Should I go broke, go into debt, or quit school?
I’ve done some crunching on my expenses and I’ve got to make some hard choices. I’ve just started a program for an MA in history. My BA is in the same thing. However, it looks like I won’t be getting much financial aid, except for loans.
I don’t think I can work a full-time job and succeed in grad school. I successfully did it during my undergrad, but grad school takes more concentration. I have enough in savings to last 2 years if I work part time. At the completion of my master’s I’ll be about broke.
They’re offering me $8500 a year in loans, which is about what I need for school and rent. But then I’d be adding $17k to the $10k I already have in student loan debt.
Or I could just finish this semester of school and then go to work somewhere full time for a couple years and come back to school. I worry that this degree won’t pay off vs. what I’m going to have to spend to get it, so I’m seriously considering that too.
Any advice?
Do you know exactly what you want to do with a MA in history? Does it require getting an MA? If you have a goal, and know exactly what you want to do (career wise), then I think you should finish it. But if it’s about getting another degree b/c you aren’t sure what you want to do, it’s not worth the money.
I have one masters degree, and working on a second masters degree right now. I feel that my first masters was a waste of time and the second one will pay off. I’ve always worked full time during both undergrad and grad school. I find that grad schools are geared more towards students who work full-time or have families. Overall, grad school seemed a lot easier, of course it can be different depending on what program and what school you go to. I think you should work full time if you don’t want to be broke at the end.
Also, try to find a job at the school. Full time employees at my school get 12 credits tuition exemption per calendar year and part-time employees get 6 credits.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
