will replace Candlestick Park in San Francisco, where the team has played its home games since 1971.

They were eager to finally get action on the new field in advance of their preseason opener on Thursday against the Ravens in Baltimore. The 49ers christen Levi’s Stadium with their preseason opener against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 17.

“It was really the first experience that all of us got to step on the field, and I feel like we had fun with it, especially with the fans being there,” cornerback Chris Cook said. “They give you that little bit of extra energy that you don’t always have every day out there. Just to hear them cheering us motivates us, and it gives you a good feel of how it’s going to be.”

The 68,500-seat facility features HD 13 video boards on the north and south ends that each measure 200 feet by 48 feet, giving fans not only prime vantage points of the action, but also replays of the action.

Like other players, Cook often found himself looking up at the towering video screens. He had a better reason to do so than most, after leaping in front of receivers to make two interceptions on long passes during team drills.

Cook spent most of the day practicing with the first-team defense as projected starting cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Tramaine Brock both sat out with minor ailments.

“Yeah, I looked up there a few times to see if I was going to be on there,” Cook said. “Especially after I caught those two picks. It’s always fun to be on the big screen, especially when you’re doing something good.”

Coach Jim Harbaugh used the session to get his players acclimated to the atmosphere and new playing conditions.

He had his team ease into practice on a field that features different traction than the team’s three practice fields some 100 yards to the east.

“New grass surface, and we want our guys to get their feet under them,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what we have to get used to. The way we were used to Candlestick, the grass there, the sight lines, sun angles, the surface, the environment, the way the wind blows, what the flags do. We’ve got to get used to it all.”

Harbaugh would also like to get used to the comfort of a home crowd that began to fester during Monday’s practice.

Harbaugh quickly grew to appreciate the home-field advantage the 49ers had at Candlestick while he became the first coach in NFL history to guide his team to a conference championship game in each of his first three seasons as coach.

“You want to mark your territory,” Harbaugh said. “We want to do that. We don’t want to look at it as just a possibility, we want to make it a home-field advantage. I think we have the players to do that. We’ve always counted on our crowd to be behind us and they always are. Hopefully we’ll play good and they’re behind us and we’ll do just that, make it a great home-field advantage like Candlestick was.”

Notes: The 49ers signed undrafted rookie free agent RB Glenn Winston to a three-year contract and waived/injured RB Kendall Hunter. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during training camp practice July 25.

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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