post bacc acceptance

[Dr Yiot]

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ok, I just got home, opened up the mail and there it was. My acceptance into UMDNJ, GSBS-stratford. I'm friggin extatic and my heart is full of joy. then, Holy cow things start getting complicated. I start going through the paperwork and have a MILLION QUESTIONS going through my head. I am married and my wife is employed so I've got that going on, plus were not too comfortable as it is right now and I now they don't suggest that you work while bieng in the program so if I stop working thats a large hit too our wallets plus we still need to pay bills. So this huge balloon of joy kind of got popped with life i guess. Right now I cannot wait until monday to call the office and get some answers. On top of that the pin which I have been assigned on my acceptance letter is not working so I can't even begin processing financial aid till monday. Oh yeah and this acceptance is for the spring semester, so I have to let them know in 10 days if I will be going or not oh and class starts in 6 weeks. Gosh, this is ruff. are there any current or former students who can shed light on the financial aid process. Do we get any type of Cost of Living loans? or do you just straight up get a refund check like in undergrad if you have any left over cash from the loans you pulled out. As I understand it, the med students get COL loans but I am wondering if the GSBS students do. If anyone can answer these questions before I call monday and find out more that would be awsome. if Not I guess I can wait, it just sux and I kinda wish this letter came on monday!

 

[Dr Yiot]

Nobody has any info on financial aide?

 

[DrMidlife]

Settle down. Your bafflement is nobody's emergency but yours. Financial aid is standardized and the info is not hard to find.

Get your FAFSA done this weekend. That will be a prerequisite no matter what. If you're in a degree-granting grad program then you're eligible for federal loans up to COA.

Have you looked through http://www.umdnj.edu/studentfinancialaid yet? The portal isn't the only source of info.

COA is here: http://www.umdnj.edu/studentfinancialaid/app_process/11%20Budgets/1011_GSBS_Masters_PhD.pdf.

Generally you don't get any support for "bills" or spousal support. You can get support for child care, but not for things like car loans or credit card debt. You can defer payments on student loans while you're enrolled, but interest accrues (except for Stafford).

Look through the financial aid and nontrad forums here for more advice.

Best of luck to you.

 

[jslo85]

I'm not in GSBS at Stratsford but I would think that all graduate programs would be relatively the same in the financial aid/loan sense.

Doesn't UMDNJ include a financial aid section in their matriculation packet they send you? Regardless they should have a small session where you can talk to a financial aid counselor in your program during orientation which outlines that you should complete your FAFSA as Midlife says as well as which subsidized/unsubsidized loans you are eligible for as a graduate student of an accredited program. Calculate out your monthly COA according to where you choose to live, utilities, tuition, food, etc. and see how much you will need to borrow.

As I'm sure you'll find out from reading or talking with their rep, borrow as little as possible to get by and you'll thank yourself for it later.

 

[NewmansOwn]

ok, I just got home, opened up the mail and there it was. My acceptance into UMDNJ, GSBS-stratford. I'm friggin extatic and my heart is full of joy. then, Holy cow things start getting complicated. I start going through the paperwork and have a MILLION QUESTIONS going through my head. I am married and my wife is employed so I've got that going on, plus were not too comfortable as it is right now and I now they don't suggest that you work while bieng in the program so if I stop working thats a large hit too our wallets plus we still need to pay bills. So this huge balloon of joy kind of got popped with life i guess. Right now I cannot wait until monday to call the office and get some answers. On top of that the pin which I have been assigned on my acceptance letter is not working so I can't even begin processing financial aid till monday. Oh yeah and this acceptance is for the spring semester, so I have to let them know in 10 days if I will be going or not oh and class starts in 6 weeks. Gosh, this is ruff. are there any current or former students who can shed light on the financial aid process. Do we get any type of Cost of Living loans? or do you just straight up get a refund check like in undergrad if you have any left over cash from the loans you pulled out. As I understand it, the med students get COL loans but I am wondering if the GSBS students do. If anyone can answer these questions before I call monday and find out more that would be awsome. if Not I guess I can wait, it just sux and I kinda wish this letter came on monday!

You can work during most postbac programs. While you'll (obviously) have more time to study if you don't, it's quite doable. I worked part-time during my postbac year and, actually, my first year of medical school. You don't have to quit because the administration advises you to.

You obviously had a plan in place for how to finance things prior to applying (right?). So just stick to that. I doubt you would have just applied to the program with absolutely no idea how to either pay for it, support your family or complete the necessary coursework. But then again, people surprise me every day, I suppose...

 

[Dr Yiot]

Settle down.

I didn't mean to offend you or to seem that i was rowled up, sorry. your post actually ansered my question and now that my wife fed me a few beers tonight, i have finally settled down and I can breathe now. No, I am not looking for spousal support, I was merely wondering if I would be getting some assistance because right now my wife and I are getting by but not living extravicantly by any means and making ends meat. however, if I were to enter into this program and quit my job then we would have difficulty economically.
Also, I have applied for financial aide through umdnj and also through my fafsa, since i had a fafsa filled out I just updated mine and added UMDNJ's school code. Again thank you for your help

I'm not in GSBS at Stratsford but I would think that all graduate programs would be relatively the same in the financial aid/loan sense.

Doesn't UMDNJ include a financial aid section in their matriculation packet they send you? Regardless they should have a small session where you can talk to a financial aid counselor in your program during orientation which outlines that you should complete your FAFSA as Midlife says as well as which subsidized/unsubsidized loans you are eligible for as a graduate student of an accredited program. Calculate out your monthly COA according to where you choose to live, utilities, tuition, food, etc. and see how much you will need to borrow.

As I'm sure you'll find out from reading or talking with their rep, borrow as little as possible to get by and you'll thank yourself for it later.

Thank you for the advice, I will only pull out what is neccesary. Ive got undergrad loans that I am going to have to start to pay back soon also.

You can work during most postbac programs. While you'll (obviously) have more time to study if you don't, it's quite doable. I worked part-time during my postbac year and, actually, my first year of medical school. You don't have to quit because the administration advises you to.

You obviously had a plan in place for how to finance things prior to applying (right?). So just stick to that. I doubt you would have just applied to the program with absolutely no idea how to either pay for it, support your family or complete the necessary coursework. But then again, people surprise me every day, I suppose...

Well, to be honest I applied spur of the moment. I know med schools offer COA loans but was not sure for this program. I have searched through umd's website and was having difficulty finding much information pertaining to COA etc. Not even the acceptance packet came with anything informative. just some sheet listing fees and tuition but nothing about financial aide. just a sheet, with fee's but nothing on instructions on how to pay other than to fill out your fafsa, so that kinda had me freaked cause undergrad was much different IMO.

also, regarding your working during the post bacc. this is a gift IMO and I do not want to lose focus of my goals and want nothing to get in the way of my success. Would I possibly be able to work? maybe but I do not want to risk this. I am currently working 2 part time jobs and taking undegrad courses to boost my gpa and have worked during undergrad when I was taking a full course load. Did I do good in school? yes, but I could have done better. I will not risk it with this program, IMO I need to anhilate it to get into med school, and that is my job so If I elect to do this program, I have to do it right.

 

[deleted248403]

UMDNJ's program can be done in 3 semesters, and i absolutely believe you can work during it.

You can even do it in 4 semesters if you want to so that you can work and the grades you want

 

[Dr Yiot]

UMDNJ's program can be done in 3 semesters, and i absolutely believe you can work during it.

You can even do it in 4 semesters if you want to so that you can work and the grades you want

"im assuming you meant "and get the grades you want". I am hoping they will discuss our options with us on orientation day 12/15. I know the program is only 30 credits in length. Some of the courses are 2 or 3 credits, so we will see. Maybe for just this semester I will go part time and then the following year, I will be a full time student and actually move down there. I know that if I did the program in 3 semesters that would be roughly 3 courses a semester give or take. I just have never taken a graduate school course so I do not know how much more involved it would be than undergrad. Right now I am taking 8 undergrad credits ( 2 courses) and working full time and doing exceptional in class. I just do not know what the workload of graduate courses are? It may say 10 credits and in undergrad I wouldn't worry but I do not know how much harder or more time involved 10 graduate credits is? Your saying you would definitly be able to work is extremely tempting, and if thats tru, then I am all for it. My boss is a good friend of mine so I would even be able to cut my hours a bit and then if I think I can work more, increase them.