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LeBron still undecided about Rio Olympics

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The beaches and glamour of Rio de Janeiro haven’t yet convinced LeBron James that he should come back in two years for a shot at a third Olympic gold medal.

James has spent several days in Rio preparing for Saturday’s NBA preseason game against his former Miami Heat teammates, but reiterated on Friday that it’s too early to make a decision about the Olympics.

“I’m undecided,” James said at the club facilities of Flamengo, Brazil’s most popular soccer team, where both teams are practicing. “It’s not until 2016. I got two years. I got a long time.”

James and two other Cavalier teammates — Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving — have been picked in a national pool that will be used to select the 2016 men’s team for the United States, which has won gold at the last two Olympics and in five of the last six.

Irving, who said he will sit out Saturday’s game with a sprained right ankle, would be playing in his first Olympics if picked.

“Obviously to be in the pool of guys is a great honor,” he said.

Love left no doubt he wants to play again, after winning gold two years ago in London.

“Playing for my country has done a lot of things for my career,” he said. “It has afforded me a great opportunity to get better. Wearing the USA across the chest was a great way to feel patriotic. I hope that I have another chance in 2016 to be here.”

Heat duo Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade won gold in 2008, but are out of the pool and said it’s time for others to take over.

“I’ve done it and I want other guys to experience it,” Bosh said. “Trying to chase that experience I had in ’08 — I’m not going to be able to fulfill that. I was a younger guy and I was single and I had a lot more time.”

Wade made it clear that training and playing with the Olympic team after a full NBA season is a young man’s job.

“I did my time,” he said. “Obviously it’s the younger guys’ time to have the opportunity to win that gold medal.”

Luol Deng, who joined the Heat this summer as a free agent after 10 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, played with Britain at the 2012 Olympics when the team qualified automatically as host.

He is unlikely to get that chance again. Britain has cut funding for Olympic basketball, and the team failed to qualify for this year’s recent world championship in Spain.

Britain funds its sports from the national lottery, and it cut basketball money because it has not produced medals.

“I think it’s really stupid,” Deng said. “I’m not knocking any other sports. Basketball has come a long way, but the way it was looked at was: did they get any medals? No.”

While the NBA is constantly getting more and more international, playing abroad can still lead to misunderstandings.

Players have been warned that a gesture sometimes used after a made 3-pointer may offend Brazilians. It involves players making a circle around their eyes and lifting the other three fingers.

“We don’t want to offend anybody,” Bosh said. “I think it’s a good recommendation, but it’s only a recommendation. So it’s on the players to do it. I don’t like 3-point celebrations because it’s just one shot. If you’ve got to celebrate every time, it’s a long season.”

___

Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP

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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