<p>So I was talking to a professor and he explained to me that, at least for engineering, you shouldn't have to pay anything if you are accepted. It was explained to me that one should be able to get a research assistant job or teaching assistant job to cover costs, even Masters.</p>
<p>Now for those of you in grad school or who have gone through it for engineering, would you agree with these claims or are there some common cases where it isn't true? I know PhDs are basically covered, so I am more worried about costs for a Masters. Also, I know getting fellowships can cover schooling costs but those are much harder to nail, so I will assume that isn't an option in a worst case scenario.</p>
<p>I don’t know about other universities but there are lots of full-paying Master’s students at Stanford. (Some engineering departments even admit PhD students without funding. Then it’s up to the students to secure an RA or TA position, often after arriving on campus.)</p>
<p>Okay well that sounds sucky. I have actually specifically heard before that Stanford is like that, though I never knew they did that to PhD students. Anyways thanks for your input!</p>
<p>It really depends on the university (and to some related extent, the prestige of your program). Some people in top-tier universities don’t pay anything even for a master’s, and they are sometimes also able to receive a modest stipend to cover their living expenses. However, some PhD students in mid-tier universities don’t get full funding. At least in the cases that I know, they either get very little salary, or partial tuition. So if you’re concerned, you’re better off directly asking the university (or the grad students in the university).</p>
<p>It varies a lot for Masters but for universities which have both Masters and Ph.D. programs, the funding is often predominantly offered to Ph.D. students.</p>
<p>Interesting. I suppose I will see what happens down the road. Although I would want to go for a Masters right out of college, if I can’t find a way to pay for it, be it through RA or TA positions or (if I found a genie…) a fellowship, I will probably go to work and just go back to school later on. I am just going to apply next year and see if I gain any opportunities. </p>
<p>At my school, UIUC, a grad student I was in a class with last semester explained to me that, at least at UIUC, the engineering students are almost always able to get RA or TA positions to pay for the schooling. Let’s hope he is right in a year from now!</p>
<p>In engineering, it may be a plus to work for a while before going for a M.S. and your employer may even pay for it. Lot of our engineering Masters students at IIT have jobs in the Chicago area and are taking courses part time.</p>
<p>Yeah that is definitely an option. I want to dive into grad school right after my undergrad but I won’t do it if it will make life difficult financially. We will see what happens, I still have a good amount of time. Thanks for your advice xraymancs.</p>
<p>would this be a good idea? 1st and 2nd semester, take only 1 course and do part time research in a school lab and some outside work to earn money. after those two semesters ask that lab if they can fund you.</p>
<p>i actually might try and do that (if i don’t secure funding for MSc). It will take longer to graduate, but I don’t mind because it means I will have more time to look for internships and jobs. Any other ideas?</p>