How can I pay for the remaining $$$?

[academiccricket]

So, I accepted a spot in an M.A. program, with tuition being $41,000/yr. I was given a $15,000 scholarship, and federal loans allow grad. students to take approx. $20,000 a year. Which leaves a $5,000 balance (if I want to do the Summer Language Program--which I do--it is more like a $10,000 balance)...

I was laid off from my job in February, and I was denied a private educational loan. My parents refuse to co-sign a private educational loan because of "the economy"...so, I don't know how to pay for this extra balance.

Any suggestions I don't know about?

[TulipOHare]

Talk to the fin aid people at your school. I was in a similar pinch one year in undergrad (not enough federal loans, couldn't get private loans) and they were able to creatively rearrange things to cover me. You could see if they could get you some work-study -- it might suck to have to work, but it still leads to cash money. They might also know of some additional loan sources. At the very least, they should be able to come up with a payment plan so you're not totally screwed.

[Dreams]

Search for an on campus work study or assistantship if there are any. Some assistantships come with tuition remission. If you are interested in languages, you may want to look into an FLAS for next year.