Graduate
and professional students may face some unexpected
education-related
expenses. Financial-aid administrators
can help these students uncover those “hidden” costs,
to assist them in planning their budgets.
According
to the USA Funds Life Skills® financial-literacy
curriculum, the following are some education costs
that graduate and professional students should keep
in mind
when anticipating expenses:
- Admission testing and application fees.
- Additional,
prerequisite coursework.
- Photocopying and duplicating.
- Research.
- Professional-membership dues.
- Subscriptions to
scholarly publications.
- Tutoring and proofreading.
- On-campus parking fees.
- Computer equipment.
- Costs incurred in meeting program-completion
requirements, such as copying a thesis or
dissertation.
- Job-search fees, including resume and portfolio
development.
- Miscellaneous contributions, such as
those required for gifts for faculty or staff
and department-sponsored events.
The USA Funds Life Skills module “Embrace New
Academic Challenges — Drafting Your Professional
Plan” includes
information about costs associated with advanced
education. The module also helps students assess the
return on
their investment in further education, chart a
time line for
completing their programs of study, and adjust
to the graduate- or professional-school experience. |
