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Taggart, USF not looking for moral victories

By WTOP Staff

FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — South Florida coach Willie Taggart is encouraged by signs of improvement in his team, which faces North Carolina State in its next test.

He’s hardly content, though.

The Bulls (1-1) were outplayed for much of a come-from-behind season-opening victory over Football Championship Subdivision opponent Western Carolina two weeks ago, then overcame a slow start offensively to rally and nearly knock off mistake-prone Maryland, which is making the transition from the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Big Ten.

After going 2-10 a year ago — including a loss to a FCS team — that’s progress for a program that’s been in decline the past five seasons.

Taggart stresses, however, that there’s no place for so-called moral victories in USF’s bid to become more competitive in the American Athletic Conference.

“We’re not into that. We want to win ball games,” Taggart said, reflecting on losing 24-17 to Maryland while playing without leading receiver Andre Davis and quarterback Mike White, who was injured on the Bulls’ first play from scrimmage.

What was most discouraging about the loss in the Bulls fell despite forcing six turnovers. The defense scored on a first-half fumble return, but the offense was unable to turn any of the other takeaways into points.

Steven Bench, who began his college career at Penn State, filled in for White. And while he didn’t play poorly, the Bulls struggled to move the ball consistently.

Taggart said there’s a chance White, who has a compression fracture in his left forearm and wrist, can play Saturday against N.C. State.

“If Mike’s ready to go, Mike’s our quarterback,” the coach said. “We’re not going to have a bunch of musical chairs going on. Mike hasn’t done anything to lose his job. If Mike’s not ready to go, Steven will go and be ready for it.”

N.C. State (2-0) opened with victories over Georgia Southern and Old Dominion, but coach Dave Doeren has not been happy with his defense.

The Wolfpack yielded more than 900 yards the past two weeks, and Doeren said his team will need to tackle better as it enters a more challenging stretch of the schedule.

N.C. State also won its first two games a year ago, then dropped three of the next nine to finish 3-9. The Wolfpack went 0-8 in the ACC, their first winless conference record since 1959, and have not won a road game winning at Maryland under former coach Tom O’Brien in October 2012.

“So that’s going to be our mantra this week, be able to take our focus on the road and be able to play four quarters of football somewhere else,” Doeren said.

___

Things to watch as South Florida tries to rebound from its first loss and N.C. State tries to remain unbeaten:

GET GOING EARLY: The Wolfpack trailed Georgia Southern 17-3 at the half in their opener and fell behind Old Dominion 21-10 early in the second half before coming from behind to win. They haven’t led after the opening quarter of a game since the fourth game of last season, a stretch of 10 games.

DEFENSIVE STALWART: USF linebacker Nigel Harris had nine tackles, forced two fumbles and had a sack against Maryland, earning AAC defensive player of the week honors last Saturday.

BIG CHALLENGE: The Bulls would like to their running game going again. After rushing for 275 yards and four touchdowns against Western Carolina is his college debut, freshman Marlon Mack was limited to 73 on 22 carries by Maryland.

BACK IN THE SUNSHINE STATE: N.C. State QB Jacoby Brissett is a Florida transfer who sat out last year. He can throw, and his mobility makes him a good fit for Doeren’s offense.

TURNOVERS: USF defense ranks eighth nationally in takeaways with eight in two games.

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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