Financing MFT Masters

[Pella]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to these boards. I'm looking for an MFT or Counseling MA program. Money is an issue, though. Any advice on which programs give substantial non-loan financial aid ( like GAs, etc.)? Thank you for your help!

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[wigflip]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to these boards. I'm looking for an MFT or Counseling MA program. Money is an issue, though. Any advice on which programs give substantial non-loan financial aid ( like GAs, etc.)? Thank you for your help!

Unless you are willing to move virtually anywhere, it would probably help to know what region of the country you're in.

 

[Qwerk]

Most programs that give more than small grants are programs at private universities that already charge a lot of tuition. It's a way for schools to get full tuition from richer students while also capturing poor students who might have otherwise gone to cheaper schools. At the master's programs I looked at, it was never enough to reduce it to the amount you'd pay at a state school for a program of similar quality. I've never heard of a fully-funded master's in MFT/counseling/social work (someone correct me if I'm wrong), although you probably have a good chance of getting reduced tuition at a public university depending on your financial situation.

 

[Goobernut]

I just want to second what Qwerk said. Several of the programs at state schools would offer paid practicums for maybe 1-2 second year students. They are extremely competitive and not guaranteed. They also offer GA type positions, but I think those are also very sought after. Depending on the University and the GA position, you may or may not get a tuition wavier/discount.

I am just applying to state schools to keep the cost down, just in case I have to pay for it all. I know that counselor pay isn't the highest, so I'm keeping that in mind.

 

[MBellows]

Most programs that give more than small grants are programs at private universities that already charge a lot of tuition. It's a way for schools to get full tuition from richer students while also capturing poor students who might have otherwise gone to cheaper schools. At the master's programs I looked at, it was never enough to reduce it to the amount you'd pay at a state school for a program of similar quality. I've never heard of a fully-funded master's in MFT/counseling/social work (someone correct me if I'm wrong), although you probably have a good chance of getting reduced tuition at a public university depending on your financial situation.

It depends on what type of funding you are willing to accept and what you are willing to do after graduate school. If you have a undergraduate degree and don't feel bad about taking 4 years off, I think you can use the educational $$$ from the military to pay for graduate education. I don't know about MFT's but in some fields (SW and Rehab Counseling) there are generally state funded programs that offer tuition payment and a stipend for agreeing to devote 4+ years to state service in whatever the state rehabilitation services or the child and family services are.

Along that second route, if you want the MFT/LPC licensure I'm 99% sure you would have to find outside supervision and internship hours from the state program, but for the SW program (at least in Texas) you can count direct contact hours with families you work with through DFPS (CPS) towards LCSW licensure.

There are always ways of paying for graduate school. I would just avoid any of them that involve poles...

 

[Qwerk]

I don't know about MFT's but in some fields (SW and Rehab Counseling) there are generally state funded programs that offer tuition payment and a stipend for agreeing to devote 4+ years to state service in whatever the state rehabilitation services or the child and family services are.

Good one -- I forgot about that. More applicable to social work, but some states do it for other degrees.

Another one I just remembered: getting a job at an agency that provides tuition reimbursement for relevant education and/or employee scholarships. Most larger ones do. If you're planning on working full-time while pursuing your degree, this could put a substantial dent in your bill.

 

[MBellows]

Good one -- I forgot about that. More applicable to social work, but some states do it for other degrees.

Yeah. I think it would be crucial to know what area the OP wanted to work/go to school in. Master's tend to be really specialized to the state, even SW to some extent based on my interviews with SW programs. Jurisprudence and help with connecting consumers to state programs I think were the big two issues with that.