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Palmer sees specialist after condition regresses

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona coach Bruce Arians said quarterback Carson Palmer was seeing another specialist Wednesday after his injured shoulder regressed following some throwing last week.

Arians said Palmer’s condition is “fairly close” to being back to what it was when he first hurt the shoulder in the season-opening win over San Diego.

If Palmer’s damaged nerve doesn’t improve in a hurry, backup Drew Stanton will get his third straight start when the Cardinals play at Denver on Sunday.

“He’s very frustrated, like we all would be,” Arians said. “He wants to play and is trying to find an answer.”

The Cardinals were hoping last week’s bye would provide Palmer with time to get his shoulder back in good health. Palmer thought last week that he was finally ready to throw again. He “threw a bunch” from 30 to 40 yards Thursday and Friday and felt no problem until afterward.

“Something swelled back around that nerve,” Arians said before Wednesday’s practice, “and it went back to sleep.”

Asked if the injury had become a long-term concern, the coach said, “it’s still week to week.”

“If we thought it was long term,” Arians said, “we could always put him on IR with a chance to return, but we’re not even close to that yet.”

Palmer was hurt when he was slammed to the ground while trying to run for a first down against the Chargers.

Arians said that for Palmer to play Sunday, the quarterback needs a day and a half to two days of being able to throw with “his full-speed delivery and not a soft touch.”

“He has to be back full-tilt,” Arians said.

Palmer could be the backup quarterback Sunday, but more likely that role would fall to rookie Logan Thomas, the only other quarterback on the roster.

Stanton had not taken a snap in the regular season for four years before leading the Cardinals to a road win over the New York Giants in Week 2. He followed that with a victory at home over San Francisco.

“His true leadership skills are showing for his teammates. I’ve seen it,” Arians said. “We’ve all seen him working with Carson and being a leader in a way that the backup quarterback does. But when you’re out there and you’re taking the shots he was taking, and you bounce back up and you go down and score a touchdown, that speaks volumes in a locker room.”

Stanton said he is approaching this game as he did the previous two.

“”I think you have to take the mindset that you’re preparing as if you are the starter,” he said. “It doesn’t change, and I haven’t wavered from that even in the past couple of years when I wasn’t getting snaps, because … you’d hate to look back and say, ‘Gosh, I wish I had prepared a little bit more.'”

NOTES: The Cardinals have yet to throw an interception this season. … Arizona re-signed inside linebacker Desmond Bishop. … Palmer was the only Arizona player who didn’t practice on Wednesday.

___

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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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