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No. 7 Texas A&M host Rice

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin knows Rice coach David Bailiff well and doesn’t expect his Owls to be wary when they face the seventh-ranked Aggies on Saturday in front of more than 100,000 fans.

“They’re going to be tough,” Sumlin said. “They’re going to change it up, try to get after our young quarterback, and there’s nothing in that program that says they’re going to be the least bit intimidated to come in and play us.”

Sumlin considers Bailiff a close friend, noting they lived in the same neighborhood when he coached Houston.

“Our relationship goes back 20 years,” Bailiff said. “I’ve watched him as a coordinator, I’ve watched him when he was at the University of Houston. I think he has ignited the program through his personality, his recruiting and his style that he possesses.”

But there won’t be much time for niceties on Saturday when the Aggies look to improve to 3-0 for the first time under Sumlin. They’re off to a great start thanks in large part to the play of quarterback Kenny Hill.

Hill is third in the nation with 794 yards passing, which is a school-record through two games, and his seven touchdown passes are tied for fifth in the country. He needed less than three quarters to pile up 283 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday’s 73-3 win over Lamar.

With 206 yards passing on Saturday, he’ll become the first A&M quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards in his first three games.

The Owls lost at Notre Dame 48-17 in their opener before a week off.

“They had a bye week and two complete weeks to prepare for us,” Sumlin said. “We’re going to get their best shot.”

Bailiff looks forward to playing tough competition.

“If you want be the best, you got to play the best and you have to keep playing those guys and winning those big games,” he said. “You have to keep working to get into those arenas, and also when you play the best it does help you get into conference play because you get exposed to what you need to work on.”

A few things to know about the Rice-Texas A&M game.

YOUTH IS SERVED

The Aggies have several freshman getting extended playing time early this season led by receiver/returner Speedy Noil and defensive end Myles Garrett.

“I don’t bring guys here to stand next to me on the sideline,” Sumlin said. “The best guys play.”

Noil had 71 yards receiving, a punt return for 67 yards and a kickoff return for 53 yards to finish with 191 all-purpose yards against Lamar. Garrett had five tackles, two sacks and two QB hurries. He has three sacks this season.

DUAL THREAT

Rice quarterback Driphus Jackson is a dual threat for the Owls. He leads the team in both passing and yards rushing with 163 yards through the air and 61 on the ground.

LONG STREAK

These teams first met in 1914 and Texas A&M beat the Owls 52-31 last season for its 17th straight win in the series. The last victory by the Owls came in 1980 when they won 10-6 in College Station.

HUGE CROWD

The Aggies set a record for fans at college game in Texas last week with a crowd of 104,728. The previous record was 101,851, which was set at a West Virginia-Texas game in 2012. The redeveloped Kyle Field has a capacity of 106,000, and Texas A&M hopes to break last week’s mark on Saturday.

PILING THEM UP

Texas A&M senior defensive back Howard Matthews leads the team with 10 tackles and is 14 tackles short of reaching 200 for his career. He has the most career tackles on the team and second is cornerback Deshazor Everett, who has 144 career tackles and leads the team with five interceptions and 15 pass breakups in his career.

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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