Paying tuition for graduate school can be pretty tough, especially if you have a family to look out for. However, you can’t let your financial problems get in the way of seeking higher education. Pursuing a master’s degree is very important if you want to have a steady career and better income. If, for example, you want to become a financial consultant or an operations manager of an accounting firm, a Master of Science in accounting degree can help hasten your promotion. In addition, it also adds more credibility to your professional career.
Funding your tuition needs can be a difficult task. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s an impossible one either. With the right motivation and resourcefulness, you can surely find the money that you need. If you really want to pursue higher education without breaking your bank, read on to learn more about useful solutions for funding your postgraduate schooling.
- Don’t store your eggs in just one basket
Simply put, this means that you shouldn’t put all your energy in finding just one sponsor. There are a lot of universities and charitable institutions out there that offer aid to students. In addition, you should also search for other creative ways in searching for money. Instead of just relying on one big grant, you can also opt to apply for several awards. On their own, they do not really provide a large amount of money. But together, you can pull enough funds to accommodate all your basic needs.
- Get an on campus job
Most universities are generous enough to provide on-campus jobs to worthy candidates. Aside from a salary, you can also get great perks like tuition discounts. You can apply for a secretarial job or as a research assistant. Aside from earning money, you can also be exposed to a lot of new information about your chosen field.
- Discuss options with your employer
If you are studying a course that is in line with your field of work, you can talk to your employer and ask for financial assistance or joint funding. They can also arrange a work schedule so you work and study in a more organized way.
- Plan early
If you are planning to go full-time with your studies, you need to plan one year before you actually enroll. This is a big financial commitment, so every step of you plan must be organized. Make an estimate on all the expenses that you might incur while studying.
These are just some of the tips for funding your postgraduate degree. If you can share other pieces of advice, feel free to do so in the comments.
One of the best ways to help pay for a postgraduate degree is a grad assistantship. Depending on the University, they will cover most if not all of your tuition and give you a stipend for expenses.
At one point my prior employer offered some tuition support for classes and further education. I had no interest in further education at the time so I didn’t pursue anything back then. I also would have still had to pay for the vast majority of the costs and go to school part-time while working which was more than I wanted to take on. It would be nice to have an MBA, but I still am not interested in going back to school to get one. 😉