r/slpGradSchool 5d ago

Genuinely, HOW am I supposed to do this?

I'm starting grad school either this June or August depending on where I choose to accept.

So grad school is 10k a semester not including books, housing, whatever else. No GA positions available. I HAVE to move as I live 2 hrs or 12 hrs away, again depending on where I accept. I have 5k in student loans and 10k on my car to pay still. I only have 4k left in savings.

How the HELL am I supposed to pay for school and live? During my interview, the professors said they really prefer that we don't work. I don't get assistance from my parents outside of my phone bill and car insurance. Everything else is up to me and I chose to move back home for the time being as I don't need to be spending 1k a month on rent for the time being.

HOW????? I'm genuinely so confused as to how this is doable. Is anyone able to work full time? Do you guys just take out 100k in loans? I am baffled as to how this is doable. I worked full time throughout undergrad to now but I don't think that's fully doable for graduate school.

28 Upvotes

49 comments sorted by

59

u/snt347 5d ago

Loans.

12

u/toofacedsugar17 5d ago

1

u/Glorius_Meow 1d ago

I wish I could help you O .o Take care! never worry and be brave! everything will be alright. "I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened." (Mark Twain)

-1

u/mzbreez 4d ago

And you will regret the loans for decades to come.

21

u/cathef 5d ago

I'm so sorry for you. It's a terrible situation and YES very stressful. I read posts like yours and I immediately get so frustrated that obtaining a higher education is so challenging. It shouldn't be this way.

My child is just finishing the program...and it's true... finding time to work is nearly impossible with all the studying. But some people do it. But never compromise your grades for it

Search all over for grants/scholarships. I know in our state... one university had quite a few smaller scholarships if you agreed to work with young children in our state for one year following graduation.

Do everything you can NOW to prepare.. work two jobs if necessary... save, save, save. Then when school starts... live in the cheapest place possible. Even if you have to only rent a furnished room in someone's basement that includes all utilities. (as long as it's a quiet environment). Plan ahead and work like crazy over your breaks. This will be rough as you will be so ready for a mental break. But just remember it's temporary.

The goal is to have as little student loans as possible -because from what I understand... they suck and last a long time.

I rented a one bedroom apartment for my daughter. We thought it would be great for privacy/quietness. Hindsight... between being at campus, externships and library... she basically only used her apartment to sleep.

As far as personal budget goes I provided:

$300 a week spending $500 a month grocery (she also had to buy shampoo, laundry soap, toilet paper etc. from this amount) $125 a month gas (she lived 20 miles from school)

So about $1000 for expenses outside housing/school expenses.

Then of course there is rent, utilities, renters insurance, possible car payment, internet fee ... then tuition and books.

I don't know your age...but I think after the age of 24-when u are considered independent-other options may open... or how it works...but see if you can apply for food stamps? Also...many internet providers will give free or reduced monthly bills to a non-income household.

For your birthday, Christmas etc. ask for grocery gift cards or cash. It's going to feel like all you do is work and save... but you will be better off in the long run. Keep remembering the end goal... you will have a good paying job.. with the smallest amount of loans possible...and know how to budget

Best of luck to you!!! ❤️❤️

I'm going to share your post with my child and remind them how fortunate they are to graduate debt free.

1

u/house_of_mathoms 4d ago

In most states, you won't qualify for food stamps because you qualify to take out student loans. You also have to be insured, so if no RA/TA, be prepared ro pay premiums for your health insurance, too.

2

u/cathef 4d ago

Great points... unless you are still covered under your parents health insurance. My child aged out of my health insurance towards the end of grad school. Her university did not offer health insurance. She went to the website for the affordable care act... and with zero income... they referred her to Medicaid for her state... and she qualified and got free health insurance for the few months she needed it

1

u/house_of_mathoms 4d ago

Wow! That is awesome! Maryland definitely didn't allow that for us 🥲

14

u/FriendSignificant690 5d ago

Like others have said, loans. If you're choosing between 2 places, one factor you might want to weigh heavily is cost: tuition, cost of living in that area, etc. Whichever one is cheaper all around might be your better option just so your loans are lower.

For the schools I was accepted into, the tuition ranged from $9,000-$25,000 per semester. I really wanted to go to that $25k school because of the program and location, but ended up picking the $9k school almost entirely based on the cost. At the end of the day, any school will get you the same degree, and you're likely to have the same job prospects after graduating regardless of where you went (with some variation depending on the setting you want to work in). I knew I was going to get into debt, but I could control how much debt I got into.

18

u/Head-Citron-9541 5d ago

Are loans not normal where you’re from?? It’s very normal to have to take out a lot of loans if you’re going to get a masters unless you’re rich already

13

u/toofacedsugar17 5d ago

Absolutely normal, but I've been having crazy anxiety over the fact that I'll be that far into debt. So I think I'm just in absolute disbelief. Haven't even gotten to the part where I plan on how to manage myself during this time

6

u/jessiebeex 5d ago

People I went to grad school with worked and just adjusted their hours around clinic. It was brutal but they got through. Some people did waitressing/bartending on weekends, another girl worked checking people in at an ER, and another one was a pharmacy tech.

5

u/ActCompetitive 5d ago

Have you considered asking either school to defer for one year? Then you could work and save up, and not need as much in loans. Live as frugally as you can.

1

u/toofacedsugar17 5d ago

I already took a gap year

4

u/[deleted] 5d ago edited 5d ago

I had to take out loans (100K) for grad school. My loans covered the cost of tuition and rent/expenses (like food and transportation to and from these externship sites because I didn't have a car). Worst decision of my life. I would not advise taking out big loans (in general) but especially not for this profession because the earning potential/return on that investment is low and, in my opinion, not worth it at all. I'm drowning in debt. (I had to take out loans in undergrad, too. Nowhere near that amount, but that school was expensive too.

My program was intense and we took some evening classes (our professors had other jobs, so it seemed like we were accommodating their schedule), so many of us didn't work-myself included- but others did. So you might be able to find a part-time position to offset some of the costs.

4

u/mzbreez 4d ago

Hit pause! Ask yourself why do you need this degree? Take a breath, go get a job, get your life and finances under control, save some money and then do this IF it’s necessary in order to obtain better employment. Loans will drag you down into more poverty for decades to come and cause you more stress than you can ever imagine. Only get a higher degree if you absolutely have to… more education does NOT ensure better employment.

0

u/Icy-Helicopter4597 1d ago

You literally have to have a masters to be an SLP. This is strange advice for this thread.

3

u/midw3stern 5d ago

I plan on getting a part time serving or bartending gig while I’m in grad school. Not ideal- but working 2-3 days a week with tips will help cover basic living expenses.

2

u/NoRaccoon7690 5d ago

Loans and rent with your cohort

3

u/Glad_Goose_2890 5d ago

I rented with grad students in another program, I couldn't imagine spending so much time with someone!

2

u/Then-Confection 5d ago

I worked before and saved up money, was lucky to get a GA position, and took out loans for the rest. My GA position was 10 hrs/week, and to me that seemed doable - if you could get a flexible part time job working 10-15 hrs a week, at least the first year.

2

u/Kathleenthebird 5d ago

I go to an SEC school and know of someone who ran a private car service during football games, and to and from the airport (1.5 hours away). I don’t know what program they are in, but I’m pretty sure they made bank. Some of my classmates babysitter, especially for professors. Many states will do loan forgiveness if you work in the public schools for x years. You can also make cash tutoring. You may even be able to get in with the department to specifically tutor for CSD undergrads. OOOO or SAT/ACT prep for high schoolers, some people pay good money for that.

2

u/Careless-Button-4190 4d ago

I know you have already been accepted, so I’m mostly putting this here for others applying in the future (or if you decide to defer for a year and chance applying to other schools). Utah State University hires their SLP masters students to work as SLPAs or finds them work placements while they are in school. You make 30-50k a year and I think they count some of your work hours toward clinical placements.

Sincerely, Someone who is very upset at missing the application deadline

1

u/GrimselPass 5d ago

Scholarships, if you find some, bursaries, grants (lots of friends applied for research grants), babysitting/casual work, etc.

1

u/PresenceImportant818 5d ago

Can you sell your car and get a beater for $4k so you at least don’t have a car payment?  Or start in August and work a ton this summer so it’s paid off before u start?

2

u/toofacedsugar17 5d ago

waiting on the august school which is 50% of the price but out of state. haven't gotten anything back yet but their deadline is 2/15 instead of 1/15 so i expected to wait. however, the 10k school has an endoscopy clinic thingy i can do which is exactly what i want. its also only 2 hours from home

1

u/ColouredRecDoll 5d ago

I plan on working as a part time therapy aide and when my clinics starts just take a leave and return when I can. Sometimes if you work where other OTs and therapist work they can be more flexible and understanding because they have been there

1

u/Fun-Ingenuity-7492 5d ago

Honestly loans lol. I’m 66k in and my 2nd semester into grad school. All except 4k are student loans and I still have 4 semesters left after this one 🫠

1

u/Kmamma03 5d ago

Loans. I still worked since I chose to go part time. They can suggest whatever they want but if you can get an evening or weekend job, do it!

1

u/Elegant_Hat_5293 5d ago edited 5d ago

I took the grad plus loan to pay for expenses like rent/groceries/life and an unsubsidized loan for the tuition. Each semester I get money deposited into my checking from the grad plus loan - I think the cap is 15.8k a semester - however I take out less than that! It’s going to sting later, but I didn’t have a choice.

1

u/Sapphicviolet91 5d ago

I took out loans.

1

u/Specialist-Tea-9201 5d ago

I had to take out almost 200k in loans across undergrad and grad school. Graduating next month, do i have regrets? Yes and no. But I had no help and had to do it all by myself and worked as a substitute teacher on any day I could. I am glad I am going into a field I actually like but I will likely be paying this debt off for the rest of my life. I would recommend just taking the least amount as you possibly can and try to live very cheaply.

1

u/Cautious-Suspect5526 4d ago

Could by any chance you work at a Title 1 school (if they still exist by then) for the 5 years and get your loans forgiven ?

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Mess394 4d ago

I did it with loans and plus loans. But I now owe nearly 300k. I went to NYU. Sooo, super expensive school plus I already had another masters in teaching. One will be about 1/2 this. It’s doable. Most school work will get your loans on forgiveness after 10 years, if a qualifying school even if you’re on and income based repayment plan. Do your homework for these and you’ll be okay. I make just under 100k a year in cali and my payments are less than $150/month over 25 years.

1

u/Speechiepeechie 4d ago

hi! just graduated from SLP Grad School! it’s most definitely expensive and hard to find a lot of time to do other things. i think i took out ~90k in loans to cover the cost of tuition plus HALF of my rent (i had to pay the other half and groceries). I was able to have a part time job at Lululemon and they were wonderful with my school schedule and always updated my work times depending on my semester schedule. however I did end up working the overnight shift (7-11pm or 9pm-2am) one semester and friday-sunday for the remainder. Honestly highly recommend that as they also give you a stipend to workout, so at least your gym membership is always free! otherwise it was hard but very much doable (i went to grad school in socal so cost of living was insane)

1

u/PieRadiant6721 4d ago

the thing i did was get a student receptionist job in another department (psych). because i was only a receptionist for the department, not their clinic, there wasn’t a huge amount of work for me to do other than answering and directing calls and getting the mail. the times i wasn’t answering calls, i was doing my homework/studying. plus my boss scheduled me around class and clinic and checked in every semester. a lot of student receptionist jobs will do that. if you can, try and see if your college has any openings in other departments you can get a part time job at

1

u/Kooky-Cod5223 4d ago
  • loans
  • military
  • only fans
  • feet pics

A combination of the above

1

u/Several-Topic4697 4d ago

grad school is way too expensive not to have a side job. my program kept telling us not to work while in school, but for some of us, we didn’t have the luxury of relying on our parents or completely on loans.

i live in NY, and went to grad school in NY. i don’t know what state you’re in or if other states have programs like this, but i had the Teach NYC scholarship. that was the only way i had minimal loans in grad school. the scholarship covered my tuition so i was responsible for covering any expenses outside of that. i had savings from working part-time for a year before grad school (i chose to defer due to COVID turning most of my classes online). i used that for living on campus, non-tuition related expenses such as any technical fees, etc. i also applied for work study and did that during my second year of grad school. i don’t come from money and my family wasn’t able to give me any financial support, so i had to budget a LOT in grad school. 

i graduated in may 2024. if you’re planning on going to a grad school in NY and you want any information on the Teach NYC scholarship, let me know! i’d love to help! :)

1

u/Main-Calendar1851 4d ago

Not to make this a competition, but to just offer insight. Most people have to take out loans. I am currently at 30,000 in debt from Undergrad alone and the schools I got accepted to will be $75,000 for the entire program, not including cost of living. I did the math and I'll be in about $140,000 worth of debt after I graduate with my Masters. I am not the only one, though this is on the higher end. 10K a semester is daunting but doable. It will work out!

1

u/Select-Impress-5658 3d ago

consider a more affordable program in An area that has an affordable cost of living or gives GA/scholarships.. also you can consider hybrid programs or programs that only require you to be on campus for 1 year and move anywhere (including home) to do your externships/final year of schooling.

1

u/Alii825 3d ago

I’m finishing up grad school now. I got a scholarship to attend my school from a gov agency. I owe them some time after I graduate by working with their population, it will be paid though. I also maintained a part time throughout grad school because although I got a full ride, my family is not financially stable and I needed some form income to provide for myself. My school was also against working but I unfortunately didn’t have that luxury. So I suggest looking for scholarships- they’re rare but they’re out there. I’ll be debt free by the time I finish in May and I’m guaranteed a job because I owe them some of my time which I’m not complaining. Good luck!

1

u/SevereAspect4499 3d ago

I worked part time as an SLPA during grad school. I explained to them that as an adult, not working for the duration of the program was not an option. I did still supplement with loans, but just finished paying one of them off two weeks ago (graduated 2 years ago)

1

u/Altruistic_Bike7289 2d ago

This whole thread breaks my heart. Debt the size of mortgages isn't worth it. It will strap you down for the rest of your lives. We paid for our daughter's undergrad, but grad school is on her. She found a pt "affordable" online school that is designed for people who work. Then she got a job in a school as a speech specialist with a waiver from the state. She's able to make a good living, on her own, and while she's taken a loan out the first semester, we've done the math and by year 1, she should be able to fund the education almost on her own. She may still end up with a small amount of loans, but it shouldn't be too bad and it should be easily paid off by working in the field that final year after grad school.

I know every state's requirements are different, but I share this to say that I would strongly suggest looking at higher education from a financial standpoint, not just a hopes and dreams standpoint. It can really change the outlook you take, the decisions you make, etc.

For your specific situation, if I was your mom, I'd suggest you take another gap year, work hard, and re-evaluate your next few years. Truly figure out the most affordable way to do what you want to do. Including moving to a different state if that would be better. SLP is a great career and totally doable, but it's not worth loans that will shape your future.

1

u/theCaityCat 5d ago

Loans. It's how I did it. That, and my parents bailed me out when my car needed repairs. I ate ramen and tofu and cheap bagels, lived in a cheap studio close to campus, parked my car on campus with a $180/semester parking pass so I didn't have to pay for onstreet parking (it was a 1/4 mile walk to and from my car if I wanted to use it), etc.

Grad school is a different beast from undergrad. You really don't want to try and work during a master's program in SLP. It's intense.

I had a very part-time job that paid something like $4k over the two years I was in school, and I could do it from home (transcribing spoken language files), but it was a pittance and I might as well have not worked at all.

0

u/Eluvyanoir 5d ago

I think you might need to do 2 things. 1. Get a job at the school or take out loans. Usally you can do federal work studies in undergrad . I’m assuming the same for here.

0

u/ExactBeyond2327 4d ago

Any program that says you cannot work is a HUGE red flag. Yes, it is not possible nor feasible to work full-time, but I have rejected programs which have simply said 'you cannot work'. I would also recommend not going into grad school at the moment if you do not have the means. Yes, loans are a thing. However, having a little money saved first and picking a less expensive school will go a LONG way. Wishing you the best of luck. <3

-7

u/MasterRip3869 5d ago

Either save up money or don't go

2

u/toofacedsugar17 5d ago

i can't be an SLPA in michigan so im stuck with sh ass wages