How do people finance master's degrees?

[strawberrykat]

Hello! I am wondering how people usually pay for masters degrees if they are not supported with an assistantship or fellowship? Loans, financial aid through FAFSA, work, etc? Is working part time while pursuing a full time master's feasible?  

[rising_star]

Working part-time is definitely feasible, especially when you consider that many assistantships are 15-20 hours a week. However, a part-time job likely won't pay enough to cover all of your expenses if you have pay tuition + living expenses out of pocket. One thing that some do is get an assistantship in another unit on campus (e.g., student union, residence life) so that they get a tuition waiver plus stipend.