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South Dakota State over Missouri State 32-28

By WTOP Staff

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) — Zac Lujan threw three touchdown passes to Jake Wieneke as South Dakota State rallied to beat Missouri State 32-28 Saturday night.

Lujan finished with 17-of-28 passing for 310 yards for the Jackrabbits (4-2, 1-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference), despite being sacked five times. Zach Zenner ran for 149 yards and a score on 27 carries. Wieneke had eight receptions for 183 yards. Jason Schneider had seven catches for 105 yards.

Lujan threw 78- and 10-yard touchdown passes to Wieneke in the second quarter. But Missouri State’s Kierra Harris and Calan Crowder combined for four rushing touchdowns in the first half to give the Bears (3-3, 0-2) a 28-17 lead at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Lujan and Wieneke connected again for a 26-yard touchdown early in the fourth and Zenner ran it in for another score to put the Jackrabbits on top, 32-28.

“Zach has trained so hard. There’s not a lot of people can take those hits,” SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said. “I’m glad he’s on our team.”

SDSU trailed 28-10 with 3:56 left in the second quarter. It got within 28-17 at the half, and the Jackrabbits’ defense limited Missouri State to just 80 yards in the second half and shut down the Bears when they threatened to score late in the game.

The Bears (3-2, 0-1) owned the first half. Harris ran for 72 yards and was 12-for-25 for 113 yards passing. He was intercepted once.

Crowder first scored on a 3-yard run with 30 seconds left in the first quarter, then added a 2-yard run with 3:56 left in the half. The last score was set up by Jerry Springer’s interception of a Tyler Finnes pass deep in SDSU territory.

Finnes briefly replaced Lujan at quarterback in the first half.

“We felt the game was moving a little too fast for him. We just wanted him to calm down,” Stiegelmeier said. “Zach and the team rallied.”

Lujan and Wieneke kept the Jackrabbits close as they teamed up for two first-half scores and connected again midway through the fourth quarter. Wieneke broke past the defense and Lujan floated a 28-yard TD pass into his arms to make it 28-23. Lujan then hit Schneider for a two-point conversion.

On the Jackrabbits’ next series, Zenner’s 30-yard run down to the 10-yard line set up his own 1-yard run that gave SDSU a 32-28 lead with 7:55 left.

Missouri State drove down field to the South Dakota 31 late in the game but the drive ended with an incomplete pass on fourth down with less than a minute to play.

“I’m really proud of our program,” Stiegelmeier said. “To go out and play from that deficit and win the game. I’m just really proud.”

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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