I’m applying to school counseling MA programs at San Diego State (currently attending for BA), University of San Diego, and Point Loma Nazarene. SDSU is my first choice since I am currently attending there and it is the cheapest option.
I am in a difficult spot. My dad passed away in March 2020. He made 80% of our household income. Now I am having to apply for financial aid but don’t really know where to start since this is something my dad would have helped me with. So I am stressed about it and it is very emotional since it reminds me of my dad.
The 2 year tuitions (entire program) are as follows-
SDSU= $15,000
USD= $72,000
PLNU= $36,000
In addition to applying to the 3 schools’ scholarships/grants and FASFA, are there any legitimate websites that offer financial aid? Sometimes you have to fit a certain demographic to apply to some scholarships (ex- first to attend college, parents served in the army, etc)… Are there any that are specific to students who are from a widowed family?
BTW- I will not apply for any loans. I am only looking for financial aid that I do not need to pay back.
You will file a FAFSA form for the colleges and since you will be a grad student, only your income and assets will be listed.
Keep in mind, however, that aid for grad programs is usually based on the strength of your application. It comes in the form of assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, grants, sometimes work study, and loans.
So…apply for aid through the colleges.
You could contact the department chair and the office of graduate admissions to find out what sorts of scholarships are available for students in your grad program, and how to apply.
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I can’t offer advice about external scholarships, but I can give some SDSU advice. Contact the virtual desk of Financial Aid and explain your story in detail. They may have some advice about other SDSU scholarships and funding or can offer suggestions. There are some funds at the school like Courage through Cancer that assist students who are going through some tough financial times. Ask them to check to see if you are eligible for work study (they don’t always note that in your AidLink - my son had to ask directly and they gave it to him). Depending upon your GPA, there is one SDSU Alumni scholarship that is open to grad students. You have a compelling story and SDSU Alumni is all about supporting the school community.
Reach out to your professors in the department who you have connected with over the years and explain your situation and ask if they have any suggestions. When my son was a senior (undergrad), he reached out to his research advisor about ways for him to earn an income while he was in grad school and he ended up applying to be a TA. That income covered his 2 year program and living expenses (he lived at home one year to save money in order to move to his PhD program city) but unlike his PhD program at another university, he had to apply to be a TA in his department at SDSU and go through that hiring process. Also, reach out to your department/chair/etc. and talk with them about it. My kids also sent their CVs to their professors or any staff they had connected with to see if they knew of anyone hiring (and if they did to please forward the CV to them). They found several jobs/internships this way.
Finally, check out the San Diego Foundation. They do have scholarships available and you might meet the requirements for some. I know they mainly have ones for undergrads, but might have some for grad students, too. In 2020, they gave $3+ million in scholarships.
If you need living expenses covered, look at Housing. Their application period starts soon for 2021-22 for Community Assistants, etc. and they love to have grad students in some of these positions.
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