ErmahgerdAdulting

*UPDATE* I was notified today that I was awarded an HSF scholarship! Still not sure how much, but the award range is $500-5000. I completed a questionnaire regarding cost of attendance at the school I've enrolled at, and I'll be notified of the award amount in the next few weeks. Just wanted to post an update for the sake of any future GradCafe denizens that qualify for HSF.

I applied this year for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and I'm wondering if anyone here has had success in winning graduate funding from them...? The scholarship seems geared more towards undergrads, but it explicitly states that graduate students are eligible too. I'm supposed to find out by the end of July if I'm receiving an award, so any advice is too late for this year's cycle. However, I'm more interested in finding out if it's even worth reapplying next year. Thanks everyone!

Got the email too. Seems like a general blast to all that didn't receive anything in the appeals process. Sadly won't be attending SIPA. Good luck guys.

NEXT week? Good to know, but I was hoping to get a response before the May 1st deposit deadline. Woof.

Washington DC is a lot more safe than you might expect! I remember that was a huge concern for me when I moved here and I've never been mugged or anything. That being said, you should always be aware of your surroundings, whether you're walking across the street from the White House or if you're out late on H Street (perfect example of an adorable and vibrant neighborhood that can get sketchy in certain parts). For some perspective, I'm a woman and I feel comfortable running at night through most parts of NW DC, including Foggy Bottom. My rule of thumb is that the closer you live to a metro, the safer you'll be. It's commonsense, there's just more development in areas directly surrounding a metro station. I can't speak to furnished housing, but I would also consider looking at neighborhoods in Arlington and either biking in to town or taking the metro. Rent can be significantly cheaper out in VA and you'll be on the same metro line as GWU, so the commute is about 20-30 minutes depending on how far out you are. Also, be aware that pepper spray is a banned substance in some federal buildings! I purchased pepper spray when I first moved here because like you, I was very nervous about crime. I've never had to use it, but it did cause me some embarrassment when I tried to get through Capitol security with my pepper spray in my purse...

Good to know! Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm just getting used to biking in DC, so it's something I hope to continue doing. Also, the Hubway bikeshare has stations by Tufts now, so that's a nice perk!

Maude's is a great coffee shop and it's also downtown, so far from the younglings. Pascal's is pretty good too, but it's in midtown so it tends to be busier and with more of an undergrad crowd. I also really enjoyed studying at the library in the art building! It's got these neat double decker carrels and it's a very underutilized library, probably because it's small, but also because it's not well known. Also, while my overall tip is to avoid midtown as a grad student, I will admit that Salty Dog was a nice low-key way to unwind for an early happy hour! Stay too late and you'll be overcome by Greeks on bar crawls, but I personally loved going there after class on a Friday afternoon for an early drink with friends. I also ran into a fair share of grad students/TAs there!

Hi everyone! Does anyone have any advice on biking in Boston? Specifically in Somerville? I'm about 80% sure I'll be studying at Tufts this Fall, and biking is something I'm interested in doing to curb costs.

Hi everyone! I went to UF for undergrad and will be attending grad school elsewhere, but I wanted to chime and and say Go Gators! I have a few friends doing grad and med school and in terms of things to do, they usually stick to the downtown area, which A) sounds a lot cooler than when I was an undergrad and B ) will be less populated by undergrad students. One of my favorite restaurants is the Top. If you haven't already checked it out, I HIGHLY recommend it. That was my favorite restaurant for a special night out--excellent and quirky drinks and food and an all around good vibe. They don't take reservations though... If you're an active person or an adventurer, there are tons of activities to do. I personally loved running on campus, and the football stadium is usually open to the public to run stairs! That's one of the biggest things I've missed since graduating. There's also a ton of great nature preserves and springs within driving distance so you can decompress on the weekends. Overall it's a very charming college town! I can't really speak to grad-friendly communities, except that I can vouch for Wildflower, where one of my friends lived during med school. If you have a car, I would recommend trying to rent a house with some classmates, unless you really want the perks of an apartment building.

Created an account just so I can chime in here because this is something I've heavily researched. Firstly, I highly advise you to read the PSLF FAQs from the actual federal government student aid website (link here). I'm starting grad school in the fall, but I'm hoping to work in the non-profit sector or the federal government after graduation, so naturally PSLF is something I hope to benefit from. I too am concerned that it might eventually get cut from the federal budget, but until that actually occurs, I'm planning on participating in this program. That doesn't mean I won't be applying for external scholarships or other forms of funding, but it's still in the back of my mind. @MAPLE90, those international organizations you mentioned DO NOT qualify under PSLF (see question 40 in the PSLF FAQs). I was heartbroken myself when I read that, but bear in mind that you qualify for PSLF after 120 payments made while working for a qualifying entity and those 120 payments don't need to be consecutive. In other words, you can work for a qualifying company for a few years and make progress towards loan forgiveness, then work for the UN for a bit, then go back to a qualifying company and your initial progress doesn't get lost--you just won't be progressing during your time at the UN or whatever int'l org you're hypothetically at. In regards to tax exemption, if you do manage to have your loans forgiven under PSLF, the forgiven amount IS NOT taxable income! See question 3 in the PSLF FAQs. Under your normal loan repayment programs (PAYE, REPAYE, ICR, etc), if you reach 20 or 25 years and your remaining debt is forgiven, that does get taxed. Check out this page for more details on that.