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Raiders still waiting for Hayden to get healthy

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday the team will decide by next week whether cornerback DJ Hayden is healthy enough to start the season on the active roster or if he will go on the physically unable to perform list.

Hayden is recovering from surgery in June on a stress fracture in his right foot and has been unable to practice this summer. He has done limited running on the side and is making progress. But time is running out if he wants to play to start the season.

If Hayden is placed on the PUP list he will not count against Oakland’s 53-man roster to start the season. He will be required to miss at least the first six games of the season.

“We’ll have to see how the rebab process goes over the next few days and get a feel for exactly when we think he’ll be available,” Allen said. “That decision hasn’t been made yet.”

The Raiders are a bit thin at cornerback right now with Chimdi Chekwa out with a knee injury. But Allen said the decision on Hayden’s status will be primarily based on whether Hayden will be 100 percent to start the season.

Hayden has spent more time on the sideline than the field since being picked 12th overall by the Raiders in the 2013 draft despite a near-fatal practice injury while in college at Houston.

He missed almost the entire offseason as a rookie and the second half of his first season with injuries and now has been dealt another setback.

“I feel for DJ in that the only way to get better at playing football is to play football,” defensive coordinator Jason Tarver said. “He just needs practice reps. Hopefully his body allows him to do that and we’ll practice him as much as we can and we’ll see how far he can go.”

Hayden came into the league with questions about his health and has only faced more as a pro. After participating in his first rookie minicamp, Hayden got hurt again during the first full-team practice of the offseason and had to undergo surgery to repair an abdominal scar related to an earlier heart surgery performed after his college injury.

Hayden didn’t get cleared for contact until midway through training camp and never truly caught up.

He played about two-thirds of Oakland’s defensive snaps as the nickel cornerback during the first eight games with his highlights being an interception against San Diego and a forced fumble in Kansas City.

But he struggled for most of the season, allowing 26 catches on 40 throws with him in coverage for 376 yards and three touchdowns. He had an interception and allowed a 110 passer rating against.

Hayden spent the offseason adding strength and was healthy at the start of workouts. But he rolled his right ankle in late May during the first week of organized team activities. An MRI at the time showed no complications but one taken later at the end of minicamp in June showed the stress fracture.

Hayden underwent surgery and was expected to be sidelined for up to two months. That time has now passed and Hayden is still only working out on the side.

“He was explosive in the spring and you could see it start to happen before his latest one happened,” Tarver said. “We expect him to get back to that. We’ll practice him as long as it takes. We’ll get as many reps as we can with the young man.”

The Raiders had been hoping Hayden would seize a starting cornerback spot across from free-agent acquisition Tarell Brown. Carlos Rogers, another free agent, was then penciled in as the slot cornerback in nickel formations but has moved into a starting role with Hayden out.

Tarver said Hayden will need to earn his way back into the starting lineup when he is healthy.

“He’s going to need the time,” Tarver said. “All young players need the time. You need reps to get good at anything. It’s like any profession. You don’t walk out and you’re a chemist or a computer programmer. You have to spend your time, you have to grind.”

NOTES: FB Marcel Reece was back at practice a day after having an MRI on his injured right foot. … WRs Juron Criner (hip) and Brice Butler (concussion) also were back. … OL Matt McCants and DL Justin Ellis remain sidelined by concussions.

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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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