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There are still private loans. The new law means that FEDERAL loans are now processed directly by the Treasury instead of using private banks as a middleman. You, as a borrower, won't notice a difference.

There are some catches. The major one is that in order to even qualify for income-based repayment you have to make below a certain amount of money and they use your family income if you're married, not just yours. I have a lot of undergrad debt, but since my husband makes a decent income I'm ineligible. Google "IBR calculator" to get a good idea of your monthly payments.

Pitt and NYU are both very well known schools of social work in the USA. I'm not sure how easy it is to find a job in other states, especially in hard times like this. You're probably better off posing that question to people who have their MSW already. Unless you're American by birth or are married to a US citizen, there's very little chance you'll be able to live and work in the US after school, though. But I'm sure you've looked into immigration stuff . Thanks for the congrats. I'm sure you'll make the right decision!

I am curious as to why you're looking at Pitt if you're an international student. I'm American but my husband is British and one of the reasons I ruled Pitt out was because they don't have a very strong international presence. Even if Pitt is supposedly a better program, NYU is definitely better known worldwide. Also, I would wager that a majority of people who enter a PhD program in social work have their clinical license. It's by far the most popular option at most MSW universities and shouldn't prevent you from pursuing a PhD at all. Congratulations on your acceptances and let me know if you have any other questions .

While these may very well be great programs, I would be reluctant to rely on them still being around in a decade or so. There were many loan forgiveness programs at the state level when I entered college (2005) and nearly all of them are no longer in existence. It's great if they're around and you can benefit from them, but I certainly wouldn't undertake loads of debt with the assumption they'll be there. Especially in this economy. First of all, the public service loan forgiveness as well as the income based repayment plans are ONLY FOR FEDERAL LOANS (emphasis added ). So any private loans you take out for Columbia are not eligible, just the 20,500/year for federal loans + any federal undergrad loans. As for the loan program that begins in 2014, it's really not that different than the current one. Current income-based repayments allow you to make payments adjusted to your income. It's now set at 15% of your income and in 2014 it will be down to 10%, so it's not really a huge difference. If you qualify, you'd have lower monthly payments, but you'll accrue a LOT more interest in that time. Right now, if you make income-based repayments for 25 years, they'll be discharged. If you're in a public service profession, it will be discharged after 10 years. This is not Columbia specific, it applies to everyone with federal loans. However, these programs are all very recent and the kinks haven't been worked out yet. As of now, there's no formal application process for public service loan forgiveness since no one is eligible for it yet (law was passed in 2007 or 2008? So no one can really discharge until 2017-2018 at the earliest). It's really a wait and see game as to how efficient and reliable it is. The biggest catch is that income-based repayment (where you pay 10-15% of each monthly check) is based on your family's income, not just yours. My husband makes decent money and therefore I'm ineligible for the program. In short, read the fine print and certainly don't rely on these programs being around in ten years. If you won't be able to make the monthly payments without the assistance of these programs, you probably can't afford grad school right now (I mean that in the nicest way!). Here's a good calculator that gives you a better idea of your payment options: http://www.ibrinfo.org/calculator.php Good luck .

To be honest, Pitt was definitely not my dream school. I'm from around Pittsburgh so I qualified for in-state tuition and it would have been much easier and affordable than relocating to NYC. Columbia and Oxford were my dream schools and I'll be attending Oxford in the United Kingdom next year. I have had absolutely horrible experiences with Pitt this year. First of all, their financial aid information was totally incorrect. They said I didn't need to fill out the supplement form since it had been phased out. Then I just got a letter last week stating that I won't qualify for any university fellowships because I didn't turn in the form on time. Needless to say, I was very angry that they told me such incorrect information. They offered me close to nothing in scholarships, they don't respond to emails and were generally quite difficult to work with during the application process. Maybe you've had a different, more positive experience with them but I'm quite bitter about the whole thing. For what it's worth, NYU has a much stronger clinical focus while Pitt has a stronger administration focus. Pittsburgh is a much more affordable place to live than NYC and there's a lot to do (though you need a car for much of it). Best of luck to you! Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'm definitely biased towards NYU after this. I was also accepted to NYU and it sounds like a really great program if you can afford it.

Yay! Congratulations!

Seriously. Did you get their mass email a while ago that explained the reasons for the delay? Something about implementing a new online system or some nonsense. Hope you hear soon!

Yay! Congratulations .

I haven't heard anything yet but I applied by the second deadline and am not really expecting to hear for a few more weeks. I was a visiting student at St Edmund Hall, so I put that as my first choice and Jesus as my second.

No problem . I'm also an international student who is coming from the U.S. Natwest and Barclays are the two banks I've always used, though there are other reputable ones. I highly recommend Orange pay as you go, it's SO cheap! I also use Skype to call home to save on international calls, though Orange has an international sim card you can buy that's like 5p/minute. Any news on what college you'll be at?

If you're coming to Oxford, join the Meet and Greet thread here! I was a visiting student at Oxford in 07/08 and am going back for 2010-2011. Oxford is a lovely, lovely city to live in; I've never been anywhere more beautiful. It's incredibly easy to get the bus or train into London. There are 2 major buses that run every hour (the Oxford Tube and the Oxford Express). Both have discounted student rates. The train station is within walking distance if you're at Oxford and if you book in advance online you can get really great deals. There's loads of stuff to do. I can't speak for Brookes but there are a surprising amount of societies and organizations to get involved with (Oxford Union especially) as well as a ton of cultural events, ethnic restaurants, music venues, a few clubs, lots of pubs, etc. There are a handful of museums, a botanical garden, gorgeous parks and countless university events. And you're never more than a bus or train ride away from London if you really want to live it up. I'm looking into 1 bedroom apartments and the going rate is about 700-750 GBP/month. I'll be living with my husband so this isn't really that bad per person. I'm sure you could find much cheaper housing if you looked for roommates. As for London, it really depends on the area. My husband lived in south London (45 minute commute into central London) and paid 450GBP/month for a room in a shared apartment. What universities are you looking at? If you have any more questions about Oxford or moving to the UK in general (banking, cell phones, etc.) feel free to ask .

Anyone? .

They phased ORS out in 2009, unfortunately.

I'd take the US offer as well. The MSc on its own probably won't get you very far. I also wouldn't count on any funding whatsoever from Oxford. You have like a 7% shot at the Clarendon award which is typically the only award available to students from the U.S. You might be able to swing a college scholarship that covers room and board but again, they're very competitive.

I think it really depends on your field and how competitive the schools are. I've also heard that taught courses aren't as competitive at Oxford, Cambridge and other UK schools but they're certainly more competitive than a lot of master's in the States. For example, I applied for social work programs in the US and UK. Got into Columbia and NYU, both of which accept at least 200+ students per year. Oxford accepts 25 max. It's only 1 year, is 1/3 the cost and all previous students I've spoken to have said they all had many jobs to choose from last year and some went onto top PhD programs/university posts. Try to talk to current and former American students at UCL to see what the pros and cons were. I agree with what others have said though; make sure you go somewhere that is known worldwide like UCL to increase your earning potential. Good luck!

I have to agree with LateAntique. It will be there in a few short days!

Anyone else attending Oxford in the fall? I'll be studying for the MPhil in Evidence Based Social Intervention. No word on what college I'll be at yet but it'd be nice to hear from other students who are UK bound!

Congratulations!

That's me! I'm not 100% set on the MPhil but for now have switched over. It will ultimately depend on funding. And here I was thinking I'd found another MSt Womens Studies student!

Congratulations! I applied for the MSt in Women's Studies but was unsuccessful. Got in for another MPhil course, though, I'll definitely be attending in the fall! What colleges did you list on your application?

Anyone else get a call from a Columbia student recently? I got a call this morning from a current student and thought it was nice that they are reaching out to accepted students. She did say a few things that shocked me though. I've also been in contact with a few PhD students at Columbia and I've heard some surprisingly negative things about the MSW program. I say this not to criticize those who want to go there, but to make those who can't afford it or are thinking of applying to other programs next year feel a little better about their decision. I've heard many current/former students that the MSW at Columbia is becoming a "money-making scheme." Two years ago, their incoming class was 200. This past year it was 400! They're expecting to admit around 600 this year. Apparently the program is becoming less and less selective because they know people will "buy" the Columbia name. Class sizes are very large for the first year and a lot of papers are graded by TAs instead of professors. These could all be nasty rumors from disgruntled students and completely unfounded. And I truly wish those of you who are attending Columbia the very best! There is no doubt that they are a well-connected university and one of the few that have the international focus many of you are considering. I just thought I'd throw out some of the information I'd heard in case it helps anyone here make a decision. Good luck to all!

I heard back from the girl who did her master's at Oxford and went on to do a PhD at Columbia and she was able to shed a lot of light on both programs. I'm definitely going to Oxford! In a way, it's a big relief to have made a decision. But after the decision comes all the planning- immigration visas, finding an apartment, job for my husband, selling all of our stuff, canceling phone contracts, closing/opening bank accounts, etc. Granted moving out of the country is a whole different ballgame, but we weren't seriously expecting to make such a big move at this time. In short, exciting but overwhelming! Congrats on the acceptances, everyone!