2400

Tell your friend to call FAFSA (a contact number is on the fafsa website). They are usually really helpful.

Can you take out GradPlus loans? I thought grad students were eligible to take out stafford loans and gradplus loans to cover the cost of grad school. From what I understand, the gradplus loan can be borrowed directly from the government.It has a higher interest rate than the stafford loans, but it might be better than a private loan in terms of interest and repayment options.

Just an idea -- but if you don't get into a funded PhD program, you could look into whether or not your university offers tuition remission to employees. That could work out better than a Teach for America position. I worked in an administrative position during my MA for the tuition benefits and it was a really good way to get a degree from a private school at basically no cost (I did have to pay something like $100/semester). It was also nice having a job on campus....I could walk to class after work ended. Luckily, my program offered a lot of evening classes. If this is an option for you, it would be a good way to pay down your loans while pursuing a degree (though it may take longer to graduate if you work full-time).

If you thinking about a year off, talk to your supervisor and the folks in charge of financial aid and see if you can defer your scholarship for a year. This may help you with your decision. A friend of mine, who had a full scholarship, decided to take a year off for personal reasons. After his first year, he moved overseas to be with a girl he was in a long distance relationship with. During the summer, things ended up not working out. He realized he did want to complete his program and he phoned up his supervisor who was able to work things out so he had full funding again in the fall. I never thought it was a good idea for him to take time off from his program over a relationship, but I think there was more too it. He needed to get his life back in perspective and I know he was having doubts about the program. He came back in the fall and was 100% more focused. I think if you feel you need time off, by all means, do it if it makes sense after weighing all the pros and cons. The program obviously wants you there if you have a good scholarship. A lot of things come up in life, and not everyone goes straight through school. I'm in a PhD program right now and have talked to other students who have taken time off to teach, take a break, whatever. Only you know whats right for you.

I agree with Jae B -- definitely explain your financial situation and see if there is anything they can do to help. I believe some schools can waive certain fees in cases of financial hardship. Just ask what options might be available. Also...I just wanted to tell you that I withdrew from an MA program on extremely short notice (for a legitimate reason). It may have inconvenienced the administrative staff...but I am sure they have long forgotten me by now. This was several years ago and I have never felt frowned upon. I'm not encouraging breaking your agreement to enroll, but personally, I feel that since its only been a week since you signed the form, it shouldn't be a big enough deal that you should compromise your dream of attending Columbia. Also...I used to work in the administrative office at a university, and my department accounted for a certain amount of confirmed MA students changing plans and not attending.

I finished my MA a few years ago, and when I started my program, I was only offered a very small scholarship (I think it was only for $2500). I went for it anyway, and ended up getting more scholarships and grants as I went along. In the end, I only payed for two classes at the very expensive school I went to (tuition was something like 30K/yr). I think it helped to see my advisor often and I told him about my situation -- that I had a high GPA in the program (my undergrad GPA was average) and really needed more scholarships/grants to complete my MA. I also made an appointment to speak with someone in financial aid and let them know about my background and that I was very much in need of scholarship money, if any became available. Personally, I think it helped that the person in financial aid knew who I was -- that way, when scholarship money became available, I think they may have thought of me first before an anonymous application. I know that other people in my program did not receive scholarships (I would guess that most did not receive scholarships). Some ended up with a lot of loans. Some of my classmates worked -- part time and full time. You aren't the only people attending grad school without full funding. Of course, I wouldn't go into the program assuming you'll get scholarships. If you do decide to attend, you should probably be prepared not to get any scholarship money, and then make every effort to apply for anything and everything and hope that some funding comes your way. You could also look into work opportunities at your university. Where I did my MA, if you work in an administrative position, you get tuition remission. This is an easy way to pay for grad school, if your institution offers it.

I did my MA in DC and can say that if you are studying something international, it is a great place to live. I managed to get internships and work experience that would not have been possible if I had lived anywhere else. I was also able to get more scholarships and grants after I started and ended up paying for just two of my classes. I have friends and coworkers that went to AU and I haven't heard anything negative. I think they offer a lot of evening courses, so it could be possible to work and do your MA part time in order to reduce debt. It sounds like Marquette is much more affordable though. You could always do internships in DC in the summer to get experience and make contacts. The state department has several summer programs and most of the international organizations offer summer internships and contract positions. Graduating with half the debt could make life a lot easier after you finish school. Do you like Marquette? Would you be happy going there? If so, then do it. However, if you are set on AU, then you just need to decide if the experience is going to be worth the debt.

Call or email your school's financial aid office. There are probably other students in the same situation. I am at an overseas university (with a huge population of Americans) and am using some loans for the next school year -- I was told by my school to complete my FAFSA and wait until June for my direct loans to be processed. As far as I know...we aren't going to fall through the cracks.

TvS -- there is information on the loan forgiveness programs on the FAFSA website. You can also call them up and ask questions -- I've always gotten helpful answers from the FAFSA folks. I can tell you that your loans have to be federal direct loans. So...this law does not apply to private loans. I believe that working as a professor counts as public service. I'm pretty sure I saw a list of professions on the website noting what exactly is considered public service. I have federal loans and am hoping to take advantage of the loan forgiveness program since I will be going into a public service profession. But...I agree..it does seem too good to be true!

I understand your concerns as well. When I was working on my MA, I was so concerned with pinching pennies that I shared a room in a tiny apartment and the stress it caused was not worth it. I did graduate with way less debt than most of my classmates, but having a few thousand more dollars to pay off would have been worth my mental health. Grad school can be stressful, especially if your balancing a job, a significant other, social activities, extra curricular activities, etc. Having a relaxing place to come home to at night, and a quiet place to study can make a big difference in your grad school experience.

Just an idea -- you could teach english abroad. I think Korea and China (probably other countries as well) hire native English speakers to teach at summer camps.

Jenali, When did you apply and how long did it take them to get back to you? Do you have any advice on the application process? It looks like a really competitive grant, but I'm going to apply anyway...if only to gain more experience writing up grant applications..

I'm planning to apply by the May deadline. I haven't submitted my application yet...still working on it!

Questions: *How many and what statistics courses do you have to take? Two *Is/Was your stats professor a sadist? No..but he is incredibly difficult to understand...doesn't explain things clearly and doesn't explain things so someone with little knowledge of statistics would understand. *How much emphasis does your department put on quantitative methods? There is an emphasis on quantitative methods. *Is there any extra assistance offered by your program, like a summer course? There are additional classes we can take. *Do students ever or often have to repeat the course? Not that I know of. *Did your cohort work together, or was it every grad for himself/herself? Yes! Otherwise I would not have passed the last class. *How many hours per week do/did you spend on stats work? 5-10? *What emotions did you experience while taking statistics? Makes my brain hurt *Did you want to use quantitative methods before the course? Do you want to after the course? No and maybe.

My boss and co-workers all knew I was applying for PhD programs last year. Because everyone in my office was a little nosy, my boss heard it through the grapevine once I started getting acceptance and rejection letters. I ended up giving my boss a four month notice. Looking back on the whole experience, I wish I hadn't told anyone in my office I was applying to grad school. The application process and then the process of deciding where to go was stressful enough, without having my co-workers ask me about it nearly every day -- and bring it up in meetings. It was completely my fault because I asked one of my co-workers for help with my application essay (a few of my colleagues were former profs) and then the news circulated. I think a one month notice is generous. A two week notice is pretty standard.

Thanks genomic repairman. I think you are right. Now that I've decompressed...I think the dept head was trying to be helpful...I'm just really sensitive to criticism.

I am in a similar position right now, however, I asked the head of my department for an LOR a few weeks ago. He agreed to write the LOR and asked that I send him a copy of my grant proposal, which I am still working on. Yesterday in class, the dept. head, who teaches one of my courses, ripped apart my essay and told me I would never complete my phd with my current dissertation ideas. The dept. head was also really condescending and basically treated me like an idiot. My grant app is due in two months. Since this person is the dept head, I need to handle the situation tactfully. I don't want this prof's LOR anymore since I am sure it would not help my application. Do any of you have any advice?

This is an interesting thread -- and I am also curious how much debt others are taking on in grad school. I will probably owe around 70K. I borrowed about 19K for my MA and had to borrow additional money for my PhD. I am at my dream school though, otherwise I wouldn't have considered taking on that amount in loans. I feel it will be worth it in the end. Also, I also have friends who have borrowed similar amounts for grad school, so it helped me feel a little more at ease knowing that others have been able to pay back large student debt.

I'm working on a grant application right now, and a budget is required. I just want to list the basics, but I'm wondering if there is anything I am forgetting. So far, I am listing airfare, housing and food, and also "miscellaneous research expenses" (photocopies, cab fare, books). This is a grant for dissertation research. Is there anything you think I should add or subtract? Thanks:)

After I submitted my applications last year, a professor I worked with would stop by my cubicle and regularly remind me of all the reasons why NOT to get a phd. He would also send me emails reiterating all the reasons why going back to school was a mistake. Mind you, we worked at an organization where everyone with a good job had a PhD -- it is just about a requirement to have one if you want to move up in the organization. For some reason, the guy was completely bitter and would tell me stories about his friends who had PhD's and were also bitter and unhappy they took the academic route. I remember one day he invited me and my boyfriend to go out to lunch with him and his PhD friend (who had divorced during the course of his degree). I declined the lunch invite. I am now attending my top choice school and am happy with my decision. Seriously..i don't know why some people want to try their hardest to bring others down...

If you are attending a university right now, there should be an office that handles grants and provides guidance on grant writing. If your not in school, maybe your previous institution could help. I wrote a successful grant a few years ago and made use of my school's office of graduate assistantships and fellowships -- they reviewed my application several times and gave me good suggestions. Also very helpful was the large binder full of previous winning grant applications from various grants. If there is a Fulbright office in your area -- they might allow you to browse previous winning application essays. I also looked at grants that a few of my friends had written -- they were different from the grant I applied for, but still helpful in terms of layout and wording.. One more resource -- I used the book "Graduate Admissions Essays: Write your way into the school of your choice" -- this book has a chapter on fellowship applications and a few examples of fellowship application essays. Another option would be to pay for the services of a professional grant writer.

I am in the same boat -- I'm in the first year of my phd, and I submitted the FAFSA. I'm not working right now, and my EFC was about $7000! How is that even possible? I had a modest income for 8 months of 2009. I don't get it either. I'm also interested in any advice on this. I'm planning to revise my FAFSA after I finish my taxes, so hopefully, that EFC will come out lower after revising...

First of all -- you say NYU will be 40K a year. Is this just tuition, or is this the total cost of attendance? Considering that you have money to cover your first year saved up, if 40K is the total cost of attendance, you will graduate roughly 40K in debt. What kind of loans can you take out to finance this? Are they interest free? I would add it all up and calculate what your monthly payments will be. I would then think about other ways you might be able to cut your costs. Can you work part-time? Can your family contribute? Could you work during the summers and live at home to cut costs? I would also talk to alumni and current students at both institutions and get a sense of what your tuition money will get you. You mention the networking opportunities at NYU....I would suggest considering all aspects of the educational experience. Its just my opinion -- but either school means your borrowing some money. Personally, I would go with the one that is the best fit and the one thats going to help the most with your career. I don't know a lot about your field, but I feel like networking and the reputation of the school will give you certain advantages when you hit the job market. You could also look into deferring admission at one of the schools -- save up as much money as possible next year, apply for as many scholarships as possible, and then enroll next year, with more money saved up and less money taken out in loans.

You might look at UC Berkeley and the University of San Francisco -- I think both of those have education related doctorates.

I graduated from GW recently and went through a lot of indecision before I started my program -- for reasons similar to what you mention in your post. I would also like to offer some encouragement. While I had several years of international experience before I began my MA at GW, I had a completely unrelated undergraduate degree (fine arts). I was offered a small scholarship, but ended up getting more grants and scholarships as the semesters went on. I also got a job working for GW part-time, which came with tuition benefits (one free class/semester). At the same time, I worked 10-20 hours a week at a paid internship, which led to a full time staff position just before graduation. I ended up with about $18,000 in debt when I graduated. However, I definitely sacrificed my mental well-being, especially when things got busy during finals and thesis time. If you decide to go to GW, I would recommend getting to know the people in the financial aid office and getting to know the head of your department. These connections can help when you apply for scholarships or when they are trying to decide who to offer funding to. I would also really look into working for the university -- the administrative positions come with tuition benefits and many of my friends worked full-time for GW and graduated with no debt. I enjoyed having a balance and I made some excellent connections while interning. Some of my friends who worked for GW had a harder time getting a job in the field after graduation. Still, not a big deal considering they have zero debt. They all eventually went on to get good positions related to what they studied. DC is an excellent location for what your studying. I would also like to add that your idea about taking a year off and casting a wider net with graduate school applications is not a bad one. You could defer your GW admission, do more research on schools, and apply to more places for next year. I don't think you have anything to lose if you go that route and it could give you more piece of mind. But, that is definitely a personal decision. Best of luck and I think either decision will be the right one!