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Towles ‘excited’ to be Kentucky’s starting QB

By WTOP Staff

GARY B. GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Patrick Towles says he felt relieved after winning the competition to be Kentucky’s starting quarterback. He says is “super excited” to get the opportunity that he has worked so hard to get.

The 6-foot-5, 238-pound redshirt sophomore was considered the favorite heading into camp, and he eventually beat out redshirt freshman Reese Phillips, freshman Drew Barker and junior Maxwell Smith. Towles will be under center for the Wildcats’ Aug. 30 season opener against Tennessee-Martin.

Coach Mark Stoops’ long-awaited announcement Monday culminated a frustrating journey for Towles, who arrived at Kentucky with high expectations in 2012 before falling off the radar last season and being redshirted.

Instead of giving up, Towles came back strong this spring after tweaking his mechanics and attitude.

“I was told things that I needed to get better at, I went out and I get better at them and now I’m here,” the Fort Thomas native said Tuesday.

“My feet had to get better, my release had to change. I had to keep my head on straight and really, really go after this thing, and that’s what I did.”

While Towles’ promotion answered the biggest question of Kentucky’s fall camp will only be making his first career start against UT-Martin. He played five games as a freshman and completed 19 of 40 passes with a touchdown.

Towles’ struggles to make the short throws and reads necessary to execute Kentucky’s pass-heavy Air Raid scheme left him behind Jalen Whitlow and Maxwell Smith on the depth chart last season.

“I wasn’t happy on the sideline, but I didn’t let my attitude try to affect anybody else’s,” Towles said. “Me sulking wasn’t going to help any.”

But that was then, and Towles’ offseason work with private QB coach Donny Walker helped him win a tight competition over Phillips, the much-hyped Barker and Smith, who’s recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. While Stoops expects Towles to endure growing pains, he believes that his QB’s arm, size and quickness will help him execute the offense.

“I hope now that he has the keys, that he can drive the bus and be the leader that we need him to be,” the coach said Monday.

So far, Towles’ first two days running the first team offense has succeeded in allowing him to play more freely without worrying about making a mistake. Mindful that challenges lay ahead when Kentucky begins Southeastern Conference play, he’s focused only on succeeding in the opener.

“This will be the first time I’ve been on the field since Tennessee (in 2012) and it’s going to be a little different,” Towles said, “but it’s going to be fun.”

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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