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West Virginia upends Texas Tech 37-34

By WTOP Staff

BETSY BLANEY
Associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Sophomore Josh Lambert kicked a career-long 55-yard field goal as time expired to lead West Virginia to a 37-34 win over Texas Tech on Saturday.

The Mountaineers (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Red Raiders (2-4, 0-3), who dropped their fourth straight game, losing their first three conference games for the first time since 1990.

Texas Tech’s Justin Stockton ran for a 69-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter before West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett threw a 26-yard touchdown to Kevin White and Rushel Shell ran for 1-yard score to tie it at 34 with 2:02 left.

Trickett, the conference leader in passing yards per game, was held to a season-low 301 yards. He completed 28 of 44 passes and had two touchdowns.

Davis Webb completed 28 of 46 for 348 yards and three touchdowns for the Red Raiders.

When Lambert came out to try to win the game with 3 seconds left in regulation, he must not have been thinking back to earlier in the fourth quarter when he missed a 47-yard field goal to the right that would have made it 27-23.

White, a 6-3, 210-pound senior who came into the game leading the nation in receiving yards (765) and receiving yards per game (153), had his sixth straight game of 100-plus yards receiving. He finished with 123 yards on 13 catches.

Texas Tech sophomore Devin Lauderdale had a career-high 112 yards receiving and caught two of Webb’s touchdown passes. Webb also threw his 11th interception of the season.

Penalties were again a problem for Texas Tech, which has been flagged more than any team in the country. The Red Raiders had 12 penalties for 115 yards. Two of those helped the Mountaineers on the drive that tied it at 34-34.

Texas Tech got just a field goal off a third-quarter fumble by a scrambling Trickett to go up 27-13. On the second play of West Virginia’s ensuing possession, Trickett found Jordan Thompson wide open over the middle for a 56-yard touchdown to whittle the Mountaineers’ deficit to 27-20 late in the third quarter.

Texas Tech’s offense looked better in the first half than it has all season, and at 21-10 it was the first time the Red Raiders led at the break since leading Kansas 20-10 on Oct. 5, 2013.

For WVU, it was the fewest points in a first half since scoring just seven against Kansas last November.

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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