Neep

After speaking with my husband, I feel much better with the option to spend less money on the program. I absolutely love the program at PSU but i really dont love that debt lol. I was playing around with the repayment cost estimators from the government student loan website, and after seeing what it could be to go to a place like Temple, PSU, or Widener compared to a place like WVU...well seeing those monthly payment possibilities has totally turned me on to WVU lol. I have made the decision to go ahead and apply to WVU but I feel I should probably apply elsewhere too, just in case. But I am currently a SAHM so time is in my favor. I think I am just going to apply to WVU and wait to hear back about what happens. I cannot apply to PSU until September anyways, and tbh i dont know if i can justify the cost. I will have to look into UCF and LSU. Boise is also really affordable but I dont meet their work/letter of recommendation requirements.

Unfortunately I cannot relocate because I have children from a previous marriage. However, if that wasnt a barrier, I would be gone in a heartbeat. I appriciate your response. I wish price wasnt a thing, but let's get real, it is lol. What was your personal opinion on WVUs program? The good and the bad. I'm really considering it since it so cheap, but I also want to make sure it will be rigorous enough. Edinboro is similar in price. But I wasnt all that impressed. Of course it is CSWE accredited so maybe the program is a moot point

I think that is really tough to gauge. I did read off their website that they only accept about 1/3 of the students that apply (in all types of programs, 1/3 online, 1/3 hybrid, and 1/3 oncampus). Apparently it is the only MSW program in the state. I think the only real thing you can do is apply and give it your best shot.You never know! Highlight your strengths and focus on the positives in your application. Good luck!

For me, I am forced to do an online program. I would much prefer face to face, but I live rural and so the option just isnt there. So focusing with an online MSW my requirements are: a.) that the program is CSWE accredited (so important if you want to get licensed. and in my state it is a requirement that the MSW program is CSWE accredited to even sit for the exams). b.) the cost is something I am taking heavily into consideration. I am already in $50,000 debt from my undergrad (Penn State was expensive!). I am terrified of getting this dream job and then not being able to make my ends meet. So i do need to be conscious of the cost. I Would like to keep it as low as possible but I do feel the need to make sure the program is a good fit. So i have to have some room for flexibility. Ive basically decided that $900 is my per credited hour cut off lol but even that is way more high than my liking. Ideally it would be between $500 and $650. (free would be fabulous but I wont hold my breath) c.) the program. Some have a generalist approach. Some focus more on family and CPS work. Others health care or trauma. Then of course clinical. My end goal is to become a medical social worker. I am hoping to work in the hospital setting. I hear that can be a challenge to break into. I would like to have a more rounded medical background than what most of these schools are supplying but there are very few colleges that seem to offer that (online at least). Some people are telling me, just make sure its accredited and go the cheapest route. Dont worry about it not being a medical concentration because the internships and fieldwork is really what gets your foot in the door. Others are telling me, if you want the medical side, then go after it and forget the cost. I am so very conflicted. Ultimately every program I am considering will qualify me to sit for my LSW and one day my LCSW. However, in my head I feel id be more marketable with a medical background, given my goals, but then I look at the debt and im like...seriously not sure which route to take.

West Virginia University is now offering an MSW program that is full online and CSWE accredited. The first cohort starts this fall. I missed the priority deadline for grants/scholarships. Those applications were due in early February. I can apply until April 15th but my understanding is that I would not qualify for aid. Would it be better to wait an entire year to get that aid or should I just go for it? Also, I am heavily considering Portland State University, but I missed their deadline as well. (I have been toying with getting my MSW for a long time now and finally decided to take the plunge very recently). I love their program. I would like to become a medical social worker and hopefully work in a hospital setting, so i love that they have a health track. The only downfall is that I am a Pennsylvania Resident so that ups the cost to somewhere in the ballpark of $65,000 and that is steep. (compared to WVU will be roughly $36,000). My favorite program is PSU but the cost is my hiccup and they only accept applications once per year. Which i missed the deadline so I would have to wait to apply in Sept 2019 just to start in Sept 2020 and that seems SO far away. ugh. not to mention, with them being on the west coast and me on the east coast, does that give me a disadvantage with placements and job prospects straight out of the program? WVU. Widener, and Temple are withing 4 hours from me, so i suspect they would have connections, but what about PSU? I am considering Temple and Widener because of their connections in my state. But they are going to end up around $56K to $65K anyways. I dont know what to do. I really want something that focuses on the medical side of things. But i also like that WVU is way less expensive and that they focus on rural settings because i live in the middle of nowhere PA lol I am so heavily conflicted. Do i go for the "local" resource schools and what connections they can provide? Do i go for the lower cost college (i am already about $50k in debt from my undergrad), or do i go for the actual program that I want, even though it comes at a cost. The ultimate goal is to get licensed as a social worker and make it into a hospital setting. But I do need to be financially careful because I know all too well what paying back this debt is going to entail. But i want my best shot at becoming the professional I want so I dont know if should turn a blind eye to the debt and the waiting period (if i attend PSU), or if i should go the cheapest route because at the end of the day all of these schools are accredited and I will qualify to sit for LSW. Advice please>