A reader writes:

As a working professional, we have found that it is difficult for our son to have access to grants and other educational opportunities.  Yes he does apply but he is always told that we are above the income guidelines.  My son will graduate next year from the University.. He wants to attend graduate school next year.  Can you help us?

Sincerely,Helen M

My response:

You didn't say what sort of graduate school your son was interested in attending as this can make a difference with respect to what options/opportunities are available. (She later responded philosophy and law).

In general, there is more aid available for undergraduate students than there is for graduate students in part because it is assumed that people going to graduate school are likely going to make enough moneywhen they finish that they can just borrow the money. In fact this is frequently true as banks typically love to loan money to people who will have a graduate degree provided the degree is in something thatwill allow them to pay back the loan. This is how most students in the US pay for school who are not already well off enough to pay for their school using funds of their own or from family members.

I went to medical school and paid for it mainly with government student loan programs that were with very low interest rates - in some cases lower than 5% and most of these loans did not even accumulate interest at all until I graduated and in many cases until I completed both my residency and fellowship which was 5 years after completing medical school. This is a very good deal but be warned that the banks are so eager to make these loans that they make it too easy to borrow far more than you really need to get accomplished what you want to getaccomplished which of course can create pretty serious debt by the time the payments are due.

Another option is that in some fields an employer will pay for education in return for something to work for them. In the case of nursing anesthesia for example this is fairly common. The student would typically need to be come known to the potential sponsor through employment during undergraduate years for this to be a likely option of course.

When I was in undergraduate college my employer (a hospital) paid half of my tuition as long as I maintained a C average and continued to work full-time.

Also in the case of medical school there are many communities that will pay for graduate/medical school in return for the graduate agreeing to practice in their community for one year for every year ofschool they pay for.

Finally, there are hundreds if not thousands of obscure special purpose scholarships available that are not widely advertised and that sometimes go unawarded at all due to having no one apply for them. Some have very narrow eligibility requirements (ie son of a fireman killed in action for example) but you have to do some research onlineto find these and have to spend the time to apply to each one you may be eligible for and some require that essays be written.

I hope this helps and good luck to you and your son.

Don Elton

Tags: educación