The summer fees are not included on the cost of attendance pdf file from WVU, so I just want to make sure that all potential applicants to WVU keep these costs into account so as to better prepare for graduate school.
Assuming that the summer tuition and fees for 2012 will also be $3756, the true cost for out-of-state students attending WVU for two years in the pathologists' assistant program is $55,440. Tuition for in-state-students is slightly less. Still, it's a good deal when compared to the cost of tuition for the other schools.
Of course, you should choose a program not solely on its cost but also on its quality. So far all of the pathologists that I've spoken to outside of WVU have given their highest accolades about the program, so I must be in the right place.
However, I'm still angry that the fees were left out. Both WVU and the AAPA need to update their brochures.
http://adm.wvu.edu/r/download/44965
You can find the 'COST OF ATTENDANCE' file in the above link. Costs for the pathologists' assistant program can be found on page 3.
That is frustrating, will you be doing summer classes both years? Do you get another Direct Plus loan to pay for that or is it factored into your financial aid for the year?
ReplyDeleteSummer courses are for both years at WVU, however I'm not certain what the costs will be for the summer of 2012. According to the lady that I spoke with at the financial aid office, she said that we should get a loan offer depending on our financial need for the summer semester.
ReplyDeleteI'm hesitant to take out more loans because while you're paying the loans back, paying for other things like buying a first house or starting a family gets pushed down the road even further. The interest on the subsidized federal loans right now are at 6.8%, which I think are still quite high. You can take out a second mortgage for lower rates than that.
Do you have enough savings to cover the unexpected expense though? Do the other students in your class?
ReplyDeleteI don't mind student loans. I'm not thrilled about them, but I really do have to view it as an investment in my future. In the three years I've had since completing my BS I've paid off over $18,000 from my undergraduate expenses and that is while paying for a mortgage, 2 kids in daycare (which is actually more than my mortgage), and earning significantly less money than a PA. So I know it is doable.
Unfortunately, all of these unexpected expenses (and much of the expected expenses as well) will be paid off with student loans. I just don't have enough to cover all the tuition and living expenses even though I've been quite a good saver all of my life. When I was working as a lab assistant and English teacher, I was able to save about 25% of my pay because I knew that graduate school would cost a lot, but all of my savings have been eaten up pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear of your success story, even though surely it isn't easy. I too think that investments in the future are often well worth the cost. And although I love biology and pathology, I sometimes think of an alternate universe where if I had worked from the ages of 18-23 at fast food and then bought my own franchise, I'd be ahead economically for the rest of my life.
It's definitely a sign that those in the scientific field are in it for the science!