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TV SportsWatch

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

FS1 — NASCAR, Sprint Cup, practice for MyAfibStory.com 400, at Joliet, Ill.

ESPN2 — NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Jimmy John’s Freaky Fast 300, at Joliet, Ill.

ESPN2 — NHRA, qualifying for Carolina Nationals, at Concord, N.C. (delayed tape)

SHO — Junior welterweights, John Molina (27-4-0) vs. Humberto Soto (64-8-2), at Las Vegas

ABC — Boise St. at UConn or Kent St. at Ohio St.

ESPN — East Carolina at Virginia Tech

ESPN2 — Kent St. at Ohio St. or Boise St. at UConn

ESPNEWS — Syracuse at Cent. Michigan

ESPNU — Indiana at Bowling Green

FS1 — Pittsburgh at FIU

ABC — Arkansas at Texas Tech

CBS — Georgia at South Carolina

ESPN — Iowa St. at Iowa

ESPNU — Arkansas St. at Miami

ESPNEWS — Mississippi St. at South Alabama

FOX — Illinois at Washington

FS1 — Minnesota at TCU

ESPN2 — Southern Miss. at Alabama

ESPNU — Louisiana-Monroe at LSU

FSN — UTSA at Oklahoma St.

NBC — Notre Dame vs. Purdue, at Indianapolis

ESPN — Southern Cal at Boston College

ESPNEWS — Navy at Texas St.

FOX — UCLA vs. Texas, at Arlington, Texas

ABC — Tennessee at Oklahoma

ESPN2 — Rice at Texas A&M

ESPNU — Arizona St. at Colorado

TGC — LPGA, The Evian Championship, third round, at Evian-les-Bains, France

TGC — PGA Tour, TOUR Championship, third round, at Atlanta

NBC — PGA Tour, TOUR Championship, third round, at Atlanta

TGC — Web.com Tour, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, third round, at Columbus, Ohio

TGC — European PGA Tour, KLM Open, third round, at Zandvoort, Netherlands (same-day tape)

FOX — Regional coverage, Atlanta at Texas or N.Y. Yankees at Baltimore

WGN — Minnesota at Chicago White Sox

FS1 — San Diego at Arizona

MLB — Regional coverage, Oakland at Seattle or Houston at L.A. Angels (games joined in-progress)

FSN — St. Thomas Aquinas at Don Bosco

NBCSN — Premier League, Arsenal vs. Manchester City, at London

NBCSN — Premier League, Swansea at Chelsea

NBC — Premier League, Aston Villa at Liverpool

NBCSN — MLS, New York at Philadelphia

ESPN — NASCAR, Sprint Cup, MyAfibStory.com 400, at Joliet, Ill.

ESPN2 — NHRA, Carolina Nationals, at Concord, N.C. (same-day tape)

ESPN2 — FIBA, World Cup, championship, United States vs. Serbia-France winner, at Madrid

TGC — LPGA, The Evian Championship, final round, at Evian-les-Bains, France (same-day tape)

NBC — LPGA, The Evian Championship, final round, at Evian-les-Bains, France (same-day tape)

TGC — PGA Tour, TOUR Championship, final round, at Atlanta

NBC — PGA Tour, TOUR Championship, final round, at Atlanta

TGC — Web.com Tour, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, final round, at Columbus, Ohio

TGC — European PGA Tour, KLM Open, final round, at Zandvoort, Netherlands (same-day tape)

FS1 — Thoroughbreds, Woodbine Mile, at Toronto

TBS — Cleveland at Detroit

WGN — Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh

ESPN — N.Y. Yankees at Baltimore

FS1 — MotoGP World Championship, Grand Prix of San Marino

CBS — Regional coverage, doubleheader

FOX — Regional coverage

FOX — Regional coverage

CBS — Regional coverage, doubleheader game

NBC — Chicago at San Francisco

NBCSN — Premier League, Queens Park at Manchester United

ESPN2 — Playoffs, finals, game 4, Phoenix at Chicago (if necessary)

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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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