Do UCLA and/or USC offer any full-tuition + living stipend fellowships?

[MMM2015]

Is anyone aware of whether UCLA or USC offer any full-tuition + living stipend fellowships for their MPP/MPA programs?  (I know how greedy this sounds, but I'm just curious.) 

 

Thanks in advance for any input!

[thewildchild]

I second this question.

[dyavrom]

i know USC has the Deans Merit Scholarship that can either cover 1/2 OR full tuition, nothing about living stipend though.  that's pretty common knowledge though so you prob knew that already.  here is the list of their scholarships/fellowships for the MPP program.   http://priceschool.usc.edu/students/financial-aid/masters-opportunities/

 

i recall UCLA having quite a few scholarship/fellowships as well, but I dont know whether they offered a living stipend as well.  i can dig up that info if you think you'll need it.  

 

also you can work as a TA, do research or intern with USC to get money to pay for your housing.  

Edited April 22, 2013 by dyavrom

[thewildchild]

Whats the max ucla gives out generally? does anyone know.

[hopeful88]

I believe I've seen people post on the UCLA thread that they were offered full-ride fellowships (but no one mentioned a living stipend, as far as I know). Not sure if the offers were renewable for the second year. I personally received $12,000 in funding for my first year only, but I was pleased with that because it was a second-round offer (I was initially admitted without funding, asked them to reconsider, and they offered me funding after I attended the Admitted Students event).

[thewildchild]

Are you going to UCLA, then?

[hopeful88]

Still waiting to see if Berkeley is going to let me in, since I'm wait listed there...that's really for personal reasons, though. It would be easier for me to attend school in the Bay Area because I'm already living here, and I need to consider my family circumstances. But I really like the program at Luskin, and I plan to go there if Berkeley doesn't let me in (I negotiated a few extra days before I need to make a final decision). I'm hoping I will know where I'm going by the end of this week.

[socal_kid]

The max fellowship offered by UCLA this year did not cover tuition fully the first year. It is ~$18k, with tuition expected to increase to around ~$24k this year according to the program leads. Alternatively, there is no stipend and it seems as though the opportunities to land tuition remission positions are entirely up to the student's initiative and qualifications.

Edited April 23, 2013 by jesus_shuttlesworth

[thewildchild]

^ Did you go to admitted students day? What did you think?

[hopeful88]

Not sure if you were replying to me or Jesus, but I'm happy to share my impressions from the Admitted Students Day. I attended the Admitted Students Day at the University of Chicago as well as UCLA. I skipped Columbia's event, and I didn't attend UC Berkeley's event since I am wait listed there. Overall, I got a very positive impression of Luskin. Since it's a public school, they certainly didn't drop as much $ as Harris did on their event, but I came away with the feeling that the program is very solid and rigorous in terms of academics (especially the quant/econ courses), and that the faculty is top notch and very available/receptive to students. I have since been connected to several alum who are working in my area of policy interest (education/social welfare), and they all loved the program and felt that it prepared them to be very competitive in the work force.

 

I like the fact that the entering cohort is small (50-60 students max I was told), and there is a lot of individual attention given to each student. At the same time, the program is situated within the School of Public Affairs, as well as the broader context of all the centers and other projects happening on the UCLA campus, so you get access to resources that come along with a bigger program as well. I have not gotten the sense that career/internship support is all that extensive (I've been told that Maciek is fantastic, and have had positive interactions with him, but I think he's kind of a one man show--not sure about Sherry Dodge, haven't interacted with her).

 

I feel confident that UCLA is a great fit for those interested in urban education, social welfare policy, and health and labor issues. I get the sense that those are their strongest areas based on the faculty, but that doesn't mean there isn't good work happening outside of those areas. I just haven't done the research because it's not what I'm interested in personally. I have also been told by several folks familiar with the program that it has more of a "social justice" bent then some of the other top programs, and it is very well connected to the broader community and has an "urban laboratory" feel. I suppose this could be a plus or a minus, depending on your perspective.

 

I did find that the admitted students I met at Luskin were not quite as impressive as the Harris cohort in terms of work experience and professional achievements. Also, I think the program is strongest for those who want to work on the West Coast. That is NOT to say that Luskin grads don't intern and get jobs in DC, they DO, but it doesn't seem to be a main focus of the program. I live in CA and plan to remain here, so this is not a concern for me. And yes, the rankings are not as high. But after doing a lot of investigating I feel confident that Luskin offers a really solid education and lots of great opportunities to take advantage of, especially in their policy areas of strength. And several alum I've talked to had turned down Berkeley for Luskin due to personal reasons, and had no regrets. So that tells me that there are still top students selecting the program.

 

Hope this is helpful...I've spent a LOT of time thinking about it, as you can tell . I would love to hear whether other folks agree with the impressions I've formed.