<p>I just got my acceptance to Columbia's Narrative Medicine M.S. program. I never applied for scholarships in the past but seeing as how Columbia's tuition is close to 50k, I'm really going to have to look and try hard to apply for scholarships and loans. My question is this: Since I just got admitted and is now approaching June, am I very limited to my financial options? I looked at a few scholarship websites listed on Columbia's FinAid page and see I missed the deadline by several months. Because of this, I'm thinking of deferring for a year and applying for scholarships next year. But I'd rather not do that if there were other options. Thoughts? Would it be considered normal to do a work-study and take out private loans?</p>
<p>My understanding about grad school programs is that scholarships are few and far between. You need to get a stipend of sorts. That’s what everyone I know has done. The exception is with professional programs that are funded mostly by loans unless your family has the money. There are few scholarships available and most are for token amounts.</p>
<p>Did you think about how you were going to fund this program? You know that Columbia does not meet 100% of need for grad students? A lot of their masters programs are to make some money is what I hear, and that is the case for many colleges. The grants, fellowships and stipends go towards PHD students in academic disciplines.</p>
<p>You should be eligible for Grad Plus loans and you may be able to secure a TA position. TA’s often receive tuition plus a stipend as compensation.</p>
<p>Your department should be able to advise you about this. Sometimes there is no aid available for first year students, but many second year students receive teaching assistantships and/or research assistantships based on their success in coursework and/or research the first year. Don’t forget to ask about support for summer research and/or fieldwork projects!</p>