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Saints-Browns Capsule

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (0-1) at CLEVELAND (0-1)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

OPENING LINE — Saints by 6

RECORD VS. SPREAD — New Orleans 0-1, Cleveland 0-1

SERIES RECORD — Browns lead 12-4

LAST MEETING — Browns beat Saints 30-17, Oct. 24, 2010

LAST WEEK — Saints lost to Falcons 37-34 in overtime; Browns lost to Steelers 30-27.

AP PRO32 RANKING — Saints No. 6, Browns No. 26.

SAINTS OFFENSE– OVERALL (3), RUSH (9), PASS (6).

SAINTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (32), RUSH (19), PASS (32).

BROWNS OFFENSE — OVERALL (13), RUSH (6), PASS (20).

BROWNS DEFENSE — OVERALL (31), RUSH (20), PASS (31).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Saints play on road for second straight week. First time since 2007 New Orleans has played first two games on road. … Saints had 477 yards last week in loss to Falcons. … Saints QB Drew Brees passed for 333 yards, his 79th career 300-plus yard game, second most in league history. … Brees (51,414) needs 62 yards to pass Hall of Famer John Elway (51,475) for fourth on career yardage list. … RB Mark Ingram had career-best two TDs last week. … Jimmy Graham leads league’s TEs with 294 catches, 39 TDs since 2011 playoffs. Graham has 15 TDs in past 13 games vs. AFC teams. … Rookie WR Brandin Cooks had seven catches for 77 yards with TD in debut. Also handled punt return duties. … Tackling was major issue as Saints’ defense gave up 568 yards to Falcons last week. … Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan had same position with Browns from 2009-10. … Browns dropped 10th straight season opener last week. … Browns have lost eight consecutive home openers. … Browns QB Brian Hoyer bounced back from rough start and had 230 yards passing vs. Steelers. … Hoyer has not thrown interception in 99 consecutive attempts. … Browns starting RB Ben Tate will sit out with sprained knee. … With Tate out, rookie RB Terrance West rushed for 100 yards and rookie RB Isaiah Crowell scored two TDs. … Browns could be without Pro Bowl TE Jordan Cameron, who re-injured shoulder last week. … Pro Bowl LT Joe Thomas has played 6,987 consecutive snaps since entering league in 2007. … Browns backup QB Johnny Manziel didn’t leave sideline against Steelers.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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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