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United loses 1-0 to City in Manchester derby

By WTOP Staff

LONDON (AP) — A summer spending spree of $250 million on new players was supposed to restore the dwindling fortunes of Manchester United.

If anything, it may be getting worse at Old Trafford.

United is off to its worst 10-game start to an English league season since 1986 after losing 1-0 at rival Manchester City on Sunday, leaving the 20-time champions in ninth place with just half the points of unbeaten Premier League leader Chelsea.

In the Spanish league, the logjam at the top remains after Valencia won and Sevilla lost.

Here is a look at the action in Europe’s top leagues on Sunday:

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ENGLAND

Sergio Aguero kept Manchester City in range of Chelsea with a second-half derby winner that maintained the club’s recent supremacy over United.

The Argentina striker finished off a sweeping move in the 63rd minute, giving City a fourth straight league victory against its crosstown rival.

United lost defender Chris Smalling when he was sent off in the 39th minute for two quick yellow cards. It has just 13 points from 10 matches for its lowest haul since 1986, when Ron Atkinson was fired and replaced by Alex Ferguson.

City is six points behind Chelsea, which beat Queens Park Rangers 2-1 on Saturday.

Tottenham also benefited from a red card, with Nacer Chadli and Harry Kane scoring in the final six minutes of normal time in a 2-1 victory over 10-man Aston Villa.

Christian Benteke was sent off for pushing in the 65th, stopping Villa’s momentum after Andreas Weimann’s first-half goal.

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SPAIN

Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi scored twice in a 3-1 win at Villarreal, helping his team climb into second place in Spain.

Valencia’s win — and Sevilla’s 1-0 loss at Athletic Bilbao — kept the top five teams all within two points through 10 rounds. Real Madrid leads with 24 points.

Mustafi scored in the 64th and 73rd minutes after Villarreal midfielder Manuel Trigueros had an own goal in the sixth, spoiling his team’s strong first-half push. Trigueros got a consolation goal in the 88th.

Bilbao’s Aritz Aduriz scored in the 13th minute to ruin Sevilla’s hopes of overtaking Madrid. The striker then left with an injury in the 28th.

Sunday’s results put Valencia ahead of defending champion Atletico Madrid in third on goal difference, with both teams one point behind Madrid. Barcelona is in fourth place, ahead of Sevilla on goal difference, and two points behind Madrid.

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GERMANY

Patrick Herrmann scored two goals and set up another for Borussia Moenchengladbach, which underlined its strong start to the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over previously undefeated Hoffenheim.

Andre Hahn put Borussia Moenchengladbach in front in the 12th minute, but Anthony Modeste tied it at 1 in the 30th. Herrmann then put his team in front for good two minutes after Modeste’s tying goal.

Herrmann scored again in the 52nd minute, pouncing on a rebound.

Moenchengladbach stayed four points behind leader Bayern Munich, trailing second-place Wolfsburg on goal difference. Bayern and ‘Gladbach are the only remaining unbeaten sides.

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ITALY

AC Milan lost 2-0 at home to Palermo and fell behind third-place Sampdoria, which beat Fiorentina 3-1 in Serie A.

Cristian Zapata scored an own goal and Paulo Dybala added the second just two minutes later, sending Milan to its second loss of the season.

Sampdoria goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved a penalty to help his side move three points ahead of Milan and Udinese, which lost 4-2 to Genoa.

Sassuolo was held to a scoreless draw at Chievo Verona, and Atalanta also drew 0-0 at Torino.

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FRANCE

Marseille maintained its four-point lead in the French league by defeating struggling Lens 2-1 on Sunday.

Marseille winger Florian Thauvin scored the winning goal with a shot into the top corner in the 60th minute.

Cameroon defender Nicolas Nkoulou powered home a header to give the hosts the lead in the 10th, but Lens forward Baptiste Guillaume equalized with a low strike in the 31st.

Bordeaux climbed to fourth place by defeating Toulouse 2-1.

Bordeaux defender Marc Planus opened for the hosts from close range in the 53rd minute before Uruguay forward Diego Rolan doubled the lead 10 minutes later by heading home a cross from Jaroslav Plasil.

Toulouse striker Aleksandar Pesic converted a cross from Martin Braithwaite to pull one back in the 68th.

Nantes slipped to sixth by drawing 1-1 with Rennes.

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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