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Georgia begins run of 7 SEC games vs Tennessee

By WTOP Staff

PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Coming off a game that was little more than a glorified scrimmage, Georgia is getting serious again.

The No. 12 Bulldogs face Tennessee on Saturday, the first of seven straight Southeastern Conference games that will likely determine if this season lives up to expectations — or turns out to be a huge disappointment.

“We’ve just got to win each game we play,” linebacker Amarlo Herrera said with a sly grin. “That’s it. Simple.”

Even though they are already behind in the SEC East race after a loss at South Carolina, the Bulldogs (2-1, 0-1) know that a perfect mark over the next two months will give them a good shot at reaching the conference championship game in Atlanta.

The 13th-ranked Gamecocks (3-1, 2-1) may hold a tiebreaker edge over Georgia, but they already lost to Texas A&M and have tough road games remaining against No. 5 Auburn and former powerhouse Florida.

“It still looks wide open to me,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday. “Now, if we don’t win Saturday, it won’t be very wide open for us. But I think everybody feels that way. I doubt anything will be settled until there are maybe one or two games to go.”

Georgia, which routed Troy 66-0 last Saturday, holds a scheduling edge over South Carolina.

While the teams have seven common opponents within the league, the lone difference is a big one — the Bulldogs will face Arkansas, coming off a 3-9 season, while the Gamecocks already faced No. 6 Texas A&M, which romped to a 52-28 victory in the season opener at Columbia. Also, Georgia gets Auburn between the hedges, while South Carolina must face the defending SEC champion in Auburn.

“Any time you lose that first one, your back is truly against the wall,” Richt said. “We’re thinking we have no margin for error, and even if we win every game we’re not sure if we’ll have control over our own destiny. When you don’t have that, all you can do is battle like mad and hope that you get it.”

Georgia begins its SEC run against Tennessee (2-1), which is still in rebuilding mode under second-year coach Butch Jones. The Vols opened the season by beating lightweights Utah State and Arkansas State, but their weaknesses were exposed two weeks ago in a 34-10 loss at fourth-ranked Oklahoma.

“Our young football team is going to find out what life is in the SEC with the grind that we are about to embark on,” said Jones, whose Vols were off last week in preparation for their conference opener.

The Bulldogs nearly lost to the Vols a year ago, prevailing 34-31 in overtime. Georgia scored the tying touchdown with 5 seconds remaining in regulation, and a turnover in the extra period set up the winning field goal. But the cost of victory was high — running back Keith Marshall and receiver Justin Scott-Wesley both sustained season-ending injuries, and Georgia lost four of its last eight games.

After Saturday’s game against the Vols, here’s the rest of the SEC slate for the Bulldogs:

— Vanderbilt (home) dropped its first two games by a combined 78-10 score and barely beat UMass. The most promising performance by the Commodores was last weekend, a 48-34 loss to South Carolina.

— Missouri (road) is the defending SEC East champ and beat Georgia last year in Athens. But the Tigers lost a number of key players and were upset by Big Ten lightweight Indiana 31-27.

— Arkansas (road) has already matched last season’s win total, including a victory over Texas Tech from the Big 12. We’ll know for sure if the Razorbacks have improved after they face Texas A&M on Saturday.

— Florida (neutral site) has lost three straight to the Bulldogs in the famed “Cocktail Party” rivalry, but only by a combined 15 points. This year’s Gators barely beat Kentucky and were blown out last week by No. 3 Alabama, 42-21.

— Kentucky (road) has lost 17 straight SEC games, a stretch that includes a 59-17 loss to Georgia last year.

— And finally, Auburn, on Nov. 15, the game that very well could determine if Georgia returns to the SEC championship game for the third time in four years.

“I don’t think you can say anybody is a totally dominant team that’s going to blaze a trail and kick everybody’s rear ends,” Richt said. “Everybody’s got a challenge. The home field may mean more this season than other seasons. We’ll see how it goes.”

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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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