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Hawaii takes on another Pac-12 foe in Colorado

By WTOP Staff

PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

With so many Pac-12 teams on the schedule, Hawaii coach Norm Chow must feel like he’s back in the conference.

The Rainbow Warriors (1-2) hosted Washington, then Oregon State and now travel to Boulder, Colorado, on Saturday to tackle the Buffaloes (1-2).

Almost like old times for Chow, who had stints in the league as offensive coordinator for USC, UCLA and Utah.

Chow even joked that the schedule-makers sure made it formidable for the Mountain West squad. This will be the Rainbow Warriors’ first road trip of the season as they venture more than 3,300 miles to meet a Colorado squad that threw a brief scare at No. 15 Arizona State last weekend, before falling 38-24.

“We’ll play them. The kids are excited,” Chow said in an interview on the school’s website. “It’s nice to get on the road: 64 guys have to bond together.”

This contest will feature starting quarterbacks of Polynesian lineage — Ikaika Woolsey (Hawaiian) and Sefo Liufau (Samoan). Woolsey, a sophomore from Rodeo, California, has thrown for 631 yards this season. He also tossed his first career TD pass last weekend in a 27-24 win over Northern Iowa, one of the top FCS programs.

“He has to learn and has to grow,” Chow said of Woolsey. “He knows he missed three or four big plays. He can’t afford to do that.”

Liufau knows the feeling. Colorado was driving late in the game when Liufau, a sophomore from Tacoma, Washington, threw his second interception of the night. The Buffaloes had more total yards (545-426) than the Sun Devils, but couldn’t rally after spotting them an early 17-0 lead.

“It’s just simple things that can change the game,” said Liufau, who lived in Hawaii for two years when he was a kid. “I’ve looked at it and I’ve learned from it.

“We lost a game that we feel like we should have won, but nobody is hanging their heads this week.”

Things to consider as the Rainbow Warriors make the first of two trips to Colorado this season (they also play Colorado State in Fort Collins on Nov. 8):

WINNING WAYS: Hawaii has winning records against only two Pac-12 schools — Colorado (2-1) and Washington State (3-2). The last time the Rainbow Warriors played the Buffaloes was Sept. 3, 2011, in a home game they won, 34-17. There was talk about the 2015 season opener between the two schools being played in Japan, but it never materialized and will be in Honolulu.

PUNT SPECIALIST: Punter Scott Harding also returns punts for Hawaii. He’s averaging 40.7 yards on 25 punts and 10.6 yards on 10 punt returns. Asked if his punter, Darragh O’Neill, might multi-task like that one day, Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre said: “He’s a good enough athlete but, I don’t think he’s ever caught one back there. … I guess (Harding) is such a good punter that he can just catch it himself. Maybe that’s how he learned how to do both.”

HISTORY LESSON: Last season, the Buffs played UCLA relatively close, 45-23, and then fell flat the following week against Washington, losing 59-7. They’re trying to guard against that happening again. “I think that overall, we’re a better team than we were in the UCLA game,” MacIntyre said. “So, I think that we’ll keep it going. … Our attention to detail is better.”

SCHOOL TIES: Hawaii offensive line coach Chris Naeole was an All-American lineman while at Colorado in the mid-1990s. He played in the NFL for 11 years with the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars.

WEATHER, MAN: MacIntyre was quite impressed that it snowed last week in Boulder and then quickly warmed up 80 degrees for practice this week. “I love the weather in Colorado, but somebody has got to explain it to me,” MacIntyre said. The temperature around kickoff on Saturday is almost Honolulu-like — mostly sunny and 75 degrees.

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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