Right now, I am in my second year of my bachelor degree and now I am beginning to worry about graduate school. I want to be an occupational therapist and I know that after my degree I will get no aid. I am completely financially independent and cannot return to my mom as it is an unfit situation for me to live. Her alcohol problem is why I am on my own right now. There is no other family that will allow me to live with them for free. So right now, I work part-time (30 hours a week) to cover my living expenses. I added my expenses up and living on the bare minimal, I pay out 6264 a year. Graduate school is going to be so much harder than what I am doing now. I have looked into the programs and I do not think I will be able to work. The program’s recommends that you do not work and I do not think I will have the time to work since fieldwork and classes can last every day from early morning to around seven at night. I have looked at how much it would cost in tuition on the two schools that I was thinking to apply to in two years. The public school will cost 30,000 (5000 a semester) for the three years. The private school will cost 78,000 (13,000 a semester) for the three years. So if I went to the public it would be 48,792 in loans and if I went to the private school it would be 96,792. This honestly scares me to death. I know if I become a therapist I would make enough to pay it… but still. Could anybody that has been through this give me advice? I am worrying so much, I was thinking about changing my major. I really don’t want to do that though.
Go to the public university. If you want to be an occupational therapist, the course of study towards licensure will be the same at both schools.
I was wanting to apply to both just in case the public does not accept me.
You will have to do that. But if you are admitted both places, choose the public one.
I have several friends who paid for their grad programs entirely with loans. They are slowly getting rid of the loans, but all of them are happy in their careers and think that they made the right decision.
It’s fairly common to have to borrow a lot for graduate school. You should limit it if at all possible of course.
About changing majors – keep in mind that changing majors can often prolong the time you spend in undergrad. What would you change to? Would it be something that would interest you as much as occupational therapy? Would it pay more? I get that it’s nervewracking, but changing majors to duck grad school isn’t always a good idea.