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Ruhr derby provides chance for Schalke to vent frustrations

By The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Schalke fans have become used to not getting their hopes up.

For four glorious minutes in May 2001, it seemed as if their side was going to win its first Bundesliga title. Schalke had already won its game 5-3 and was waiting for Bayern Munich to lose at Hamburger SV – celebrations were already underway in Gelsenkirchen – before Patrik Andersson hammered in Bayern’s equalizer with the last kick of the season to snatch the title by a point.

Borussia Dortmund derailed Schalke’s title hopes in 2007 when its 2-0 win in the Ruhr derby allowed Stuttgart go ahead on the penultimate weekend. Stuttgart went on to win the title by two points.

Dortmund – Saturday’s opponent – has won two Bundesliga titles since then. Schalke still has none after finishing runner-up again to Bayern in 2010.

Nobody imagined that was going to change this season but more was expected from a fresh start after Schalke presented a new sporting director, a new coach, and embarked on an offseason spending spree last year.

Christian Heidel, who had done excellent work at Mainz, took over from Horst Heldt as sporting director. Markus Weinzierl arrived after four successful years at Augsburg to take over as coach, and players like Nabil Bentaleb, Breel Embolo, Yevhen Konoplyanka and Benjamin Stambouli arrived to shore up the squad.

Results didn’t follow, however. Schalke started with five losses and struggled to make up lost ground. More signings followed in the winter – Daniel Caligiuri, Holger Badstuber and Guido Burgstaller all arrived – but results were again inconsistent despite progress in the Europa League.

Of nine league games since the winter break, Schalke has won four, lost two and drawn three.

Ahead of Dortmund’s visit for the 172nd Ruhr derby, Schalke is ninth, only six points above the relegation zone. The club has lost more league games than it has won.

While Weinzierl has faced criticism for not getting his side to gel, he hasn’t been helped by injuries – Spanish defender Coke injured a cruciate ligament one day after joining from Rayo Vallecano and Embolo was ruled out for the season with an ankle injury last October.

Mindful of Weinzierl’s good record at Augsburg, Schalke fans have been quicker to blame the players for not doing enough, while club chairman Clemens Toennies remains an unpopular figure after years of underachievement despite massive investment with the help of Russian energy giant Gazprom.

Schalke, founded in 1904, is one of Germany’s most popular clubs after Bayern and Dortmund with more than 140,000 members.

But the club’s glory period is a long way back with its seven German championships all coming in the 1930s and 40s with the exception of the 1958 title – all before the Bundesliga was founded in 1963. Involvement in the Bundesliga’s betting scandal of 1971, when Schalke deliberately lost a game against Arminia Bielefeld, was a low-point for the club.

Schalke’s recent frustrations have been acerbated by Dortmund’s relative success in establishing itself as Bayern’s greatest challenger. Schalke has only finished ahead of its local rival once, in 2015, since its runner-up spot in 2010.

Dortmund’s visit on Saturday provides another opportunity to vent those frustrations. But Schalke fans won’t get their hopes up too much.

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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