paying for grad school

[hopefulfuturespeechie]

A little concerned about paying for graduate school with the high price tag of many programs I have found. I'm not expecting to get into my state school so I dont think ill benefit from in state tuition. What are your plans for paying for graduate school. 

[charlottearoora]

This is a big concern for me too.  A lot of the programs I applied to specifically for a chance at funding.  I looked for programs that have grants, fellowships, and assistantships that I am qualified for and have an okay shot at getting. 

My back-up is a school that has low in-state tuition.  It's not actually in my state, but I can get in-state tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program.  I'm not sure if other regions have similar programs, but it's a way to get in-state tuition at schools outside of my state.  I emailed a professor there about his research and he pretty much offered me a research assistant position in his lab (even though I haven't been accepted yet).  The position should cover my tuition, so I'd hopefully just be covering housing.

I was originally discouraged by the lack of funding in the field, but if you do some hunting, you may be able to find opportunities.  It might mean applying to programs that are not in your ideal location or level of prestige, but I think it is possible!  Good luck.

 

[FutureSLP19]

I'm hoping for some funding from the programs I get into, but I'm most likely going to have to take out loans. I'm planning on looking into loan forgiveness and I know the city I'm from has certain schools that offer this for teachers, possibly SLPs too. I also want to work while I'm in school, but I don't know how feasible this is.

[BioCook]

10 hours ago, FutureSLP19 said:

I also want to work while I'm in school, but I don't know how feasible this is.

From what I've heard at school visits and interview days from current students, it's possible to work while in school, whether that's a small on-campus coffee shop, research, or TA. It's not for everyone, of course, and it's common for people to work at first and then cut down on hours towards the end of the semester. One tip I've gotten was to take local babysitting jobs because there can be some built-in time for homework if the kids are asleep, etc. 

I totally feel you re: paying for school. I'm really crossing my fingers for some scholarships... 

[LaceySpeechie]

I'm really wondering how anyone is supposed to afford it without taking out a million loans! I'm hoping to work in school too though, and I've actually set up some online teaching jobs that I anticipate continuing as a grad student. It's great because they're flexible and I can work as much or as little as I'm able (plus the companies that I work for don't involve lesson planning). All the same... a scholarship would be nice. ?

[hopefulfuturespeechie]

2 hours ago, BioCook said:

From what I've heard at school visits and interview days from current students, it's possible to work while in school, whether that's a small on-campus coffee shop, research, or TA. It's not for everyone, of course, and it's common for people to work at first and then cut down on hours towards the end of the semester. One tip I've gotten was to take local babysitting jobs because there can be some built-in time for homework if the kids are asleep, etc. 

I totally feel you re: paying for school. I'm really crossing my fingers for some scholarships... 

the baby-sitting idea is great! I never thought of this!

[hopefulfuturespeechie]

53 minutes ago, LaceySpeechie said:

I'm really wondering how anyone is supposed to afford it without taking out a million loans! I'm hoping to work in school too though, and I've actually set up some online teaching jobs that I anticipate continuing as a grad student. It's great because they're flexible and I can work as much or as little as I'm able (plus the companies that I work for don't involve lesson planning). All the same... a scholarship would be nice. ?

I hate thinking about the million loans that come with this degree!

[babysanta]

I second the babysitting thing. I've been doing it for 3+ years through undergrad. It (usually) pays really well for the time commitment and you're basically getting paid to observe speech/language development and gaining invaluable experience working with kids. 

[FutureSLP19]

2 hours ago, BioCook said:

From what I've heard at school visits and interview days from current students, it's possible to work while in school, whether that's a small on-campus coffee shop, research, or TA. It's not for everyone, of course, and it's common for people to work at first and then cut down on hours towards the end of the semester. One tip I've gotten was to take local babysitting jobs because there can be some built-in time for homework if the kids are asleep, etc. 

I totally feel you re: paying for school. I'm really crossing my fingers for some scholarships... 

Babysitting is a great idea! My friend suggested to me yesterday to be a personal shopper for Target/Meijer/Walmart. You can accept jobs whenever you want/have time through this app and she's made like $150 in one day before. It would be a good weekend gig. 

[Toya]

2 hours ago, FutureSLP19 said:

Babysitting is a great idea! My friend suggested to me yesterday to be a personal shopper for Target/Meijer/Walmart. You can accept jobs whenever you want/have time through this app and she's made like $150 in one day before. It would be a good weekend gig. 

That sounds awesome. Do you know how she signed up?

[FutureSLP19]

2 hours ago, Toya said:

That sounds awesome. Do you know how she signed up?

I think she used the Shipt app but I'm sure there are other ones out there. 

[AlwaysaFalcon]

I agree with @charlottearoora.  My program you can qualify for instate tuition by applying to be an instate resident after 6 months. That alone has saved me a lot of money. I also work part time as part of federal work study. So definitely consider that as well!

[emilymstar]

I've thought about trying to start freelance writing.. has anyone done this during graduate school? Is it worth your while? 

[scisl006]

I am a recent SLP grad who just got her CCCs. I remember being in this exact same position! While it can be true that funding is hard to come by, I applied to a TON of scholarships and actually ended up having my entire program paid for. Both through my University as well as some outside programs. Many graduate programs have general scholarships for all grad students to apply to so that is worth looking into as well. I also participated in the LEND program while in grad school which was not only an amazing experience but also provided a nice stipend which helped pay for school. You could definitely look into if that is an option for your program. Other scholarships to look for are the Sertoma Communicative Disorders scholarship, ASHA scholarships, and Voice Aerobics. Just make sure you write an awesome essay. Here are some tips if you are interested. I also babysat and looked at the random odd jobs that were posted on the university job board and picked up a bit more work there. Babysitting was the best though because it pays well and families are generally flexible. Plus sometimes kids were in bed, and I could even study. Good luck! You got this. It is so worth it in the end when you are an SLP :) 

[lasmith]

Another way to get funding that I don't think was mentioned in here was filling for FAFSA as an independent. Although FAFSA is due today I believe.