Master's biostat funding / where to go

[nat_1421]

All of the programs I applied to were for master's in biostats. I am mainly looking for info on these schools and wondering how funding works. 

The schools I've gotten into with full funding: Wisconsin-Madison, my home institution (ranked in the 20's)

The schools I've gotten into without funding: Minnesota, Michigan, Washington (capstone), UNC (actually waiting on funding decision, haven't gotten a no yet)

My first question is, if I didn't get funding at a school I'm interesting in, what is the process for trying to acquire funding? Cold-emailing professors asking about research opportunities? Cold-emailing the math/stat departments asking if they need a TA? Do I have to accept my admission offer in order to do this? Is it even worth going through the trouble? 

I would be interested in hearing literally any information/insight on any of the these schools. I'm not worried as much about the city/culture and more about the reputations of the schools and what their graduates do. I'm planning on working after I get my master's, and haven't really decided on a specific job I want. 

Thanks in advance! 

[Stat Assistant Professor]

I would ask the chair of the admissions committee (not individual professors) about funding opportunities, including what possible research assistantships there are. I know some people with Masters in Biostatistics who worked as research assistants to partly fund their studies -- this seems to mainly involves doing some data analysis and programming in R or SAS.

Although, I will say, if you got a fully funded offer from University of Wisconsin, I would be inclined to take that. That is an excellent school and should provide ample opportunities for industry jobs -- unless you are really, really interested in getting a PhD and one of the other schools has an easy "Masters-to-PhD" track for MS students.