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Eagles set to have 3 healthy WRs for Thursday

By WTOP Staff

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — For the first time this preseason, the Philadelphia Eagles will have their preferred trio of wide receivers on the field at the same time along with last season’s league rushing leader, LeSean McCoy.

Riley Cooper (ankle), Jeremy Maclin (hamstring) and rookie Jordan Matthews should all line up when head coach Chip Kelly goes to a three wide receiver set when the Eagles host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third preseason game Thursday night.

Cooper, last year’s surprise in Kelly’s system when he caught 47 passes for 835 yards and eight touchdowns, did not play in the first two preseason games because of the ankle injury suffered during the first week of training camp.

Maclin, who missed all of 2013 with a torn ACL, has been bothered by a hamstring injury and sat out last Friday’s game in New England.

McCoy, who became the first Eagle since Steve van Buren in 1949 to lead the league in rushing, with 1,607 yards last year, missed a few days of practice with what was termed “turf toe”.

According to Kelly, all three should be on the field Thursday night.

“(McCoy), I don’t think he’ll ever play again,” Kelly joked when asked about the status of his running back. “No, he’s fine. He was out here. It’s not that serous, not that big of a deal.”

McCoy has carried seven times in the first two games for just 19 yards. He should see about one half of action against the Steelers.

“We haven’t gone over all of that yet,” Kelly said of how long the starters will play. “We have two more days to figure that out.”

While Cooper and Maclin are back to boost quarterback Nick Foles and the Eagles passing game, two other backup wide receivers will miss Thursday’s game. Veteran Brad Smith, who was getting plenty of time with the two starters out, is nursing a groin injury and rookie Josh Huff could be out a few more weeks with a sprained shoulder.

“Brad has a groin, I don’t know if he’s going to go,” Kelly said. “But it’s not an extended thing. If he doesn’t play Thursday, I expect him to be back at practice, Saturday.”

There was some good news for Huff, another draft pick who has provided moments of excitement in the early going of camp.

“Nothing is broken, he just has to rehab the shoulder,” Kelly said. “No surgery, it’s just a rehab situation.”

Having the trio of Cooper, Maclin and Matthews, the highly-touted second-round pick from Vanderbilt, together will give Kelly a chance to see what he has going into the season. And give Foles the receivers he expects to have during the regular season.

“It’s tough for Nick,” Cooper said. “Every time he looks up there’s a different guy out there, because someone is down. We all have to be out there. It helps the team and it helps Nick.

“It’s a big deal, yeah. In the NFL you need to have timing, you need to have accuracy. When this guy is out and then this guy is out, it’s tough to build on that.”

That’s especially true for Maclin, who hadn’t lined up with Foles, since the quarterback’s rookie year and that was in Andy Reid’s West Coast offense.

“It feels good to have us all on the field playing and playing together,” Maclin said. “We all have our own relationship with Nick, and it’s building by being out there together.”

NOTES: CB Nolan Carroll, the free agent signing from Miami who played well early, but missed the first two games with a hamstring injury, is also expected to return Thursday. . Backup R B Chris Polk is not expected to play with a hamstring injury.

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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