I’m graduating college this year, and I want to do my masters. I’m currently studying in the UK as an international student, and planning on going home after graduation, so I’d be able to study at a college around New Jersey or New York or online. The problem is money. Are there any scholarships available for postgraduate students? Is it feasible to fund a degree with a part-time job?
Basically, I need to figure out what my options are.
A master’s degree in what?
Find a (full time) job that will pay for your degree.
There is a grad forum but for the financial aspects, it really depends on what degree you are seeking. Many MS are self pay. But there are ways to get help via TA, RA, GA-ship at a research school. Or sometimes being a very top candidate.
I’m majoring in physics and philosophy currently. As for what I want to get a masters in, there are a lot of things I’m possibly interested in. Maybe one of my current subjects. Maybe biology, something I once considered majoring in a while back. Or maybe something else entirely. To be honest, I just find that I enjoy learning things in school (as strange as that may sound).
@BrownParent What do the terms TA, RA, and GA stand for?
Teaching Assistant , Research Assistant and Graduate Assistant
Since you clearly do not know what you want to pursue a masters in, perhaps you should delay getting one. SInce most masters are self pay, it does not make sense to take on additional debt without a plan. I think that you should try to find a job after graduation until you have a clearer idea as to what you want to do.
Master’s programs are not like an intellectual summer camp where you get to do arts and crafts in the morning and soccer in the afternoon. You will be competing for admissions (and fellowships, research opportunities, professor’s time and attention, etc) with highly focused students who know exactly what and why they want to study a particular field and sub-field.
I know so many adults who racked up a Master’s degree to avoid having to decide what they wanted to be when they grew up- most of them regret it, because by the time they were 27 or so and were actually ready to apply to grad school, they had already chewed up their savings, borrowing capacity, or “bank of mom and dad” on that initial degree.
I agree with Sybbie here. It’s great that you love to learn- but graduate school isn’t what you think it is.
Financial aid for masters programs is based on the strength of you application for a specific program, and that program’s desire to have you as a member of their cohort. Aid comes in the form of fellowships, scholarships, assistantships, grants, sometimes work study, and loans.