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Panthers DE Hardy to start Sunday against Lions

By WTOP Staff

STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Greg Hardy will start the Carolina Panthers’ home opener Sunday against the Detroit Lions with no new developments in his domestic violence case.

Hardy missed practice Wednesday to meet with his attorney, but coach Ron Rivera announced the decision to start Hardy Friday after the defensive end practiced for a second straight day. The defensive end was convicted July 15 of assault on a female and communicating threats, but is appealing.

The team’s franchise player, Hardy has not been suspended by the NFL or the Panthers despite his conviction following an altercation with his ex-girlfriend at his apartment in March.

The league has stated it is waiting to see what happens in a jury trial set for Nov. 17 in Charlotte.

Rivera acknowledged dealing with the Hardy situation — which has received added attention this week after Ray Rice was cut by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL — has been a distraction to players.

“They want to talk about football,” Rivera said. “They want to talk about who they’re playing. They want to talk about themselves. They want to see their pictures in the paper doing good things. That is the truth of the matter. It’s hard. It really is. As a coach you want your guys to focus in on what they have to do.”

But Rivera said his team has handled the distractions well.

Rivera said what is hardest to deal with is the “perception” the Panthers don’t care about the issue of domestic violence, which he said couldn’t be further from the truth.

“We are trying to do things the right way,” said Rivera, the NFL coach of the year last season.

Earlier this week Panthers owner Jerry Richardson broke down in tears when talking about domestic violence after receiving the Award Against Indifference from the Echo Foundation, a nonprofit education organization.

“I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge an issue weighing heavily on our sport and our society,” Richardson said Wednesday night in Charlotte. “When it comes to domestic violence, my stance is not one of indifference. I stand firmly against domestic violence, plain and simple. To those who would suggest that we’ve been too slow to act, I ask that you consider not to be too quick to judge. Over the course of our 20 years, we have worked extremely hard to build an organization of integrity.”

Hardy was unavailable for interviews Friday. Rivera reemphasized the team is following the league’s stance of waiting until the legal process is complete.

He was found guilty in a bench trial, but under criminal procedure in North Carolina, lawyers can appeal that ruling. That basically gives Hardy a new trial where he is considered innocent until proven guilty.

“It’s a tough situation and a set of circumstances,” Rivera said. “We are in a process, as we’ve said, and we are letting the process play out. … We’re not trying to do anything below board, we are trying to go through the process as we understand it. We are going to do the best we can.”

There’s a chance the jury trial may be pushed back to next year due the cases pending ahead of it in the legal system, Hardy’s attorney Chris Fialko recently said.

By that time, Hardy may be an unrestricted free agent as his current one-year, $13.1 million contract expires after the season.

Rivera said in the meantime the focus is on football.

He said Hardy, who had four tackles and a sack in last week’s 20-14 win over Tampa Bay, doesn’t appeared distracted on the field.

“Greg gets on the practice field and he’s full go,” Rivera said. “He’s full blast 100 percent. Football is football to him and he is focusing in on what needs to be done.”

NOTES: Running back DeAngelo Williams missed his second straight day of practice with a thigh injury and is questionable. Jonathan Stewart will start if Williams can’t play. … Rivera listed Cam Newton (ribs) as probable, but said there’s “no doubt” the quarterback will start after practicing all week. … Tight end Greg Olsen is probable after leaving practice early Thursday to be with his 2-year-old son, T.J., who is battling heart problems. Rivera said the youngster is doing much better but didn’t share any details. .. In other injury news, reserve offensive lineman Garry Williams (hip) and linebacker Jason Williams (thigh) are questionable for Sunday.

___

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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