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South Dakota St cruises past Cal Poly, 44-18

By WTOP Staff

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota State needed each of Zach Lujan TD passes and all of Zach Zenner’s rushing yards Saturday to beat Cal Poly 44-18 and end a three-game losing streak to the Mustangs.

Lujan threw three touchdown passes for the Jackrabbits (1-1). Zenner ran for 193 yards and a touchdown.

Zenner, who has rushed for 2,000 yards in two straight seasons, came in needing 115 yards to become the all-time career rushing leader in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

SDSU outscored the Mustangs 28-6 in the second half. The Jacks piled up 502 yards of total offense.

“I’m really proud of the way we played the second half. We just didn’t have any confidence in the first half,” SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said. “We had some young guys in there and they hung in there.”

SDSU struck first when Lujan tossed a 36-yard TD pass to Trevor Wesley with 7:22 left in the first quarter and Justin Syrovatka tacked on the PAT. It was Lujan’s first career touchdown pass.

Cal Poly answered late in the quarter on Chris Brown’s 7-yard run. But Stephen Pyle’s PAT failed, leaving the Jackrabbits holding a 7-6 lead.

Brown led the Mustangs (0-2) with 104 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while completing 16 of 21 passes for 202 yards.

“They are a quick team and they come out of that no-huddle,” Stiegelmeier said. “They gave us a bunch of new looks on offense and we had some new guys in there.”

After Syrovatka’s 46-yard field goal extended the Jacks’ lead, Cal Poly marched 85 yards in just nine plays to go up 12-10 on Kori Gracia’s 9-yard run with 4:29 left in the half. Garcia had 87 yards on the ground.

The Mustangs’ lead lasted less than four minutes as Lujan drove the Jacks 64 yards for the go-ahead score with 39 seconds left in the half. Lujan capped the drive with a 16-yard scoring pass to Jason Schneider. He later tossed an 11-yard TD to Jake Wieneke.

Zenner went over the 115 yards he needed for the record early in the third quarter. It was his 23rd career 100-yard game.

Zenner extended the Jacks’ lead with a 15-yard run and Reggie Gandy’s 1-yard run with 3:08 remaining made it 37-18.

Lujan threw a TD pass in each of the first three quarters. He completed 12 of 20 passes for 184 yards. Jason Schneider caught three passes, including a touchdown.

Stiegelmeier said Lujan would probably be critical of his game. “I thought he did OK,” he said. “I think he would say, ‘Man I could do better.’ Bottom line is, he made plays. He’s confident and a great leader.”

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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