waffles19

I really feel for you and I'm sorry youre in this position! It would be worth applying again next round if you apply to much cheaper programs because if you decide to reapply and then go to a school that's 50K then that's one year that you could have been working for a regular salary lost and you're not really saving any money (you took out 25K less in loans but you lost 30K by not working one year with a full salary). Of course there's interest to be accounted for, whatever you'd make this coming year, and your cost of living situation but you get the point I'm making. Crunch the numbers and review your priorities. Also, I don't think people really get financial aid for these SLP programs the way people may get in UG (I've never heard of anyone getting any). I am also an independent with 0 family contribution and the only financial aid I'm getting is a GA position and I don't think I was given the position because of my financial situation. The rest is federal loans. It sucks! I think 130 or 140K in debt is a lot on an SLP salary and would significantly impact quality of life. If I were you I would reapply next year to cheap state school (if there aren't any in your state then maybe consider moving to a near by state so you receive the in-state tuition?). It's such a tough decision good luck and sending good vibes your way!

With that response, I think it’s worth a shot! Sounds like if your application is really strong in other aspects they may accept you. Plus, your GPA is t that far off.

They have a pretty high acceptance rate so maybe there's a chance! It would probably be off the waitlist if they do have that criteria. What was their response to you? (Sidenote: the program is 90K (not 78K as the website suggests) bc they raised the graduation credit requirement starting this fall- I learned this the hard way)

Our field is in desperate need of PhDs and professors so I doubt that you'd have trouble getting a professor position coming out of a state school. I was in a similar situation to you and after reading post after post after post on the reddit SLP page and other forums of SLPs saying to just go to the cheapest school, I chose the cheapest school. I realized that most schools have connections to hospitals and decent medical placements even if it's not that program's strong suite and have at least one professor doing some sort of medical research. Another thing that I learned from the forums is that SLP CFY/jobs aren't always as easy to get or as glamorous as people think they are and many SLPs get stuck with disappointing salaries. It would suck to be in 90K of student debt only to be paid around 50K for the first couple years. Or wanting a career change but having too much debt to make a switch. I personally don't think it's worth the stress and sacrifices. I feel like I'll be thanking myself for my choice when I'm 30 even though it was hard to turn down my dream school. Anyway, you do you! it always works out in the end!

Yay! Cant wait to meet you and everyone! The facebook group is Kent State University SLP Class of 2021. If it doesn't come up right away, click the "Groups" category filter and it should come up.

I recently accepted my offer to go to Kent State and I'm excited! Has anyone started a facebook group? Do any current or previous students have any advice about navigating the program, housing, etc.?

When it comes to searching on indeed, try typing in something specific, for example "summer camp" or "summer server" or "summer tutor" or "babysitter." You could also type in the university name and summer jobs at the university may pop up (like bookstore clerk). Working at a summer camp may be a good option (I've found that they are more responsive to applicants than most businesses) but I know a lot of them start figuring out their staff now and it can be a tiring job. Another option is researching on google maps the businesses near where you'll be living and calling each one to ask about employment (most places are online applications now). There's also the fallbacks that are in every city like Uber eats, Uber driving, Instacart (I did this for a summer & it was fine. Requires a car), or babysitting/nannying.

Believe me I thought the same thing! A poster on here mentioned the CF circumstance to me and then when I went to the MGH open house I talked to the program director about it for like 20 minutes. She confirmed what the poster had written to me that medical CFs in MA are far and in between and the ones that do exist are very competitive. The problem is that facilities can't bill Medicare for CF SLP services in MA. Here's a short write up about it https://www.swallowstudy.com/its-a-jobs-issue/ and the problem is still the same now. The director basically told me if I wanted to stay in MA to do a school CF for 9 months and then work in a medical setting or go out of state. That's not to say they don't have connections to medical CFs in other states though. Good luck on your decision

Another school you could look at if you apply next cycle is Cal U In Pennsylvania (California University of PA)!

I guess it really comes down to what your greatest priority is! Is the most important thing that you get the best clinical experience/education or is having a much lesser financial burden for the years after graduation? I totally understand the dilemma because I was dead set on going to either MGH or Northeastern because I wanted the best education and clinical options but I had a change of heart after crunching the numbers meticulously and realizing, to me, it wasn't worth putting off buying house, children, traveling etc. and having to live far away from my partner. It still pains me a little inside because I very much believe that expensive experiences can most definitely be worth the money (even if it's just because of the intrinsic value of something), but I know everything will work out and I'm sure I'll be thanking myself after I graduate for being 60,000 less dollars in debt. I think you should reach out to the program directors or current students and ask them exactly what clinical opportunities are available at their programs and the quality of the supervising- get all the specific info you need first hand. (sidenote: because of the way medicare works in MA, there are barely any medical CFs. This also impacted my decision a bit. Not sure if it wold matter to you!)

VPkid Here’s an article listing some options! https://www.teachaway.com/blog/8-amazing-companies-let-you-teach-english-online-from-home

BU is a private university so there’s no in and out of state decrepncy I think. If Brooklyn College has clinical opportunities in medical settings, I would most definitely go there!! Think of how tedious figuring out the logistics of moving will be and how much debt you’ll be in if you go to the other schools. Doesn’t seem worth the hell you’d put yourself through after graduation trying to pay all it off (just to get a very similar position and wage as if you went to brooklyn).

Total cost

I emailed them and learned all bad news. First of all, the program is 60 credits starting this coming fall NOT 52 (she said they just haven't updated the website/course catalogue yet). I thought the program was 78,000 total but it's actually 90,000 with the new credit requirement. Secondly, the max scholarship only covers 25% of tuition (besides the third one possibly?) and are very limited. Here's the info about scholarships that was sent to me copy and pasted. Scholarships Double Husky Scholarship The Double Husky Scholarship, available to alumni who have graduated with a Northeastern University degree, provides a tuition discount of up to 25 percent on eligible graduate degree or certificate program. Parent and Family Scholarship Available to parents and siblings of full-time Undergraduate Day students, the Parent and Family Scholarship provides a tuition discount of 25 percent on more than 110 eligible graduate programs. Diversity Fellowship Each year a limited number of fellowships are awarded to graduate students in an effort to help the university achieve a more diverse graduate student body. A variety of factors may be used for the purpose of increasing diversity at the university including gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or other protected classification consistent with the university nondiscrimination policy. These awards are recommended by the student’s academic department or college. They provide tuition support only and there is no work requirement associated with them. Outside Scholarships Your Local Library A trip to your local library will find many scholarship books available that contain the addresses of scholarship programs. It requires some work on your part (applications, essays, etc.), but a few hours of your time could yield valuable information and lead to additional funding for your education. Locally, the ASA College Planning Center, located in the basement of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, has numerous resources available to help you find outside aid, including a computerized database of scholarships. Scholarship Search Databases U.S. Department of Labor Career One Stop Scholarship Search Peterson’s Scholarship Search CollegeNET Scholarship Search Collegescholarships.org College Scholarship Search DiscoverNursing.com Also, here's the info about assistantships: Assistantships These positions and awards are offered directly by the individual graduate schools or academic departments. Students seeking such assistance should contact their graduate school for an application and eligibility criteria. Any tuition remission, stipend award and/or housing compensation will be incorporated into the student’s financial aid package as a resource. Students who receive these forms of assistance may have reduced eligibility for need-based aid. More specific information about each type of position is listed below:  Graduate School Scholarships (GSS) are non-taxable scholarships provided by academic departments to cover up to 9 credit hours per semester.

I think it kind of depends on your schedule/commute, but when I went to Kent, for example, the student there said a majority of her cohort worked a part time job. I’ve heard of people working part time more often than I would have anticipated so it seems pretty doable! One student from MGH actually told me she did a Ga position and a thesis at the same time during her program and told me it’s possible as long as you have good time management skills. Side note: I plan on teaching English online part time during grad school because it’s the most pay for my time but is also flexible (18+/hr)