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Top 3 remain the same in AP Pro32 rankings

By WTOP Staff

SIMMI BUTTAR
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — There was no change in the top three spots in the latest AP Pro32 power rankings.

That’s hardly a surprise since the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos all had byes last week.

Seattle again had nine first-place votes from the 12-member media panel that regularly covers the league.

The Seahawks will travel east and face Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins on Monday night.

The Bengals will head to Foxborough, Massachusetts, for a Sunday night matchup with Tom Brady and the Patriots, who are coming off a 41-14 loss at Kansas City on Monday night. New England dropped from No. 7 to 13 in the poll after one of its worst losses in the Bill Belichick era.

“Things aren’t so terrific for Tom Brady with New England fielding a leaky offensive line and no quality downfield threats,” Foxsports.com’s Alex Marvez said.

Newsday’s Bob Glauber sees the prime-time game as a big chance for the Bengals to a make statement in the AFC.

“How good are the Bengals? After an impressive getaway and a well-earned bye, they get another crack at gaining national respect next Sunday night at the Patriots,” Glauber said.

Peyton Manning and the Broncos return to action when they host the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals, who moved up one spot to No. 4.

“Big game this week against Denver,” ESPN’s Herm Edwards said of the Cardinals. “We’ll see just how good this team is. It’s an important test for Peyton Manning and Co. against a very good Arizona D this week.”

Philip Rivers is off to a fast start for San Diego, which moved up to No. 5.

“Of the NFL’s four-game starters, only two quarterbacks are completing better than 70 percent of their passes — Philip Rivers of the Chargers and Drew Brees of the Saints,” Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News said.

The Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts round out the top 10.

The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers each made big jumps in the poll. The Packers went from 17 to 11 after their 38-17 rout of the rival Bears.

And the Cowboys moved from 19 to 12 after DeMarco Murray led the way to a 38-17 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night.

“Tony Romo finally has himself a dynamic run game to play with,” Tampa Tribune’s Ira Kaufman said.

The league’s only two winless teams at 0-4, the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, occupied the bottom spots in the poll.

The Raiders fired coach Dennis Allen late Monday night and promoted offensive line coach Tony Sparano to interim coach on Tuesday. Sparano had a 29-32 record as head coach in Miami from 2008-11. The Raiders have a bye this week and will look for their first win Oct. 12 against San Diego.

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AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and 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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