ao276

I'm currently looking to apply to two MBA programs in the Knoxville, TN area: The University of Tennessee and Lincoln Memorial University. I believe I can get accepted to both. The cost of attendance at UT is a huge turn off for me as it is almost 3x what I would pay at LMU. I am very conscious of the debt I take on in graduate school, so this is a huge factor in my decision. The big question for me here is if I will seriously hinder myself by opting to attend LMU over UT assuming I get accepted to both. This could be a non-issue as UT's business school is pretty competitive, but I'm trying to cover my bases here. Thoughts?

Thanks for all your advice, it really has been very helpful to have some feedback.

it seems like the consensus is to wait, which I think is probably best myself. I will get residency next May and I'll pay around 7,000 a semester for tuition and fees.

Also I have 25,000 from undergrad

A little more info: 32,000 the first year and my second year I could get in-state and that becomes around 13,000. Assuming I don't get an assistantship or some funding in my 2 years and I take out some extra for rent (I have a roommate) I think around 55-60 is realistic for two years. My living expenses are nowhere near 25,000. Given this information, does that change your perspective?

Hi! Thank you and thanks for your reply. I'm really grateful to have someone to talk to about this. I'm 24 years old, turning 25 in October. My undergrad degree is a BA in political science. Again, this is an out of state school for me so I'm looking at 16,000 a semester in tuition and fees before books and my rent/bills. I have considered taking the year to get in state residency and possibly applying to an MBA program so I can get into the private sector. Or perhaps some type of marketing degree. However, I fear that my lack of business, Econ, and marketing classes will severely limit my options. That's why I chose an MPPA with a concentration in management. I would like to do some type of management, public or private. Do you have any further advice for me? Thanks again! Also, to clarify money is not my only motivation but it is big. I do think I would enjoy government work very much but I don't know if the debt would be justified.

I was accepted to an MPPA program at The University of Tennessee for the Fall. The thing is, I'm having a hard time justifying the cost. I grew up in a family with money issues so it's incredibly daunting. I am receiving no funding so the cost of school on top of paying my bills is stressing me out in a big way. Furthermore, my unsubsidized loans only cover about half of just my tuition and fees not including my cost of living and my books. To be honest, my biggest motivation to continue my education is to make more money, again going back to my situation growing up. I'm out of state so the fees are incredibly high. I'm really worried and I'm looking for people with similar experiences to share their stories with me.