<p>I am wondering. Are you familiar with the grad school prices in your education fields?
If after graduation you want to go directly to ed grad school, no need-based or merit-based aid. The only hope are for active teachers to get some (miniscule) help from their school district IF they are in desperate need for some specialty. </p>
<p>I would recommend you to modify your plan: undergrad, work, THEN grad school. You can take grad school classes while you are teaching - 1-2 classes/semester - based on your time, and financial ability.</p>
<p>At wheelock I can get undergrad and grad done together in 5 years. Right now, I live where my commute to wheelock would be 1-2 hours (higher on a bad day at rush hour). I don’t have money out of pocket to afford rent, so paying for room in board I think is the best bet. The only college i can commute to is a CC they have early childhood but I know someone who goes there for that and the program is not very good at all. We took the same early childhood courses in high school, and she’s graduating this year and still feels as though she has learned nothing at the CC.
Also, I know I don’t NEED a degree in Child Life, but that’s what I would like to do. It would give me better knowledge of my job, more preparation, internships, and if I did grad school and undergrad together at Wheelock, I’d have both done in two years. Also, I think having my degree in Child Life (masters) and in Human Growth and Development (bachelors) I could have an edge over others when it comes to getting a job.</p>
<p>Also, I asked my parents about taking the SAT again, they said the only will pay for it if I give up one college applcation to displace the cost. My mom thinks it’s a waste anyways, she said so after I said I’d give them the $50 or whatever…</p>
<p>I’ve been looking at places to study Child Life, but I want to do a dual degree to get it done sooner and can’t find any even close to where I live other than wheelock…</p>
<p>Live at home, work, and cash flow it…you will be much happier than taking on boatloads of debt. Going into debt for a job that pays peanuts is not wise.</p>
<p>57k sounds like a lot but in Boston it isn’t. Realistically, if you’re going into a passion field(education/arts/service/film/fashion), you should absolutely minimize your debt load. So few people can either make it in these fields or make any real money that having any significant debt burden is unwise. Anything over the subsidized maximums is basically unpayable on those salaries.</p>