“Show me the money!”
Though this phrase may be a bit dated now, some may remember this being used in the movie, “Jerry Maguire,” however, this is also a consistent sentiment that arises from students as they go through the graduate school search. As students move closer to starting graduate school finances for the future take the forefront while other important considerations, at times, get left behind. It would not be the first time I have been told that a student’s college choice was made because of the school’s supposed affordability. This is the nature of our society today, as a graduate school education gets more expensive, more students are trying to find the best buy for their dollar.
Graduate school can be expensive and as a prospective graduate student you need to do your research on what type of possibilities exist at the schools and in the programs you are considering. For some graduate programs, graduate assistantships exist. If your program offers this, you will typically have to apply for this by a specific date to be considered. If you receive an assistantship you will work on campus and typically get a stipend and sometimes a tuition break. At other institutions they may have graduate research assistantships where you will apply to do research with faculty and get paid at the same time. Some other colleges/universities have unique scholarships available to graduate students, but watch closely for deadlines and to the individualized processes that each university requires so as not to miss out on opportunities.
As you are considering your options in regard to paying for graduate school, make sure to start early and ask questions along the way as each school and each college is a bit different from each other.