<p>Hi, I just got admitted to USC's MFA program for film/tv. I won't get my financial aid info until next week, but I hear USC doesn't offer much (if any) aid for film MFAs. Would it be easy find a job in the film industry after graduation (Ideally, I'd like to direct). It's in LA and really well-connected to the film industry, but is it really worth $100k+. How long will I likely be in debt? Thanks so much.</p>
<p>yikes!</p>
<p>That is such a competitive industry.</p>
<p>You’re probably right about FA…FA is often non-existent for masters. Do they offer any kind of merit for masters? </p>
<p>How long will you likely be in debt? Well, unless you magically hit it big within a few years, you’ll be in debt for a long, long time.</p>
<p>Absolutely not — you simply can’t afford debt in that industry. What would end up happening is that your debt would stand in the way of your success, because you would need a regular day job to earn enough money to pay off your loan, and wouldn’t be available for the type of projects that would get you ahead in the industry.</p>
<p>The film industry is very much contract and project based, as well as highly competitive, so income can be very sporadic, and you usually are on your own for things such as health insurance. If you seriously want to get into that industry, then ideally you should be debt free, so that you can afford to work for very low pay to make the connections and do the resume building you will need for the long term.</p>
<p>Very good advice.</p>
<p>They offer competitive scholarships, assistantships, and fellowships after the first semester, but not to incoming students. I think you’re probably right – I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable with that much debt. It’s really connected to the industry, but I don’t think that will guarantee me a high-paying gig.</p>