<p>I'm 27 and I was recently admitted to GS. Now I'm faced with the decision as to whether it is worth going into heavy debt by attending Columbia.</p>
<p>At the moment, I make an OK living (80k) doing IT work and have absolutely zero debt (my only critical expense is rent). When I enroll in school the plan is to go to school full time and quit my job. Or at most, work 15-20 hours a week. The only way I can pay for Columbia is by taking out loans and by the time I graduate I calculate I would have taken out 100-150k.</p>
<p>I don't want to attend Columbia part time as I'd like to graduate as soon as possible and I'd rather not work full time so I can concentrate on my studies.</p>
<p>A: How good is financial aid in GS (I'm Hispanic, if it makes a difference)? I've heard that after you perform well academically for one or two semesters, they give you more aid, is this true? How much financial aid should I expect from Columbia? Remember that I will not have a job after I enroll so my income will be virtually zero. Parents are retired and cannot help.</p>
<p>B: Is it worth it to spend that much money on an education from Columbia? Part of me thinks it is, but I also think about the fact that I could attend CUNY Baruch with only 20k in student loans.</p>
<p>I guess I'm getting cold feet after looking at the price tag. Any insight or useful information is very welcome.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>