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Raiders face decisions at QB heading into opener

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Coach Dennis Allen says he expects to know who will start at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders when the team returns to practice Monday.

A sore elbow for Matt Schaub and a strong finish to the preseason by rookie Derek Carr have injected some doubt into what had seemed to be a resolved issue as recently as four days ago.

Allen said unequivocally Monday that Schaub would start the opener at the New York Jets on Sept. 7 even as he was sitting out the week of practice with a sore throwing elbow.

But Allen was far from definitive on Friday, a day after Carr threw three touchdown passes and led the Raiders to the end zone on all four drives he played in the exhibition finale against Seattle.

“There’s a lot of things that go into a performance,” Allen said. “There’s a lot of things that factor into the decision-making process. But I will say that I was very pleased with what I saw out of Derek Carr last night.”

Carr was sharp from the start against the defending Super Bowl champions, showing no fear of attacking the NFL’s most feared defense. He drove the Raiders down the field on the opening drive against Seattle’s starting defense, twice targeting All Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, including on an 11-yard pass to Denarius Moore on third-and-10 to set up a TD run by Latavius Murray.

“They were the No. 1 ranked defense in the league last year.” Allen said. “It’s a good defensive football team and they had nine of their 11 starters playing. But what I really look at is, I look at the offensive unit as a whole.”

Carr then took advantage of two short fields provided by the special teams to throw back-to-back TD passes on successive one-play drives, connecting with Moore from 36 yards out and Mychal Rivera on a 20-yard score.

Carr ended his night with another long drive, capped by a perfectly placed back-shoulder 11-yard TD pass to Moore. Carr finished 11 for 13 for 143 yards and three touchdowns, completing all four third-down pass attempts for 62 yards.

Carr completed 66.7 percent of his passes in the preseason, with four touchdowns, one interception and a 108.2 passer rating.

The Raiders did not expect Carr to challenge for the starting spot so soon after they drafted him in the second round out of Fresno State. That pick came less than two weeks after they acquired Schaub in a trade from Houston and immediately anointed him the starter.

But the debate could be moot if Schaub’s sore elbow doesn’t heal enough to allow him to practice this week. The injury has been lingering for much of training camp and Schaub told Allen last week it was bothering him. Schaub sat out practice all week, throwing only a little on the side with a trainer.

Schaub was excused from the team Friday to deal with a personal issue but Allen said he expected him back when the team resumed practice Monday.

“I think the biggest thing really is to check on Matt and see where Matt is health-wise,” Allen said. “He was making some progress last week throwing on the side with the trainers. I feel like he’ll be ready to go but I think we need to see how he’s feeling Monday when he gets in here.”

Schaub has struggled when he has played, completing just 24 of 47 passes for 218 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 55.1 this preseason. Schaub has led the Raiders to two scores on 15 drives this preseason and completed just two passes that traveled more than 10 yards downfield.

NOTES: The Raiders began making cuts to get the roster down to 53 but will wait to announce any moves until after Saturday’s deadline. … Allen said he expected K Sebastian Janikowski to be ready for the opener after sitting out with a sore quadriceps. … TE David Ausberry is expected back at practice Monday following knee surgery earlier in the month. … Backup LB Kaelin Burnett did not play Thursday after injuring his knee in practice.

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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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