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Chelsea wins big to capitalize on City slip-up

By WTOP Staff

LONDON (AP) — Chelsea secured a third straight win in the English Premier League by beating Everton 6-3 to top the early standings while Juventus began its title defense in Italy with a victory over Chievo Verona.

Here is the best of the action from Europe’s top leagues:

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ENGLAND

Chelsea showed off its newfound attacking sparkle in a 6-3 win over Everton on the day Manchester City slipped to a surprise first defeat in its Premier League title defense.

City’s 1-0 home loss to Stoke on Saturday was exacerbated by its title rival’s wild victory at Goodison Park, in which Spain striker Diego Costa scored in the first and last minutes to continue the superb start to his Chelsea career.

Another big-money arrival in English football, Angel Di Maria, made a promising debut for Manchester United but its 0-0 draw at promoted Burnley left Louis van Gaal’s side with just two points from three games — despite a spending spree of 130 million pounds ($215 million) this summer.

Chelsea has no such problems, with a third straight win leaving the team top of the early standings on goal difference over surprising Swansea.

On a day to forget for Everton and United States goalkeeper Tim Howard, Costa scored after just 34 seconds and Branislav Ivanovic put Chelsea 2-0 ahead inside three minutes, only for Kevin Mirallas to reduce the deficit for Everton just before halftime.

Seamus Coleman’s own goal in the 66th minute sparked a rush of five goals in a chaotic 11-minute spell during which both defenses were carved open.

Steven Naismith made it 3-2, Nemanja Matic regained Chelsea’s two-goal lead in the 74th but Everton came back again through Samuel Eto’o’s header on his debut, against the club that released him in the summer. Ramires put Chelsea 5-3 ahead and Costa wrapped up a madcap second half with a low finish after a back-heel from substitute Didier Drogba.

Swansea is tied on nine points with Chelsea after beating West Bromwich Albion 3-0 thanks to two goals from Nathan Dyer and another from Wayne Routledge.

Also Saturday, Crystal Palace drew 3-3 at Newcastle, Southampton won 3-1 at West Ham and Queens Park Rangers beat Sunderland 1-0.

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SPAIN

Atletico Madrid held on to beat Eibar 2-1 on Saturday to record an unconvincing first win of the Spanish league season.

Atletico received the trophy as champions of last season before the match to the delight of the packed Vicente Calderon Stadium. And it looked ready to keep the celebration going after taking a 2-0 lead in a one-sided half hour following headed goals by Miranda and Mario Mandzukic in the 11th and 25th minutes.

But Eibar defender Abraham Minero’s goal in the 33rd gave the promoted club renewed confidence, and the modest Basque side kept alive its chances to draw through a second half that had the home fans on edge.

Also, Athletic Bilbao routed Levante 3-0 while Celta Vigo settled for a 1-1 draw at Cordoba.

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GERMANY

Schalke captain Benedikt Hoewedes equalized to give his side a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga on Saturday, denying Xabi Alonso a win on his debut for the German champions.

Hoewedes bundled the ball over the line in the 62nd minute as Alonso’s desperate attempt to clear came back off the World Cup winner’s left arm.

Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 10th after opening up the Schalke defense.

Bayer Leverkusen twice came from behind to defeat Hertha Berlin 4-2 and maintain its winning start, while newly promoted Paderborn beat Hamburger SV for its first ever win in the Bundesliga.

Wolfsburg drew with Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2, Werder Bremen drew 1-1 with Hoffenheim and Cologne won 2-0 at Stuttgart.

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ITALY

New Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri kicked off his time in charge with a victory as his team won 1-0 at Chievo Verona in the Serie A opener on Saturday.

Juventus showed that little has changed from the spirit which drove it to three consecutive league titles as Martin Caceres helped open the scoring in the sixth minute.

Caceres headed Carlos Tevez’s corner toward goal, although it eventually went in off the back of Cristiano Biraghi.

Juventus had several chances to extend its advantage and hit the woodwork three times in the first half.

Roma, last year’s runner-up, won 2-0 at home to Fiorentina, with Radja Nainggolan and Gervinho scoring.

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FRANCE

Monaco striker Dimitar Berbatov salvaged a 1-1 draw with Lille in the French league on Saturday after Radamel Falcao was left out of the squad amid speculation about his future.

Lille striker Nolan Roux opened the scoring with a half-volley in the 18th minute, but Berbatov equalized from close range in the 61st.

Falcao watched the game from the stands in a black suit, white shirt and red tie. The Colombia striker scored the lone goal in the 1-0 victory over Nantes last weekend but has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, Manchester City or Juventus in the final days of the transfer window.

Lille has eight points from the first four games, four more than Monaco.

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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