Skip to main content

A rough week for Miami, and now Duke looms

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — It’s already been a rough week for Miami.

Coaches skipped sleep after Miami’s charter flight landed early Sunday morning following the 41-31 loss to Nebraska, choosing instead to head into their offices and get to work for several hours. Later Sunday, the university announced that coach Al Golden is dealing with a family medical emergency that would necessitate him rearranging his weekly schedule.

And things wouldn’t figure to get much easier anytime soon.

A critical game for Miami’s Atlantic Coast Conference hopes is looming, with the Hurricanes (2-2, 0-1 ACC) set to get a visit from reigning Coastal Division champion Duke (4-0, 0-0) on Saturday night. The Blue Devils have 14 wins since the start of last season; only nine other teams have more during that stretch.

Saturday’s game is the first of six that Miami will have against Coastal Division opponents this season. But to lose a second conference game already would put the Hurricanes in big trouble in the league race.

“It’s always tough,” offensive coordinator James Coley said of the game-week grind. “And then you add on anything that’s off-the-field, it complicates things, right? So it’s that much harder.”

Golden addressed reporters on a conference call Monday, briefly mentioning the personal matter and making it clear that he wants the details kept private. He was seen in the football facility minutes before the start of a weather-affected practice Tuesday, though was not available for the post-workout interview session with requested players and assistants.

Still, the Hurricanes insist that it’s business-as-usual this week.

“Al’s a professional,” defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio said. “He’s going through something right now but he does a great job of being able to continue to get the message across to the team, be positive with the team, talk about the things that we did well, the things we’ve got to do better, really be consistent.”

D’Onofrio has been extremely close with Golden for many years, and said the undisclosed issue is weighing upon him as well.

“There’s no doubt,” D’Onofrio said. “But at the end of the day, this is our job and there’s a lot of people that depend on us.”

Golden is expected to meet with reporters on Wednesday. There currently are no plans for him to miss the game against Duke or to be away from his team for any extended periods before that contest.

Meanwhile, there’s much for Miami to clean up before facing a Duke team that scored 48 points and ran for a whopping 358 yards against the Hurricanes a year ago.

Much of what Nebraska did that worked last week is what Miami’s struggling defense will face again this week. And that’s on top of the fact that Duke already has Miami’s number, as proven by the Blue Devils scoring 93 points against the Hurricanes in the last two seasons. Only Syracuse (with a total of 99 points in 1997 and 1998) ever scored more against a Miami team in a two-year span.

D’Onofrio’s scheme has been the source of much debate in Miami over the past four years, the complaints on social media ramping up again after Nebraska ran for 343 yards — 6.4 per carry — last week.

“Talent is not enough,” D’Onofrio said. “Execution is what you need.”

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote