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Atletico stuns Real; Chelsea extends perfect start

By WTOP Staff

LONDON (AP) — Despite Real strengthening its squad and Atletico losing key assets in recent months, the balance of power in Madrid is tilted toward the underdogs.

Atletico has already beaten Real to the Spanish Super Cup and last season’s surprise champions showed that last season’s league win at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium was no fluke by prevailing 2-1 in Saturday’s derby.

And that’s without star striker Diego Costa, who scored a hat trick for new club Chelsea in a 4-2 win over Swansea. Across London, title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City drew 2-2 in the Premier League.

Here’s the pick of the action from across Europe on Saturday:

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SPAIN

Losing the domestic title last season was offset at Real Madrid by beating Atletico in the Champions League final. But the $140 million spent on Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez in the offseason couldn’t prevent another home humbling by Atletico.

Tiago Cardoso headed Atletico in front only for Cristiano Ronaldo to earn a penalty and then equalize from the spotkick. But Atletico’s second-half domination was rewarded with Arda Turan’s goal that moved the team four points ahead of Real.

“We have to analyze this problem and try to solve it quickly,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

Barcelona, though, is the early front-runner, two points ahead of Atletico. Neymar came off the bench to open his account for the season, scoring twice from Lionel Messi’s passes to clinch a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.

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ENGLAND

Chelsea finally seems to have found the solution to its striking struggles. Costa took his goal haul to seven in four matches with the treble against Swansea while Loic Remy also scored on his debut since joining from Queens Park Rangers.

Chelsea’s fourth win in four matches ended Swansea’s perfect start to the Premier League season.

Just how much a team relies on a lethal striker is clear at Liverpool, which was beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa. Gabriel Agbonlahor inflicted Liverpool’s second loss in four games since last season’s runners-up sold Luis Suarez to Barcelona.

At the Emirates Stadium, Sergio Augero exploited gaps in the Arsenal defense to meet Jesus Navas’ cross and put Manchester City ahead in the first half. Jack Wilshere inspired Arsenal’s recovery in the second half, chipping the ball over goalkeeper Joe Hart and then heading to Alexis Sanchez to volley into the net. But champion City leveled thanks to the hosts’ poor defending when Martin Demichelis headed in from a corner.

Like Arsenal, north London rival Tottenham also conceded late to draw 2-2 at Sunderland. Southampton claimed the biggest victory of the day, a 4-0 rout of Newcastle that makes manager Alan Pardew’s future look increasingly precarious.

Roberto Martinez was relieved after Everton won for the first time this season — a 2-0 triumph over West Bromwich Albion. Leicester had been waiting a decade for a topflight win until the newcomers won 1-0 at Stoke. But Burnley remains winless since gaining promotion after Scott Arfield missed a penalty in a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.

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GERMANY

Back at Borussia Dortmund after an unhappy two-year spell at Manchester United, Shinji Kagawa contributed one of the goals in a 3-1 win over Freiburg.

Bayern Munich was made to work for its second win from three Bundesliga games, with Mario Goetze and Franck Ribery scoring in a 2-0 victory over Stuttgart.

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FRANCE

Another lackluster performance by Paris Saint-Germain saw the champions held 1-1 by Rennes. Although unbeaten in the league, PSG has won only twice in five games.

Despite Zoumana Camara put PSG in front before half time, Paul-Georges Ntep leveled after the break for Rennes.

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ITALY

It’s two wins out of two in Serie A for Massimiliano Allegri as Juventus manager after Carlos Tevez and Claudio Marchisio clinched a 2-0 victory over Udinese.

Roma also maintained its perfect start to the fledgling season with a 1-0 win at Serie A newcomer Empoli.

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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