Grad School After JET/Non-resident Tuition Back Home

[BJJ]

After doing JET and being away for a few years and then going back to your home for school, did anyone encounter any issues with tuition being affected by your absence? In California there are usually residency requirements usually one or two years or living in California to get the lower, resident tuition rate. Can anyone share their experience with this? In my case if I were considered to be a non-resident, I would have to pay 3 times as much and that would really suck.

[Gizmotech]

I'm not aware if the us rules, but Canadians are still considered residents of their particular province while on jet. You should check and see if it's the same thing, as it's usually party of the jet programme exchange stuff.

[Ini]

At the returners conference UK people were told to lie and play other universities off against each other (for example tell York that Leeds are willing to charge you the resident rate and vice versa. chances are one of them will cave in because grad school tuition is money for old rope)

[webstaa]

Ideally, you shouldn't be paying for grad school (unless its law or med school.) Although a lot of grad programs are expanding and the job market for most post-grads is already at or near saturation...

[BJJ]

Ideally, you shouldn't be paying for grad school (unless its law or med school.) Although a lot of grad programs are expanding and the job market for most post-grads is already at or near saturation...

What do you mean? I would imagine that's the way it works. You finish JET and then, if you so choose, move on to grad school and either take out loans or pay for it yourself as you go. And, at least in California public universities, it is my understanding that there are no grants for master's programs, only for undergrad or credential students. Unless you get hired by a company that promotes/requires higher education and pays for your tuition. Is this what you mean?

[Ini]

join the marines and make them pay for it.

Semper Fi!

[webstaa]

Between grants (Federal baby, states are pretty worthless), fellowships, and working for the school (research or undergrad instruction), as well as tuition waivers and reimbursement, you shouldn't pay much at all, unless you are going for an MBA, Law School, or Med school. If you're going into the hard sciences, chances of not having to pay double. There are always research positions open for grad students, as well as running labs etc. You might have less chances if your in the 'softer' divisions in the humanities where there is less publishing and long hours of research to be pawned off on grad students. Its also much cheaper for universities to use their grad students as instructors for low level classes (teaching a set curriculum) or as assistants for lecturers in the massive 200-300 student sections of core classes.

So, between grants (of which there are quite a few, you just have to do the legwork to apply for them), fellowships and scholarships, assistant work (research assistant, TA etc), tuition wavers (and tax incentives) - you can cover a very large part of your tuition, depending on the school and field you want to get into. You have to do the legwork to find which one you want to go to as well as which school isn't looking for your cash alone.

[Gizmotech]

Edit : also what webstaa said. traditionally grad programs have stipends and ta work which covers the cost of the program. If they don't have that they should have tuition wavers. If you're paying for the full thing (with or without loans) it had better have a certification at the end like lawyer teacher or doctor.

[BJJ]

Edit : also what webstaa said. traditionally grad programs have stipends and ta work which covers the cost of the program. If they don't have that they should have tuition wavers. If you're paying for the full thing (with or without loans) it had better have a certification at the end like lawyer teacher or doctor.

I wasn't aware of that but are you talking about the way things work in the US? If you are talking about a different country things may be different.

With me heading to grad school for an MA in applied linguistics, I did everything I had to do for financial aid but only getting unsubsidized loans, which might be a deal breaker for me.

[Gizmotech]

I am talking about both. My friend who got his PhDs in linguistics said that unless it's free there's no point in having it.