How to find free money to pay for graduate school in psychology
Once you have established to continue onto advanced study, your next question is very likely to be: How do I pay for graduate school? I have a very simple answer for that – Don’t. Some might accuse me of being idealistic, but the honest truth is, there are lots of universities that can (and will) chip in on the expenses for you to further your education.
Again, ask me how I know. Virtually all of my graduate school expenses were covered by fellowship. Tuition guaranteed for five years, stipend for living costs, and health insurance. There were a couple of semesters that I had to earn my keep through teaching undergraduate classes, but that’s pretty much par for the course. You need teaching experience – and you will definitely get it. Granted the stipend wasn’t much (I’m sure you’re familiar with the term “broke grad student” – which I definitely was), but it provided enough financial assistance so that I wasn’t accumulating thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt just to attend grad school. That little fact let me sleep a whole lot easier at night.
Other universities were offering two years of guaranteed funding… you find the rest, but “no one has ever had a problem finding money.” How reassuring (NOT!). While it may be the case that no one else has had a problem securing funding, I wasn’t about to take a chance on setting a precedent. (Disclaimer: I don’t necessarily advocate turning down programs solely because of financial considerations. It should be one part of the decision process, not the sole deciding factor.)
Finding money for grad school basically means doing your research. Consult with prospective universities to find out assistantship or fellowship options. Even still, others receive financial support via organizations such as the National Institute of Health or National Science Foundation which fund graduate student research.
Need Free Cash to Pay for Grad School?
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