Penn GSE Master's Program: Funding + Paying for Tuition

[Mindfulyogi]

Hey all! I was accepted into Penn GSE and was awarded a scholarship, but really not that much... and Penn's master's programs' tuition is quite high. Was just curious to hear from previously admitted Penn GSE students (and other master's students in general!), how you funded your tuition and made it work? I know some of my options, but just wanted to hear from you all personally! Also open to hearing currently accepted students too and how you are planning to fund your tuition. ?

[MonYX]

Hi there. I got accepted into GSE as well. Very small amount of scholarship. Just like you. So haven't decided yet.

I asked several previous Master students of GSE. They just paid with their savings, parents' support or student loans. None of them got their tuition fully covered by UPenn funding I am afraid. Hopefully we could wait for more ppl to reply.

 

[Mindfulyogi]

@MonYX got it - thanks for your response and input! I've also looked for some external scholarships for grad students but there are few and far between. 

[MonYX]

12 hours ago, Mindfulyogi said:

@MonYX got it - thanks for your response and input! I've also looked for some external scholarships for grad students but there are few and far between. 

No prob.

Yep. Many of those scholarships only provide 1k-30k. That is far from covering the tuition. Plus, the competition for these scholarships would be insane. I was told that there are more than 50 students in just one master program... I wonder how many students there would be for all the master's programs combined.

[Mindfulyogi]

Yeah - and some of them have such a rigorous application process or requirements for only 1-2k! Thanks for letting me know though! Keep me updated on where you decide to attend ultimately! I'll be attending the admitted students day next weekend - looking forward to seeing you (hopefully!) and other folks there.

[MonYX]

On 3/20/2021 at 3:06 AM, Mindfulyogi said:

Yeah - and some of them have such a rigorous application process or requirements for only 1-2k! Thanks for letting me know though! Keep me updated on where you decide to attend ultimately! I'll be attending the admitted students day next weekend - looking forward to seeing you (hopefully!) and other folks there.

I signed up for that online preview session as well! I wonder if you are attending the same one. Hopefully they could provide more info on funding opportunities. I don't think I'll be able to pay in full. sigh...

[chuggachewy]

Hi! Was accepted to IEDP at Penn, also with a small merit scholarship. I have no idea how I'm going to cover the ~$70k tuition, and am wondering how they came up with that figure. I didn't see any per-credit tuition rate, and IEDP only requires 10 credits. Other programs that I was accepted to have cheaper tuition by ~$20k and require at least 32 credits. 

Does anybody have info on that? 

[Mindfulyogi]

On 3/21/2021 at 10:23 PM, MonYX said:

I signed up for that online preview session as well! I wonder if you are attending the same one. Hopefully they could provide more info on funding opportunities. I don't think I'll be able to pay in full. sigh...

I signed up for 12 PM EST (as I live on west coast rn!) And you? Yeah I am looking forward to what they have to say about funding for sure lol

[Mindfulyogi]

14 hours ago, chuggachewy said:

Hi! Was accepted to IEDP at Penn, also with a small merit scholarship. I have no idea how I'm going to cover the ~$70k tuition, and am wondering how they came up with that figure. I didn't see any per-credit tuition rate, and IEDP only requires 10 credits. Other programs that I was accepted to have cheaper tuition by ~$20k and require at least 32 credits. 

Does anybody have info on that? 

Hi! I don't have info on that, but from gse's scholarship website they said, "The School seeks to provide assistance to as many eligible candidates as possible, currently awarding scholarships to approximately 75% of incoming master’s students." And I've seen on gradcafe (and thru WOM) the awards for merit are usually are 5k-15k. To me, it sounds like they've just decided on this figure range to award based on strength of app, and it's probably not that high relative to their tuition because it seems like they try to award to as many qualified participants as possible so they'd have to award smaller amounts to reach more people

[MonYX]

8 hours ago, Mindfulyogi said:

I signed up for 12 PM EST (as I live on west coast rn!) And you? Yeah I am looking forward to what they have to say about funding for sure lol

I am going for the AM session coz I am in Asia. I guess we could have further discussion after that.

Hopefully my Zoom works this time. I have missed a webinar of GSE. Tech prob. It was loading like, forever...

 

 

[Mindfulyogi]

50 minutes ago, MonYX said:

I am going for the AM session coz I am in Asia. I guess we could have further discussion after that.

Hopefully my Zoom works this time. I have missed a webinar of GSE. Tech prob. It was loading like, forever...

 

 

Sure! Let's reconnect after!

[MonYX]

On 3/24/2021 at 11:00 AM, Mindfulyogi said:

Sure! Let's reconnect after!

Hi there. So how is your session? have u decided?

[Mindfulyogi]

@MonYXhey! it was good - how about for you? I am leaning towards penn...but haven't made my final decision just yet haha and you?? 

[MonYX]

Just now, Mindfulyogi said:

@MonYXhey! it was good - how about for you? I am leaning towards penn...but haven't made my final decision just yet haha and you?? 

Good for you! Things are a bit different for me. I mean the professors are very nice. Approachable and funny. I met some other incoming students as well. They all seem so smart! But my program has a much bigger intake of students this year! In fact, the number of students doubled... so I am not sure about paying such high tuition for a place in a much bigger class... I wonder if it's the same in your program?

Plus, I got an offer from another university. It comes with full tuition waiver and monthly stipend. Not a big name as UPenn. So quite a struggling situation for me...

 

[Mindfulyogi]

@MonYXActually the faculty member in my program also mentioned a bigger cohort size for my program too. usual cohort sizes for my program they said are 40-50 I think and already about 60 people accepted their offer thus far. And we still have 2 weeks or so to go from resolution date. So i am assuming our cohort size will be double (if not a bit more). Yeah I am also not sure because i received a great offer from Boston College with a Dean's scholarship/quite generous tuition remission but Upenn definitely has the bigger name, and also i did feel very connected to the faculty member facilitating the session as she interviewed me as well. also i'm very interested in her work. i also have connections/some roots in philly whereas in boston i don't have any.  

for your other program, is it a masters or phd? regardless a full tuition waiver + monthly stipend is hard to beat! that is awesome - congrats on that!  

Edited March 29, 2021 by Mindfulyogi

[PsyDuck90]

5 hours ago, Mindfulyogi said:

@MonYXActually the faculty member in my program also mentioned a bigger cohort size for my program too. usual cohort sizes for my program they said are 40-50 I think and already about 60 people accepted their offer thus far. And we still have 2 weeks or so to go from resolution date. So i am assuming our cohort size will be double (if not a bit more). Yeah I am also not sure because i received a great offer from Boston College with a Dean's scholarship/quite generous tuition remission but Upenn definitely has the bigger name, and also i did feel very connected to the faculty member facilitating the session as she interviewed me as well. also i'm very interested in her work. i also have connections/some roots in philly whereas in boston i don't have any.  

for your other program, is it a masters or phd? regardless a full tuition waiver + monthly stipend is hard to beat! that is awesome - congrats on that!  

Just FYI, the UPenn brand name won't necessarily lead to greater income potential. Any mental health clinics/hospitals/etc will pay masters level clinicians the same rate regardless of where their degree is from. Insurance doesn't reimburse rates based on institution (only difference is masters vs doctoral level), and the reality is that most clients don't pay attention to where their therapist went to school, even when looking at private practice. Honestly, most clients don't know the difference between a counselor, clinical social worker, psychologist, and psychiatrist. 

Average income for master's level clinicians isn't super high (they are notoriously underpaid), so the less debt you get into for the degree, the better financial position you'll be in down the line. Private pay private practice clients are few and far between, and insurance reimbursement rates are not great. 

[Mindfulyogi]

@PsyDuck90 thanks for your input! some of your points did come up too from some of my discussions with friends, which I believe are valid. 

[PsyDuck90]

38 minutes ago, Mindfulyogi said:

@PsyDuck90 thanks for your input! some of your points did come up too from some of my discussions with friends, which I believe are valid. 

And unfortunately with further cuts to CMS and counselors' inability to bill Medicare, earnings are going to continue to get worse unfortunately. So definitely research where alumni are working and average income for LPCs in your target area are (with an expectation to be making on the lower end for the first few years of your career, especially before licensure and about 5-7 years post-licensure). I say this because I know so many people who spent so much money on a degree and are so far in debt and not making as much money as they thought they would, which is preventing them from buying houses, starting families, etc. 

[MonYX]

8 hours ago, Mindfulyogi said:

@MonYXActually the faculty member in my program also mentioned a bigger cohort size for my program too. usual cohort sizes for my program they said are 40-50 I think and already about 60 people accepted their offer thus far. And we still have 2 weeks or so to go from resolution date. So i am assuming our cohort size will be double (if not a bit more). Yeah I am also not sure because i received a great offer from Boston College with a Dean's scholarship/quite generous tuition remission but Upenn definitely has the bigger name, and also i did feel very connected to the faculty member facilitating the session as she interviewed me as well. also i'm very interested in her work. i also have connections/some roots in philly whereas in boston i don't have any.  

for your other program, is it a masters or phd? regardless a full tuition waiver + monthly stipend is hard to beat! that is awesome - congrats on that!  

My program (M.Ed in SMART. I wonder if I mentioned this before) only had 20-25 students in previous years. But this year 40-45! The faculty members are seeking to split us into two classes, but I wonder if it's possible to achieve. They are already so busy! I don't think it would be easy to double their hours in having classes... In fact, I am a teacher myself. Doubling teaching hours or having larger class size will exhaust instructors for sure...

I got accepted in Boston College as well! Unfortunately, it does not come with any scholarship. So I think I'll pass. But BC faculty are quite welcoming! They keep emailing so many funding opportunities.

The one with tuition waiver and stipend is a Ph.D offer from the Uni of Alabama. I saw your message with the other guy. I heard the same thing from my previous professors/managers and some ppl in senior positions in my field: the master level employees kinda get the same rates regardless of their institutions! The payment difference is between doctoral and master levels. So this Alabama offer is very tempting for me... even though I know nothing about this state.

 

[SoundofSilence]

9 hours ago, MonYX said:

 

The one with tuition waiver and stipend is a Ph.D offer from the Uni of Alabama. I saw your message with the other guy. I heard the same thing from my previous professors/managers and some ppl in senior positions in my field: the master level employees kinda get the same rates regardless of their institutions! The payment difference is between doctoral and master levels. So this Alabama offer is very tempting for me... even though I know nothing about this state.

 

If you are interested in being a doctoral level practitioner, nothing beats a full-funded PhD offer - as long as you like the lab, the PI there etc.

I don't know about that program specifically, but given the competitive nature of the process, I wanted to congratulate you on the offer! 

Since master's level practitioners need more supervision and can't do things like assessments, a PhD can provide a significant advantage after graduation.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

[Mindfulyogi]

16 hours ago, PsyDuck90 said:

And unfortunately with further cuts to CMS and counselors' inability to bill Medicare, earnings are going to continue to get worse unfortunately. So definitely research where alumni are working and average income for LPCs in your target area are (with an expectation to be making on the lower end for the first few years of your career, especially before licensure and about 5-7 years post-licensure). I say this because I know so many people who spent so much money on a degree and are so far in debt and not making as much money as they thought they would, which is preventing them from buying houses, starting families, etc. 

ahh i actually didn't realize counselors can't bill Medicare anymore! but thank you so much for your advice and sharing your input and the experiences of people you know. i am considering practicing in an area where the average income is higher than the national average, but then again it is quite saturated in this area and also cost of living is higher at the same time lol. And agree it is important to especially keep in mind the years pre-licensure as the debt is accruing. I appreciate all this info as my partner and I definitely are thinking of buying a place, family planning, and all those things in the next few years as well - so definitely lots of food for thought. Thank you!!

[Mindfulyogi]

14 hours ago, MonYX said:

My program (M.Ed in SMART. I wonder if I mentioned this before) only had 20-25 students in previous years. But this year 40-45! The faculty members are seeking to split us into two classes, but I wonder if it's possible to achieve. They are already so busy! I don't think it would be easy to double their hours in having classes... In fact, I am a teacher myself. Doubling teaching hours or having larger class size will exhaust instructors for sure...

I got accepted in Boston College as well! Unfortunately, it does not come with any scholarship. So I think I'll pass. But BC faculty are quite welcoming! They keep emailing so many funding opportunities.

The one with tuition waiver and stipend is a Ph.D offer from the Uni of Alabama. I saw your message with the other guy. I heard the same thing from my previous professors/managers and some ppl in senior positions in my field: the master level employees kinda get the same rates regardless of their institutions! The payment difference is between doctoral and master levels. So this Alabama offer is very tempting for me... even though I know nothing about this state.

 

Yeah I'm not sure but since you're a teacher yourself, you definitely would have a better gauge of it. 

Yeah I also enjoyed BC's admitted students' day as well! definitely a great institution and strong faculty in their counseling program.

oh i see - you'd also be deciding between masters vs. phd. i don't know too much about Alabama either lol what made you decide to apply to the  school alabama then? reputation of school/program? 

[PsyDuck90]

14 hours ago, MonYX said:

My program (M.Ed in SMART. I wonder if I mentioned this before) only had 20-25 students in previous years. But this year 40-45! The faculty members are seeking to split us into two classes, but I wonder if it's possible to achieve. They are already so busy! I don't think it would be easy to double their hours in having classes... In fact, I am a teacher myself. Doubling teaching hours or having larger class size will exhaust instructors for sure...

I got accepted in Boston College as well! Unfortunately, it does not come with any scholarship. So I think I'll pass. But BC faculty are quite welcoming! They keep emailing so many funding opportunities.

The one with tuition waiver and stipend is a Ph.D offer from the Uni of Alabama. I saw your message with the other guy. I heard the same thing from my previous professors/managers and some ppl in senior positions in my field: the master level employees kinda get the same rates regardless of their institutions! The payment difference is between doctoral and master levels. So this Alabama offer is very tempting for me... even though I know nothing about this state.

 

If your options are a fully funded PhD from a reputable state university vs an out-of-pocket expense master's program, I would take the PhD. A PhD in Clinical Psychology is a much more flexible degree than a masters in counseling. You typically get far more experience in the theory of therapy and clinical experience during your training, and you leave with more diversity in options: therapy, assessment, teaching, etc. Also, the lessened debt load can make a huge financial impact. 

[MonYX]

21 hours ago, SoundofSilence said:

If you are interested in being a doctoral level practitioner, nothing beats a full-funded PhD offer - as long as you like the lab, the PI there etc.

I don't know about that program specifically, but given the competitive nature of the process, I wanted to congratulate you on the offer! 

Since master's level practitioners need more supervision and can't do things like assessments, a PhD can provide a significant advantage after graduation.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

Hi there, thank you!  Sorry I didn't mention that my offer from Alabama is the quantitative research program in education. I am not studying in counseling/mental health related discipline. Most graduates become researchers/analysts/university faculty members etc and there is also a payment gap between master- and doctor-level employees in this field.

[MonYX]

17 hours ago, Mindfulyogi said:

Yeah I'm not sure but since you're a teacher yourself, you definitely would have a better gauge of it. 

Yeah I also enjoyed BC's admitted students' day as well! definitely a great institution and strong faculty in their counseling program.

oh i see - you'd also be deciding between masters vs. phd. i don't know too much about Alabama either lol what made you decide to apply to the  school alabama then? reputation of school/program? 

I asked so many ppl living in the U.S about their opinions about Alabama and none of them gave me any feedback! They are all like"Hmmmm...I dunno know." This state is kinda "Invisible". Interesting!

I found a website listing all the quanti research programs in the US education schools. I excluded those requiring degrees in statistics/math/other quanti disciplines and emailed the universities left in my list asking if they have accepted ppl like me in previous years. After that, I only had five or six options. Alabama is one of them.