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ACC football looking for even more respect

By WTOP Staff

JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference owns a few prized possessions that once were property of the Southeastern Conference.

Among them: A national championship trophy, a Heisman Trophy, and a measure of respect.

That’s mostly because of Florida State’s big 2013 season, and now it’s up to the ACC to keep that momentum going.

“How about that, man, taking the rein from the SEC, huh?” said Heisman winner Jameis Winston of the Seminoles. “We are the national champions in this conference, and that’s important to me because people do need to respect the ACC more. … I believe that Florida State, we helped gain that respect, and hopefully we can continue that.”

There’s no question the Seminoles set the standard for the league after capturing the last national title of the BCS era seven months ago.

That helped change the perception of the ACC, which had won two BCS bowls from 1998-2011 before claiming three wins in the final two years of the format.

Now the league needs another team that can challenge Florida State.

Maybe it will be Clemson, last year’s Atlantic Division favorite which bounced back from a lopsided loss to the Seminoles and beat Ohio State in the Orange Bowl.

Maybe it will be Louisville, a league newcomer which won two BCS games in the old Big East.

Or maybe someone else will make a run — like perennial cellar dweller Duke did last year.

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Here are 10 things to watch while the ACC prepares for another season:

ENTER LOUISVILLE, EXIT MARYLAND: Fast-rising Louisville is in the ACC after founding member Maryland left for the Big Ten. The Cardinals seem to have the players — and the resources — to remain competitive during their step-up in competition.

PRODIGAL PETRINO: The new coach for the ACC’s newest team isn’t really all that new: Bobby Petrino is back in charge at Louisville. He took a circuitous path that included a messy scandal at Arkansas to lead him back to the Cardinals.

THE GOLDEN DOME: This is the first year of Notre Dame’s scheduling arrangement with the ACC. The independent Irish play four games against ACC schools as part of their membership in all other sports the league sponsors. Notre Dame will play host to North Carolina and Louisville, will visit Florida State and will face Syracuse in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

QB QUESTIONS: Only four schools return their full-time starting quarterbacks from 2013, and only one of those players (Duke’s Anthony Boone) started a game before 2013. The QB with the most career starts? Winston, the redshirt sophomore who started all 14 games of the Seminoles’ national title run.

CLOUDY COASTAL: The Coastal Division could be a crapshoot. Miami was voted as the preseason favorite even though both defending champ Duke and North Carolina each received more first-place votes than the Hurricanes. “I believe anybody can win it,” Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora said.

MIAMI’S DUKE RETURNS: Miami running back Duke Johnson says he’s at 100 percent after breaking his ankle last season against Florida State. Johnson appears to be the league’s top offensive player not named Jameis Winston.

DUKE REDUX? What can Duke do for an encore? The Blue Devils are coming off the best season in school history — winning 10 games, claiming the Coastal title, finishing at No. 23 in the AP Top 25 and reaching the Chick-fil-A Bowl. ACC Coach of the Year David Cutcliffe says he believes his program is getting stronger.

REALLY SPECIAL TEAMS: ACC teams combined to return 16 kickoffs and punts for touchdowns last season, and North Carolina’s Ryan Switzer tied an NCAA single-season record with five punt returns for scores.

SECOND TIME AROUND: Both Pittsburgh and Syracuse went 7-6 and reached low-level bowl games in their debut ACC seasons. They both want to do more in Year 2. Said Pitt coach Paul Chryst: “As proud as we are to be members of the ACC, our goal and objective is to make an impact on it.”

BIG GAMES: There are a few marquee nonconference games early in the ACC season. Florida State opens with Oklahoma State in Irving, Texas, while Clemson heads to Georgia. The following week, Virginia Tech visits Ohio State, and later, Southern California heads to Boston College and Miami travels to Nebraska.

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Predicted order of finish:

ATLANTIC — 1. Florida State, 2. Clemson, 3. Louisville, 4. Syracuse, 5. N.C. State, 6. Boston College, 7. Wake Forest

COASTAL — 1. Duke, 2. Miami, 3. North Carolina, 4. Virginia Tech, 5. Georgia Tech, 6. Pittsburgh, 7. Virginia

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Title game winner: Florida State

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Online:

AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org

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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