Money dilemma

[MsAmira]

Hello fellow grad students/applicants! I'm in a bit of a pickle

I am currently in my first year of study in a clinical program. However, there are a few things about my program that are making me wonder whether it's the right fit for me. I'll just focus on the money part for this post because I don't want to make it too long! So essentially, because I attend a small college, in terms of funding, it is quite limited as I am finding out and tuition is very expensive. I am also a Canadian student and the current exchange rate isn't exactly helping my situation either!

At this rate, with the limited scholarships available, I am beginning to wonder whether it's even feasible for me to stay at the school. I know I will incur debt as a graduate student in a clinical psychology program, but I don't want my debt to be unreasonable either. So transferring to a cheaper program may be the best option. I am looking at a Master's program in psychology (a non-clinical program). I am unsure about it because it isn't a clinical program, but it is much more affordable and with decent grades, there's a good chance of progressing onto the clinical program. Any advice would be really appreciated!

[rising_star]

A lot of this depends on what you want. Are you looking to go into clinical practice? Would you be able to do the clinical work you want to do with a master's? If the answer to the second question is no, then I'm not sure what you would gain by going to a non-clinical program. It seems like you might be better off taking a leave of absence to see what it is you really want to do, rather than taking on more debt when you're unsure about the program you're in. 

[MsAmira]

Thanks for the reply! If I get accepted into another clinical program (with more funding), that would be ideal! But, the program I mentioned is a Master's and then I would apply to that school's clinical program. Because the application process is internal (they only take students from the master's program), I would have a decent chance to get in (depending on grades, etc)m but it would still be a risk. But yes, I do need to be in a clinical program to do what I want to do! 

[rugox]

As a fellow Canadian studying abroad in the U.S., I share your pain in the money issues. Honestly, even with a fully funded program, it's going to be very difficult making ends meet financially. I highly suggest that you take the time to explore some scholarships you can apply to. If you do not have a U.S. citizenship, you are also going to run into various unforeseen costs (e.g., internship credits, externship credits) that international students face inevitably.