How bad of an idea is it to pay full price at NYU to become a public school teacher?

[Yofi]

Hi there! This is my first post on this site so I apologize if I did anything wrong.

 

I am applying to TESOL master's programs, and my boyfriend and I are relocating to New York City so only applied to schools there. I had no idea where I would get in so I applied everywhere from Columbia to some of the smaller CUNY schools, thinking that Columbia and NYU would really be out of my league.

 

Yesterday, though, I was astonished and overjoyed to find that I was accepted to NYU for my program. They say they will inform me of my financial aid package in late March, but from what I've seen on their site, I don't see how I would get anything but loans, though I'm not too familiar with the financial aid process. The tuition alone would be over $60k for the two years, so we are looking at some serious debt here. I know that people say you shouldn't take out more in loans than you expect to earn in your first year out of work, and looking at New York's salary scales for teaching it looks like I'd be starting at about $55k, so I guess I will definitely be over budget. NYU has always been one of my dream schools, so it's painful to imagine having to turn them down because of the cost. On the bright side, I am very fortunate to have had my undergraduate studies paid for, so that would be all the debt I'll have.

 

I have yet to actually finish my applications for Fordham and for CUNY-City College, which would be about half the cost of NYU. So far I don't have any concrete ideas about moving up from teaching in a public school, and from what a few people have told me, your school doesn't matter a lot when it comes to hiring for those jobs. On the other hand, I can't help but wonder what kind of advantage an NYU degree might give me down the line if I decide to take my career further than that.

 

The fact that NYU offers programs with teacher certification means someone must be taking them and they must be right for someone. Are the people who would pay that much doing so because they're sure they'll want to become school administrators after a few years? Or is it just super smart people who get tons of scholarships?

 

Or is it possible that going this expensive but prestigious route might be okay for an average joe like me? I really hope that's the answer…

[LadyStoneheart2013]

Honestly, if you want to do a master's for TESOL I don't think it matters where you go. The name won't hurt, but your bank account sure will, and it's so expensive to live on a student's budget in NYC while going to NYU. If it were me, I'd look more into CUNY schools and apply everywhere for jobs. What's gotten me on this track and my admissions offers so far has been my experience with student activities. I'm abroad teaching now actually and I think it's really set my application apart from the rest. NYU is amazing dont get me wrong. But for what you want to do, I don't think it's worth the high cost, and the education school is still trying to get its bearings in master's rankings.

[RandiZ]

NYC teacher and CUNY education adjunct here. Do not, I repeat DO NOT pay full freight for a teaching masters at a private school. Even if you decided to stay in teaching forever, which more teachers don't do each year, it is not worth the cost. Also, I would not let my own children apply to NYU for undergrad and did not apply myself for grad school. While their reputation is outstanding and have some wonderful professors, their programs are spotty. I have often been told by students, grad and undergrad, that many of the classes are taught by TAs or professionals with either poor teaching skills or who are just there to teach the class. I apologize to anyone having a great experience at NYU. My cousin, working towards a BA in psych is very happy. PM me if you have more specific question. Good luck.

[ctcpx084]

NYC teacher and CUNY education adjunct here. Do not, I repeat DO NOT pay full freight for a teaching masters at a private school. Even if you decided to stay in teaching forever, which more teachers don't do each year, it is not worth the cost. 

 

I wanted to second RandiZ's first few lines in particular. The pedigree of your degree might provide an interview or two, or it might not--there's no certainty, other than loan debt from what you've described. It would be different if your intention was to pursue academia and college teaching, but if you want to stay in the classroom for an indefinite period of time I do not think a private school is worth it for this kind of degree.

[hitomimay]

Hi there,

 

As a former teacher who went through a Masters program, I need to stress a few things. First off, if you're a certified teacher in multiple subjects, especially in high-need content areas (math and science usually), you should be able to receive a few interviews regardless of a Masters. Now, a number of districts and states have gotten rid of the education-tiered pay system. For instance, a few years ago in Detroit, if you had a Masters, you would reach a higher level on the pay scale, so the degree over time paid for itself. However, as of last year, they removed that system and froze all the pay levels, so my Masters didn't help me any.

Also, there's a number of governmental programs that will cover all your Masters loans should you be teaching at a Title I school as a science or math teacher for 5 years. Note however, this incentive is ONLY for math and science (high need content area). Thus, if you intend of staying at a Title I school for that long, and will be teaching math or science, a Masters may be worth your while because your loans would be forgiven in that time. If your content area is different, then I would sincerely reconsider paying full-tuition.

If you reapply to other programs again (a number of them accept students all year round, for instance USC's MAT program online), you may get a few scholarships. I know a few friends who received 2/3 tuition scholarship.

Lots of things to consider I know, but I hope I gave you some food for thought. It is better than sitting on top 60k worth of debt, like I am at the moment.

[ctcpx084]

You really do not need this kind of university in order to pursue your stated goal. It's like using a bomb to kill an ant, knowing full well that your foot would suffice.

 

TESOL may not be as "high need" as math and science, but it is a burgeoning teaching field, to say the very least. You do not need to accrue $60,000 of debt to win a job in this area, regardless of what your other certification may be. The people who are going to schools like this either have the money to offset, or to make irrelevant, the cost, or they have ambitions beyond the classroom, be they administration, academia, etc. If your intention is to get or to stay in the classroom, NYU is overkill. 

[Lulubelle]

I'm not super familiar with teacher education, but I do live in NYC and have a friend who is in the midst of her first year of teaching. Two things come to mind for me:

 

1) She spent her first year out of school subbing and tutoring because she wasn't able to land a job immediately. So, don't assume that you'll be making $55,000 out of the gate.

 

2) She also got placed in a very challenging school, and though she thrives on it, it's not for everyone. Teaching in NYC can be rough, and if you decided after the first year or two that you'd prefer to be elsewhere, you likely wouldn't be making as much outside the city.

[Yofi]

Thank you all for your responses.

 

Damn, I just found out I got into Teachers College too. It's about $10k cheaper and higher ranked. Do you think that would be a bad idea still? Boy, it would be very hard to say no to Columbia...

[hitomimay]

Congratulations!

One more thing I wanted to add...

If you plan to use your Masters ONLY to teach, then the prestige of the school doesn't matter.

If you intend to further your education by going for a PhD, then the prestige DOES matter because the faculty you work with are weighted greater. But without the PhD, nah... no other circumstance really cares about WHERE you got the degree from.

[Yofi]

Thanks!

 

It is hard to say for sure what I'll want to do after a few years of teaching. That's part of why this is such a difficult decision! 

[LadyStoneheart2013]

for sure nix NYU if you have Columbia. NYU is the WORST for financial aid (speaking from experience as an undergrad and with extensive knowledge of the school's bureaucracy).. CONGRATS though! I agree with the earlier comment, teaching requires the degree, the name is a lot less relevant.