College funding-adult post BA

[Singleminnie]

Hey, I know if anyone can help my friends here will have some suggestions. I am a single mother of three, and I am looking to return to college. I have a bachelor of science degree in Psychology, with a minor in Anthropology. I have always told myself I would return to further my education once my youngest went to school. Well, my youngest DD is going to kindergarten this fall. I have worked in the human resources/legal area for the past 11 yrs, so I am thinking about getting a MBA or going for a law degree. It would also be great to be able to do some of it online. I have been searching for some funding, but all I find are for those who are entering college or have not obtained their degree yet. I would appreciate any suggestions! thanks in advance

 

[patsal]

Hey, I know if anyone can help my friends here will have some suggestions. I am a single mother of three, and I am looking to return to college. I have a bachelor of science degree in Psychology, with a minor in Anthropology. I have always told myself I would return to further my education once my youngest went to school. Well, my youngest DD is going to kindergarten this fall. I have worked in the human resources/legal area for the past 11 yrs, so I am thinking about getting a MBA or going for a law degree. It would also be great to be able to do some of it online. I have been searching for some funding, but all I find are for those who are entering college or have not obtained their degree yet. I would appreciate any suggestions! thanks in advance

When I went back to school after my BA I dfound little to nothing out there as far as grants. I ended up taking out a loan. No regrets, but it was expensive!

 

[kandeebunny]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but as a current MA student I have a bit of experience in this. There are no grants available past your BA degree. You can get federal loans by filling out a FAFSA, but it isn't cheap. Private scholarships are often available, but very hard to come by. Does your employer have an educational re-embursement program?

As for online, check out snhu.edu and umassonline.net I've taken courses through both as a traveling scholar. UMass online does not charge out of state tuition. SNHU has completely online programs, but I don't remember if there were differences in price for in and out of state.

 

[Sadie22]

As the previous poster mentioned, there can be money available for post-bachelor's degree education through employers and the educational institutions themselves as well as through private organizations such as American Association for University Women. It depends on the degree sought as to whether an educational institution can offer teaching assistantships, tuition remission, and fellowships to fund living expenses.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

YOu did not mention what you would be getting your MA in? Sometimes at least in my state there was a loan forgiveness program if you became a sped teacher and taught in a public school in a depressed area for 5 years(that is if you can get the job.

ETA YOU DID mention what you were getting your MA in. I just read as far as psychology and figured it would be a masters in Psych which by the way is also pretty useless right not unless you are going to open your own practice.

 

[lastminutemom]

Do not spend a fortune for a law degree in this economy unless you can be certain you can graduate at the tippy top of your class. The market for new lawyers is brutal right now. The big salaries you hear about, even when the economy was strong, were for top students. Where you go to law school often matters as well.

Are you working somewhere with tuition assistance? I am guessing not, because you would probably know that.

Work backwards, first. Figure out what you really want to do first, research potential jobs and salaries and then go from there.

 

[kandeebunny]

I forgot to mention look in in to TA,and GA positions as well. They have been available to me, but I had to complete 18 graduate credits to be a TA and 9 to be a GA. While these are awesome options they are highly competitive spots (free tuition and at some schools health benefits plus living expenses!) each school has different requirements based on field and credit requirements.

If you want an MBA most schools require 5 years experience in the field to be admitted to the program, which could be helpful in obtaining funding from your employer.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Check the school you want to attend. Do they give free classes for people who work there? And are there any jobs available that would be cost effective for change.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Many employers offer tuition assistance/reimbursement. Also, some employers will pay for your advanced degree if it is of benefit to the company and you agree to work for the company for a certain period of time. For example, DW's MLS degree was paid in full by her employer in exchange for a 3-year payback. There are also various programs available through the military.

 

[crisi]

Do not spend a fortune for a law degree in this economy unless you can be certain you can graduate at the tippy top of your class. The market for new lawyers is brutal right now. The big salaries you hear about, even when the economy was strong, were for top students. Where you go to law school often matters as well.

Are you working somewhere with tuition assistance? I am guessing not, because you would probably know that.

Work backwards, first. Figure out what you really want to do first, research potential jobs and salaries and then go from there.

The MBA market is pretty flooded right now as well - but by the time you graduate, who knows? I have a number of "recently" graduated MBA friends who have been looking for work since graduation - three years ago.

So if you do pursue a law degree or MBA, hang onto your current job. Your best chance of making use of it may be where you are.