<p>Many schools have become dependent on the cheap labor provided by graduate students who are NOT interested In a academic career (hence not PhD candidates) and the option to have a “posted” tuition on the high side but generous “rebates” is not unusual. This is just a different way to offer financial aid and not necessarily a great solution when the practice permeates the education of unsuspecting undergraduates as not every graduate student is prepared, qualified, trained, or remotely interested in sitting in front of a glass. </p>
<p>The practice is hardly unselfish but mostly a calculated attempt to hire the cheapest labor available. And the best part is that the hired guns consider it an honor! </p>
<p>@xiggi, well, the hired guns <em>do</em> get something out of it. Presumably, no one forced them to enter the graduate program against their free will.</p>
<p>PT, I never said that they did not get anything out of it. My point Is that the school is offering a disguised labor contract in the form of a tuition rebate. Could they offer “merit” aid that is not tied to work expectations at the school or lower the tuition in the first place? </p>
<p>A secondary point might be that this is by design to ensure the relevance if not subsistence of entire academic departments. The value and the rarity of the practice must rest in the eye of the beholder. </p>
<p>S received no funding for his MS at journalism school. (Commonly the terminal degree in the profession.) I gather that few do. There is no such thing as a TA in the program. He was awarded a nice outside scholarship for journalism students from a foundation. It’s an expensive degree, but it was invaluable to him.</p>
<p>My d was approximately 75% fully funded for the two year MFA in Painting and Drawing. This is the terminal degree in the field although you can of course apply and get a second Master’s Degree in Printmaking, etc. Her funding was tuition remission and she did of course work as a TA and she also picked up additional jobs running student art gallery, private art gallery. In her second year of grad school she was paid as adjunct faculty rather than TA which also reduced the cost of her health insurance as she had some of that cost reduced as well. </p>
<p>I got fully funded anywhere I want to attend for a Master’s in Engineering. It’s looking like I got into Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, and UT Austin. Still waiting to hear back from Stanford and Berkeley. My package is 100% full funding for any school costs and a 50k+ stipend (when I count going home and working the summer for the sponsor of my funding). I am not required to work during school just be a student (no ga/ta/ra etc required). So there are great opportunities out there if you are the top of your field for the sciences. I’m not sure about non engineering though.</p>
<p>In my applications the universities have offered me full funding through a PhD too (Carnegie and UT so far) so phd is more lucrative through the school. Outside of the school you will get the best funding opportunities via fellowships, company sponsors etc. Just look around, get your child into internships and have them network their way around in addition to work their ass off at the internship and they’ll have great recommendations </p>
<p>Son’s mba at unc is a merit fellowship tuition/fees/health insurance/+$$ no work required. It is part of a dual degree, an md, and the md is also funded through a scholie. Other son’s gf at usc cinematic arts 3 year masters is also funded.</p>
<p>Yes, we (parents) are paying for the Grad. School, only one payment is left to make, yeye!!
However, both of us (parents) were paid for MBA by various employers. This was the only reason why we got our MBA’s, we do not need it in our jobs, not at all, but why not if somebody is paying.</p>
<p>My grad program (one of the schools of the University of Michigan) gave me full tuition for a masters, the normal terminal degree in the profession. There were no expectations of work attached, but I did get a part-time job to pay for living expenses and acquire further experience in my field. The funding came completely out of left field, but I am quite glad, as I would not have been able to seek this degree otherwise. </p>
DD was fully funded at an ivy for a Master’s degree (tuition plus 20K stiped.) She also earned additional money TAing. The university has deep pockets and had received a large donation to help fund the program.