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Giants P Weatherford optimistic about game Sunday

By WTOP Staff

TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Torn ligaments in his left ankle seemingly aren’t going to prevent Steve Weatherford from punting for the New York Giants.

Weatherford returned to practice on a limited basis on Friday and believes he will play in the home opener against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. He has been listed as questionable on the injury report.

The nine-year veteran was injured on the final play of the first quarter on Monday night when Jerome Couplin of the Lions landed on his ankle while attempting to block a punt. The injury looked serious at first glance and Weatherford missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He punted 25 times Friday and was satisfied with how the ankle felt.

Barring swelling over the next 48 hours, he will appear in his 50th straight game for the Giants (0-1).

“I felt like I punted well enough to play Sunday,” Weatherford said. “I felt consistent. I felt stable. I felt strong, but we’ll see how it feels tomorrow. You never know. You might wake up with it swollen, but I don’t see that happening because it’s been 90 minutes since I kicked and I don’t have any swelling. You would expect some of that to come on now, but I feel great.”

Weatherford was impressive at the start of practice, booming a punt from midfield toward the end zone with great hang time. He directional punts to the corners of the end zone were just as good.

“The kid is an animal,” long snapper Zak DeOssie said. “He could have one leg and he still would go out there. He did really well today and obviously we want him out there.”

Coach Tom Coughlin had said that kicker Josh Brown would be the emergency punter for Sunday’s game, but the Giants had at least four players work out Friday in case Weatherford could not play.

The only thing Weatherford said he might have trouble doing was running down a return man.

“He looked like normal,” Brown said. “After he got loose he was able to hit the ball as well as he always has.”

Brown smiled when asked if he was disappointed not having a dual role this weekend.

“Unfortunately no one will get to see that raw talent at work,” he quipped sarcastically.

NOTES: WR Odell Beckham (hamstring), DT Markus Kuhn, OT James Brewer (back) and LB Devon Kennard (hamstring) were ruled out for the game. MLB Jon Beason returned to practice Friday and was listed as probable along with DE Jason Pierre-Paul (neck), OT Charles Brown (shoulder) and DT Cullen Jenkins (hip). Pierre-Paul did not practice Friday.

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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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