Curious, you couldnt be more wrong. Im at UIC's SPH and they have tons of research money for SPH students. I got an assistantship thats paying tuition and a stipend, and tons of other students have them here too. You just have to seek out the money, its there for most students who need it and have strong academic merit.
The degree is not any more elective than an MD, JD, or MBA is. People talk on here like the degree adds no value but in fact the MPH, or for me, my MHA degree is gonna be a pretty hot commodity. All those doctors need someone to boss them around and point out the inefficiencies of the healthcare system.