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Southern Cal escapes tumult to Boston College

By WTOP Staff

JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Right, another right, down four flights of stairs, through a set of double doors, down some more stairs, across the concourse and through the gate to the field. The Trojans will be on the far side.

That’s the path from the visiting athletic director’s suite to the field at Boston College’s Alumni Stadium. If all goes as expected, Southern Cal’s Pat Haden won’t be making the trip until after the ninth-ranked Trojans have wrapped up a comfortable victory over BC on Saturday night.

One week after a late win over Pac-12 rival Stanford in which Haden went down to the field to argue with the referee, the Trojans are leaving the state for the first time. With the trip to Chestnut Hill to play the struggling Eagles, who are coming off a 30-20 loss to Pittsburgh, USC has a chance to escape the tumult that has surrounded the school this season.

“We’ve had to deal with quite a bit of stuff so far, and our guys have handled it really well,” coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Our guys work hard. They’re a humble group, and they’re excited for another opportunity to play.”

A once-proud program that claims 11 national championships, USC has made more of an impact off the field the last few seasons. The school is in the final year of NCAA sanctions dating to the Pete Carroll era, and his replacement, Lane Kiffin, was fired in September. Interim coach Ed Orgeron led the Trojans to a 6-2 record but then walked away and was replaced for the Las Vegas Bowl when he wasn’t hired for the full-time job.

Sarkisian was brought in to bring the program stability but before his first game cornerback Josh Shaw claimed to have injured his ankles jumping off a balcony to save his drowning nephew. After USC publicized the story, Shaw recanted and admitted it was a fabrication. Haden, who is a member of the new national playoff selection committee, was fined $25,000 by the Pac-12 for his ill-timed excursion.

It’s probably too much to hope for BC that all of the tumult will cause problems for the Trojans on Saturday night, as their 13-10 victory over then-No. 13 Stanford showed.

“I think (USC) is a hungry team,” BC coach Steve Addazio said. “I think this is a team that’s been through a lot, and I think they’re hungry, and I think they’re gaining a lot of confidence, and justifiably so.”

Here are some things to look for in Saturday night’s game between USC and BC:

RUN DOWN: After an opening week in which the Eagles ran for 338 yards, their running game stalled against Pittsburgh. BC picked up 142 yards rushing against the Panthers, with quarterback Tyler Murphy gaining 92 of them and the rest of the team averaging just 2.8 yards per carry. The Eagles need to find a replacement for Heisman Trophy finalist Andre Williams, who ran for 2,177 yards last season before graduating

AND OUT: In addition to Shaw, who has been suspended from all team activities, USC will also be without linebacker Hayes Pullard for the first half after getting a targeting penalty at Stanford. Pullard is USC’s No. 2 tackler, with 16. He is expected to be replaced by Michael Hutchings, who had an interception in the season opener against Fresno State.

FLYING HIGH (LITERALLY): It’s USC’s second-ever trip to Boston — the other was in 1988 — and first trip to the East Coast in two years. But the 8 p.m. kickoff means the Eagles won’t be able to take advantage of a jet-lagged foe. “A noon game would be nice,” Eagles quarterback Tyler Murphy said. “Hopefully, they’d still be half-asleep.”

FLYING HIGH (FIGURATIVELY): Addazio said USC looks energized and doesn’t expect it to have a letdown after their ranked-vs.-ranked win over Stanford, which propelled the Trojans up five spots from No. 14 in The Associated Press Top 25. “I think they’re on a mission,” he said. “Sometimes when your program has been beaten up and you’ve taken a lot of hits … you get a little hungry and you want something real bad. They look like that’s how they play.”

ON THE MOVE: USC’s up-tempo offense is led by quarterback Cody Kessler, who is 40 of 59 for 529 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. The Trojans, who ran 105 offensive plays against Fresno State and 68 against Stanford, will try to set the pace again against BC. “You can’t go into Stanford expecting to put up huge numbers,” Kessler said. “A lot of people last week were saying, ‘You didn’t throw for as many yards.’ That didn’t bother me at all.”

___

AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham contributed to this story from Los Angeles.

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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