Financing Your MSW

[emoleys]

As I'm anxiously waiting for an answer from Columbia, I'm growing increasingly concerned that I will not be able to go because of $$$, if I'm accepted. I've seen so many posts from people saying that Columbia is stingy with their financial aid and their estimates for cost of living and tuition are pretty jaw-dropping.

So I'm curious, how are all of you planning to finance your degrees? For those who are already in school, what kind of resources would you recommend? Are any of you considering the loan assistance program by working as a social worker in a high need area, or other similar tuition assistance programs?

I've applied for the FAFSA and am crossing my fingers that all goes well! Thank you all in advance for sharing.

[tem11]

I hear ya! I'm going to either NYU or Columbia in the fall and finances are a big concern for me.

I will mostly finance my education through student loans, though I am determined to stick with federal loans instead of private ones. Both NYU and Columbia offer work study options which add an extra few grand into the mix. My understanding is that there are a lot more scholarships available for second year students, so I'll look into those when the time comes.

After graduation I'll almost definitely look into some of the loan forgiveness programs for working in high need areas. There's are the federal loan programs too, like Income Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness that allow you to discharge all remaining balances on your federal loans after 10 years of repayment.

Good luck with your FAFSA and your applications .

[emoleys]

I hear ya! I'm going to either NYU or Columbia in the fall and finances are a big concern for me.

I will mostly finance my education through student loans, though I am determined to stick with federal loans instead of private ones. Both NYU and Columbia offer work study options which add an extra few grand into the mix. My understanding is that there are a lot more scholarships available for second year students, so I'll look into those when the time comes.

After graduation I'll almost definitely look into some of the loan forgiveness programs for working in high need areas. There's are the federal loan programs too, like Income Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness that allow you to discharge all remaining balances on your federal loans after 10 years of repayment.

Good luck with your FAFSA and your applications .

Yes, I am also planning to rely on federal loans as well. I've been looking into private loans lately and none of them seem to really compare.

I've also been considering the loan forgiveness program for working in high need areas, however, the idea of being bound to a job for so long just to get my loans out of the way seems like a terrible idea for me in terms of my particular career goals. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program seems like the way to go, but I'm not sure what the government can offer me in the way of working with refugees, which is ultimately what I'd like to do. I haven't heard about the Income Based Repayment, I'll be sure to look into that.

For now, I'm just going to apply to scholarships like a madwoman and hope that some of my work will pay off, literally.

Good luck to you, too! It looks like despite all the financial circumstances, I'll be going to Columbia, as it still is the top choice for me.

Edited March 7, 2010 by emoleys