Program-Specific Info / Q's Can I pull off MOT or should I consider COTA?

[nmk61488]

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Hi everyone, I am new on here, and I could really use some advice. For the past year I have been taking prerequisites for applying to masters programs in Occupational Therapy. I just started volunteering and studying for the GRE and plan to apply to programs this fall. I live in NJ, and would like to apply to the three accredited schools here, and Thomas Jefferson and Temple in Philly. However, I am hearing more and more about the competitive nature of the programs and am very nervous about the costs. I have 35k in student loans from undergrad and unfortunately have no safety net or parents to live rent-free with. Well, I have parents, but they don't have a dime to give me. I have had my heart set on this, but after talking to more people I am getting discouraged about both the cost and the chances of acceptance. How hard is it to get graduate assistantships and scholarships? Is there really a good chance of landing these or is it slim? I graduated with a 3.7 gpa from Rutgers, and have 3.7 in my pre-reqs so far. I know more student loans are an option, but I would have to take out at least $50-$80k in tuition costs depending on which program I get accepted into. With my undergrad loans of $35k already, that comes out to $85-115k in student loans on tuition alone! Then….not working more than part-time on weekends, how would I even how would I cover living expenses? I am realizing I will not be able to pull this off without either an assistantship or scholarships to assist with tuition. So as a back up, I am now looking into COTA. There is a program very close to me that is extremely affordable (15-18k) and I am wondering if I should go for that, and then try to get my masters later with a weekend program while working. But I honestly do not know which is a better route. I am very scared about graduating with over $100k in student loans, and have no idea HOW I would support myself through school on top of that. But going for COTA, I feel like I am throwing away my bachelors and selling myself short. I also don't know how workable these weekend-masters programs are while working full-time already. That sounds rough honestly. Any advice would be VERY appreciated.

 

[Celtics1138]

I think if you already have your Bachelor's, you should go for MOT! For COTA, you do not need a Bachelor's, so all your time and money you spent getting that would have been unnecessary. Sometimes I wonder if I should have just done COTA instead of the MOT path, but since I already have my Bachelor's, I am definitely going all the way! I too worry about all the debt I will be in, but I think it will be worth it.

 

[alg5443]

Hi! I'm in a similar boat with a similar GPA. I have 25k in undergad debt. I am attending Thomas Jefferson in the fall. TJU offered me a scholarship of 6k, which I can renew next year with a 3.0 gpa (so 12k total). I also got a graduate assistantship position for about 3-4k a year. TJU was actually the only school I applied to that offered me aid. At Ohio State, I know you can apply for grad assistantships that can cover 50-100% of the costs, but I didn't meet the GRE requirement to apply. Anyway, even with this aid, I will be taking out about 30k in loans per year, 61k total I believe, on top of my undergrad loans. As much as this scares me, I know many people are in the same situation. Some people have that amount of debt with just undergrad loans and without being able to find a good job. Also, federal loans offer repayment plans if times get rough(try to stay away from private loans). Loans are scary, they suck, but if you live within your means, it is doable. I figure I will still be profiting, and I expect to live with my SO after graduation, so we will be able to split costs and work together to pay off student loan debt. Plus, I cannot wait to actually be doing a job that I love! As long as you are fully committed to OT, can budget and live off your means, I'd say go for your Master's. Also, check out tuition costs before even applying, apply to schools with lower tuition, or if the tuition is high ask about scholarships/assistanships before applying. Good luck!

 

[lcs2074]

Hi! I'm in a similar boat with a similar GPA. I have 25k in undergad debt. I am attending Thomas Jefferson in the fall. TJU offered me a scholarship of 6k, which I can renew next year with a 3.0 gpa (so 12k total). I also got a graduate assistantship position for about 3-4k a year. TJU was actually the only school I applied to that offered me aid. At Ohio State, I know you can apply for grad assistantships that can cover 50-100% of the costs, but I didn't meet the GRE requirement to apply. Anyway, even with this aid, I will be taking out about 30k in loans per year, 61k total I believe, on top of my undergrad loans. As much as this scares me, I know many people are in the same situation. Some people have that amount of debt with just undergrad loans and without being able to find a good job. Also, federal loans offer repayment plans if times get rough(try to stay away from private loans). Loans are scary, they suck, but if you live within your means, it is doable. I figure I will still be profiting, and I expect to live with my SO after graduation, so we will be able to split costs and work together to pay off student loan debt. Plus, I cannot wait to actually be doing a job that I love! As long as you are fully committed to OT, can budget and live off your means, I'd say go for your Master's. Also, check out tuition costs before even applying, apply to schools with lower tuition, or if the tuition is high ask about scholarships/assistanships before applying. Good luck!

Alg5443, how did you learn and go about applying for a graduate assistantship with Jefferson? I haven't seen any info about it, though I know since I was accepted so late it would probably be too late for me this year anyway. Sounds great though! 🙂

 

[TennesseeOT]

It's very tough to get around taking out more loans for OT school, but I really think it's worth it. I agree with the fact that if you went with COTA then the money you spent on your bachelors was pointless and you end up behind in money anyway. I also left undergrad with 30k in loans and I'm going into a 3 year program. I got a full time graduate assistantship that covers tuition, but even with that I'll still have to take out loans to cover living costs. I sat down and made a very detailed budget and I realized I still need about $6k PER SEMESTER just to make ends meet. Yes, loans suck... but you have a great GPA, a great outlook on OT, and you are obviously conscience about money. You just need to be confident that you can do this. Don't be afraid to ask for help during the application process and get started early (it's a long, sucky process).

 

[Teacher84]

Hi everyone, I am new on here, and I could really use some advice. For the past year I have been taking prerequisites for applying to masters programs in Occupational Therapy. I just started volunteering and studying for the GRE and plan to apply to programs this fall. I live in NJ, and would like to apply to the three accredited schools here, and Thomas Jefferson and Temple in Philly. However, I am hearing more and more about the competitive nature of the programs and am very nervous about the costs. I have 35k in student loans from undergrad and unfortunately have no safety net or parents to live rent-free with. Well, I have parents, but they don't have a dime to give me. I have had my heart set on this, but after talking to more people I am getting discouraged about both the cost and the chances of acceptance. How hard is it to get graduate assistantships and scholarships? Is there really a good chance of landing these or is it slim? I graduated with a 3.7 gpa from Rutgers, and have 3.7 in my pre-reqs so far. I know more student loans are an option, but I would have to take out at least $50-$80k in tuition costs depending on which program I get accepted into. With my undergrad loans of $35k already, that comes out to $85-115k in student loans on tuition alone! Then….not working more than part-time on weekends, how would I even how would I cover living expenses? I am realizing I will not be able to pull this off without either an assistantship or scholarships to assist with tuition. So as a back up, I am now looking into COTA. There is a program very close to me that is extremely affordable (15-18k) and I am wondering if I should go for that, and then try to get my masters later with a weekend program while working. But I honestly do not know which is a better route. I am very scared about graduating with over $100k in student loans, and have no idea HOW I would support myself through school on top of that. But going for COTA, I feel like I am throwing away my bachelors and selling myself short. I also don't know how workable these weekend-masters programs are while working full-time already. That sounds rough honestly. Any advice would be VERY appreciated.

Hi there! I am in the same boat as you. I wanted to reach out to you and see if you made a decision. I am from NJ and moved to Philly this year. I have been a special education teacher for 6 years always supporting myself. I am in the process of applying to Philly schools and NJ schools...and not at all sure how I am going to finance this....I am not even talking about school, but living itself! I am hopeful though.....keep me posted!

🙂

 

[nmk61488]

Hi there! I am in the same boat as you. I wanted to reach out to you and see if you made a decision. I am from NJ and moved to Philly this year. I have been a special education teacher for 6 years always supporting myself. I am in the process of applying to Philly schools and NJ schools...and not at all sure how I am going to finance this....I am not even talking about school, but living itself! I am hopeful though.....keep me posted!

🙂

I got into Kean! I am so excited!! I decided to just go for the Masters and I am so glad that I did. It is by far the most affordable options (excluding weekend programs) and it's super close to where I live. I am going to apply for an assistantship. If I don't get one I will just take out loans for tuition and work weekends to cover as much as I can of my living expenses.

 

[Teacher84]

I got into Kean! I am so excited!! I decided to just go for the Masters and I am so glad that I did. It is by far the most affordable options (excluding weekend programs) and it's super close to where I live. I am going to apply for an assistantship. If I don't get one I will just take out loans for tuition and work weekends to cover as much as I can of my living expenses.[/QUOTE

CONGRATS!! So exciting!! You will make it work! I plan on applying to Kean too for fall 2016. It is such a stressful process! I am trying to still figure out how I will make it work financially without a steady income, but I guess we all just cross that bridge when we get there. Do you mind me asking about your stats? Also, are you taking that intro to OT class this summer through Kean? Do you happen to know if it is online?

Again- way to go!!!! You made the right choice about going for your Master's. I completely understand the initial thought about OTA, but the master's was a smarter move for you. 🙂

 

[Teacher84]

I got into Kean! I am so excited!! I decided to just go for the Masters and I am so glad that I did. It is by far the most affordable options (excluding weekend programs) and it's super close to where I live. I am going to apply for an assistantship. If I don't get one I will just take out loans for tuition and work weekends to cover as much as I can of my living expenses.

So I am not even sure why my reply was quoted. lol.

 

[Osillyphilly]

I don't know if you guys realized this but OT is a very sought after profession because of this your future employers are extremely interested in investing in your education so that you are willing to work for them after. Here are examples of 2 different places that will assist you with tuition if you want to work for them one day. @nmk61488 one of the location is in Morristown, NJ. There are several places that are willing to pay for your tuition. Do your research!

Genesis Rehabilitation Service offers a New Grad Scholarship. Recipients can apply in their 2nd to the last year or the last year of their program. The new grad agrees to work for Genesis Rehabilitation Service s for 3 years as full-time registered therapist. Contact University Relations Recruiter Mark Worley or Tel:1 (866) 406-8190.

Atlantic Health, a hospital consortium consisting of Morristown Memorial Hospital and Overlook Hospital, is offering a scholarship for Occupational Therapy students. The Professional Development Program (PDP) has been instituted to assist students who are within two years of graduation. It provides help with tuition costs, up to a maximum amount of $5,000.00 per semester, in exchange for a commitment to work in either Morristown Memorial or Overlook Hospital. This work commitment is at full pay with complete benefits and offers the professional graduate an opportunity to work at an outstanding health care faculty.

 

[Osillyphilly]

By the way, the military offer a great financial aid package too. They would want you to work in the military hospitals or aboard after but they will pay for 100% of your tuition and give you a stipend depending on location ( I read that someone got $4,000 a month) to live off every month while you are still in OT school. It's very competitive though I heard. I am thinking about applying. 🙂

Also you could apply for various school districts too. Example New York City has something like that where you agree to work in the schools for 2-3 years and they pay for your tuition while you are in school. Several states board of education does this. I provided a link below as an example. There are plenty of funds out there you just have to look for it. I am waiting to hear back from schools and been applying.

http://www.teachnycprograms.net/getpage.php?page_id=105

 

[BrOT15]

By the way, the military offer a great financial aid package too. They would want you to work in the military hospitals or aboard after but they will pay for 100% of your tuition and give you a stipend depending on location ( I read that someone got $4,000 a month) to live off every month while you are still in OT school. It's very competitive though I heard. I am thinking about applying. 🙂

Note: Army doesn't offer scholarship for master's in OT, only their doctorate.

 

[Osillyphilly]

There other branch of the military that do. Ex. Air Force

 

[alliecatt]

There other branch of the military that do. Ex. Air Force

Would you be willing to include a link with this information? I've researched the military options pretty extensively and communicated with an air force recruiter directly who told me that they do not have scholarship programs for OT. The only option I have seen is Baylor Army OTD program which would require you to be a licensed OTR first. Perhaps I am not looking in the right places.

 

[Teacher84]

There other branch of the military that do. Ex. Air Force

Thank you for sharing! I guess I will need to look in to it more. I have been looking at job offers and I notice that many offer some form of assistance with loans, etc. if you really look into it. The military piece is interesting as well. Do you actually have to join or can you dedicate a specific amount of time towards working in this hospitals, etc? If you don't mind me asking, are you in a program yet? Or are you attending this fall? Thanks again for your insight. Every little bit helps!

-Sage

 

[Osillyphilly]

I am still awaiting to hear back from schools. Here are the information below:

Air Force:http://www.airforce.com/benefits/commissioned-officer-education/
Army OT Doctorate program only scholarship: http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/education/graduate-health-care-education.html

I forgot if there are other ones. You guys can do the research yourself. Good luck.

 

[OTStudentSept2014]

We had recruiters come to our facility and one company said they either paid $3000 a year or $5000 a year for new grad loan repayment. The real money for OT is in low-income rural areas, and that's the locations they really wanted to fill/had bonuses for.

 

[nmk61488]

Thank you!!! My stats:

undergrad gpa: 3.68
pre-req gpa: 3.80
observation hrs: 100 (SNF, elementary school, orthopedic outpatient, pediatric outpatient)
3 letters of rec - 2 from OT's I shadowed and one from Anatomy professor
I didn't take the GRE

I have to take the Intro to OT this summer. During my interview I was told I could take it online, although I don't see it as an option on the classes open for registration. So I contacted them and asked.

The process was SOO stressful. It's long and seems like every little requirement takes forever because you are waiting on this or that. But I'm so glad I stuck through it.

I am also concerned about how I am going to pay for living expenses while I am in school. I support myself financially as well. I am going to use loans for tuition costs and try to work part-time to cover living as much as possible. I am also going to really try and land an assistantship. With that they waive tuition so I would be able to use the loans for living expenses. It is still up in the air at this point and I am not looking forward to feeling like a broke student again. But somehow, some way I am going to figure this out! lol

 

[nmk61488]

I don't know if you guys realized this but OT is a very sought after profession because of this your future employers are extremely interested in investing in your education so that you are willing to work for them after. Here are examples of 2 different places that will assist you with tuition if you want to work for them one day. @nmk61488 one of the location is in Morristown, NJ. There are several places that are willing to pay for your tuition. Do your research!

Genesis Rehabilitation Service offers a New Grad Scholarship. Recipients can apply in their 2nd to the last year or the last year of their program. The new grad agrees to work for Genesis Rehabilitation Service s for 3 years as full-time registered therapist. Contact University Relations Recruiter Mark Worley or Tel:1 (866) 406-8190.

Atlantic Health, a hospital consortium consisting of Morristown Memorial Hospital and Overlook Hospital, is offering a scholarship for Occupational Therapy students. The Professional Development Program (PDP) has been instituted to assist students who are within two years of graduation. It provides help with tuition costs, up to a maximum amount of $5,000.00 per semester, in exchange for a commitment to work in either Morristown Memorial or Overlook Hospital. This work commitment is at full pay with complete benefits and offers the professional graduate an opportunity to work at an outstanding health care faculty.

Thank you for the great info! I will look into it...

 

[Teacher84]

Thank you!!! My stats:

undergrad gpa: 3.68
pre-req gpa: 3.80
observation hrs: 100 (SNF, elementary school, orthopedic outpatient, pediatric outpatient)
3 letters of rec - 2 from OT's I shadowed and one from Anatomy professor
I didn't take the GRE

I have to take the Intro to OT this summer. During my interview I was told I could take it online, although I don't see it as an option on the classes open for registration. So I contacted them and asked.

The process was SOO stressful. It's long and seems like every little requirement takes forever because you are waiting on this or that. But I'm so glad I stuck through it.

I am also concerned about how I am going to pay for living expenses while I am in school. I support myself financially as well. I am going to use loans for tuition costs and try to work part-time to cover living as much as possible. I am also going to really try and land an assistantship. With that they waive tuition so I would be able to use the loans for living expenses. It is still up in the air at this point and I am not looking forward to feeling like a broke student again. But somehow, some way I am going to figure this out! lol

I am with you on that! I am not even sure how I will end up paying for school and living on my own, but I will cross that bridge when I get there.... ! Keep me updated on how you like Kean. I am applying there for the Fall 2016.....I really hope I get in! The assistantship is a great idea too!! Best of luck to you!

 

[nmk61488]

I am with you on that! I am not even sure how I will end up paying for school and living on my own, but I will cross that bridge when I get there.... ! Keep me updated on how you like Kean. I am applying there for the Fall 2016.....I really hope I get in! The assistantship is a great idea too!! Best of luck to you!

Hi Teacher84! I am just finishing up my first semester at Keans MOT program. If you want me to tell you about it feel free to PM me!

 

[bird-birdy22]

@nmk61488 Your stats look really good, you have high chances.

With the $ situation I feel your pain. Single parent back in college, sibling starting undergrad, and me starting grad all next fall. We will definitely be living off of loan money. Sucks for a few years but we come out better off in the future.

I did some math to make myself feel better.. Depending on how tight you can live this may be reassuring to you too... Annually, I figured right out of school I could make $60k (conservative guesstimate) and I can live off of $30k (based on what I currently do that would be quite comfortable). If I'm oh $90k in debt I could pay it off in 3 years with this lifestyle. I could also be normal and pay it off gradually like most people, but I hate the idea of being in debt enough to have given this much consideration.

 

[bhansen2]

@nmk61488 Your stats look really good, you have high chances.

With the $ situation I feel your pain. Single parent back in college, sibling starting undergrad, and me starting grad all next fall. We will definitely be living off of loan money. Sucks for a few years but we come out better off in the future.

I did some math to make myself feel better.. Depending on how tight you can live this may be reassuring to you too... Annually, I figured right out of school I could make $60k (conservative guesstimate) and I can live off of $30k (based on what I currently do that would be quite comfortable). If I'm oh $90k in debt I could pay it off in 3 years with this lifestyle. I could also be normal and pay it off gradually like most people, but I hate the idea of being in debt enough to have given this much consideration.

Not trying to be a jerk, but just because you technically get 60k on paper, you're going to end up getting around 20k less after taxes. Now you're at $40k. Depending on the interstate rates on you're loans, they will increase substantially. If you live off of 30k and devote 10k to loans, it will take you 9 years to pay off 90k. This isn't factoring in tax returns or raises but paying off 90k in 3 years is on a 60k salary is generally unrealistic.

 

[bird-birdy22]

Not trying to be a jerk, but just because you technically get 60k on paper, you're going to end up getting around 20k less after taxes. Now you're at $40k. Depending on the interstate rates on you're loans, they will increase substantially. If you live off of 30k and devote 10k to loans, it will take you 9 years to pay off 90k. This isn't factoring in tax returns or raises but paying off 90k in 3 years is on a 60k salary is generally unrealistic.

OTs where I live are usually making in the 75k-80k range. A salary of 60k could include taxes, depends on deductions/exemptions/credits.. 60k after taxes may be high, but I doubt I walk away with less than 40k here. I realize paying off loans so quickly isn't a priority for most people, but I will come out of school still in my early twenties and comfortable with living below my means so this isn't that unrealistic for my individual situation. I see a lot of people on this website expressing discomfort over the high debt, and I think that if you live extremely modestly out of school while having a good income, paying off this debt sooner is very possible.

 

[bird-birdy22]

I understand that could work for you, possibly. "Im comfortable living below my means". I can't tell you how many times I hear people say this, and then witness them burn into debt. As for me, I have no desire to live below my means, I refuse to live like a poor person in my 30s, after getting a marketable graduate degree supposedly. OT isn't some cash cow, I know that our salaries are modest, but stable.



Have you seen the BLS report map? There are very few markets with incomes averaging over 75k. The average salary is 75k for a reason in our nation. Your starting salary is going to be in the 25%th percentile of salaries. That means in most markets the starting salary will be 50kish, perhaps more or less. The average OT salary is 65k in NYC. Take home that's like 55k? How can you live modestly in NYC on 55k? Maybe in a cardboard box or with roommates and not in manhattan.

Most of the higher paying markets, with very few exceptions (Southwest, Gulf Coast) have a high cost of living. Eg, San Diego an average salary of 90kish. Starting salary would be in the 60s-70s. You'll be a renter your whole life on a salary like that in San Diego. What about if you should desire to have children, send them to college? Buy a house? You think you can do that stuff on 70k?

Be very afraid of your loans, and when you apply to schools be very wary of debt. Choose the CHEAPEST possible OT school you can find with the highest possible NBCOT pass rates. You won't make more money or be more employable because you went to USC, or Columbia. I have said this ad infinitum because I feel very strongly that OT programs and schools are taking advantage of students by making them incur 6 figure debts for a degree that will never, ever, make them enough money.

Living below your means and paying off loans isn't for you. I'm going straight from undergrad into grad school so I've always lived with a tight budget.. A few more years of being a renter with roommates does not bother me. You refuse to live like a poor person in your 30s, but at 25 I won't mind it. Like I said, this is my individual situation.

I've seen many posts where you say choose the cheapest school. That works for you, but many people will go to a school whose program they prefer.. or in many cases, wherever they are accepted.

 

[beestrng]

Baylor OTD army. Probably the only route for the army.

 

[LeyanaLey]

I understand that could work for you, possibly. "Im comfortable living below my means". I can't tell you how many times I hear people say this, and then witness them burn into debt. As for me, I have no desire to live below my means, I refuse to live like a poor person in my 30s, after getting a marketable graduate degree supposedly. OT isn't some cash cow, I know that our salaries are modest, but stable.

While I agree with going on the cheapest option you can, I'm a bit miffed by your constant reference to "living like a poor person", especially when tied to a specific age, as if people of a certain age "shouldn't" be poor. If you graduate from OT school with 50-100K in debt, which will have a payment of about 1k a month, then even if you are making 50-60k in pretax income, your adjusted standard of living after loan payment (as well as where you fit in the standard distribution of salaries in the US, especially for people in your same age demographic and especially education level), is, well, that of a "poor person". As I said, I agree with the overall principle of "this is an entry-level degree; get the cheapest one you can that will still let you pass the exam and get working", but there is no reason a person in their 30's shouldn't be "poor". Your income level is partially based on your life choices, and going back to school later in life (as I will soon be doing) is one of those choices. I will also be doubling my income for the next 30 years, as I currently make 35k a year, which is above average for my woefully underemployed, fairly rural area.

Choosing to live frugally after grad school, so that you can pay your degree off as quickly as possible, thereby securing your retirement safety, is also a choice. I think a person's decision to not live above their means is something to applaud, instead of criticize.

Also, whether or not those figures are accurate depends partially on your state of origin. For example, I live in the Midwest, in a state pretty well known for its ridiculously inflated tuition. It is actually cheaper for me to drop 55k on a private school in Philadelphia than pay the 60 - 65k for an in-state education with in-state tuition here, so that's what I will be doing. Sometimes, you don't really have any good options.

As for buying a house, etc., I think that with some flexible thinking, it's not impossible. There are always options like relocating, taking on work per diem, etc., and we don't know the individual's situation--are they married? A joint income home will obviously have twice the resources of a single, meaning that the person with loans may allot more of their salary toward loan payment, while the other supports living expenses.