I am about to finish my undergraduate school at Regis University in Denver, CO. I am planning on going to get an online Masters in Data Science at UC Berkeley and I am trying to figure out how to pay for it. It is really an awesome program but it is very expensive. The cost is $2222 per credit plus $525 per semester. That means for 2 three-credit classes it will cost almost $14000 per semester or $42000 a year (including summer semester). The program lasts for almost 2 years. This is really outside of my budget so I have been looking into Scholarships. I have never applied for a scholarship before so I don’t know so much about how they work. A little bit about myself, I am hispanic but I live and work in Denver CO, and I have a very good GPA. Currently 3.96 and I only have 3 classes left before graduation.
My question is, is it realistic to get enough scholarships for that much money per year? I have read of people applying for a lot of scholarships and getting approved for some small ones but adding them all up it ends up being quite a bit of money, but I am not sure if someone could get that many scholarships to cover $42K for tuition. I can pay for $5000 per year but the rest needs to come from scholarships because I don’t have it.
A few more things. I checked with Berkeley and they do not offer any scholarships for this program. Additionally, I am not sure if I would qualify for need-based scholarship because I make $80K per year, but that doesn’t mean I can spend $42K in education. I have a wife and 4 kids and I am the sole income in the family. At the end of each month we have very little for savings (certainly far from saving $42000 in a year). Like I said, I could come up with $5k per year. I also looked at the Gates foundation, which seemed to cover that much for tuition, but they seem to cover graduate school only for people who already got a Gates Scholarship for their undergrad from the beginning, so I guess Gates Scholarship is ruled out for me (unless I misunderstood their rules).
If you have any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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is it realistic to get enough scholarships for that much money per year?
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No.
I doubt that there’s much “free” money available for online masters programs. There aren’t many entitities that have a vested interest in providing funds for such.
I agree. The only one that comes close to that amount is Gates Foundation. But I was not thinking of finding just one scholarship only. I was thinking of getting multiple small scholarships, 1000 here, and 3000 there and so, and adding them all up reach to $42000. Is that realistic?
No, it’s not realistic. Hoping to get piecemeal scholarships, for Berkeley will be extremely tough.
You have a family to support and you want to go to an OOS program, in a state that is known for no financial aid to OOS students. The best aid comes from the university itself.
As a Mexican American student, who also went to grad school ~30 years ago, it was hard back then to find funding for my program. Thankfully, I was instate and our fees were a LOT lower.
It is PhD programs that are the kind of graduate study that is commonly funded (full ride). Funding for professional master’s degrees, particularly on-line ones, is rather unlikely.
scholarship before so I don't know so much about how they work. A little bit about myself, I am hispanic but I live and work in Denver CO, and I have a very good GPA. Currently 3.96 and I only have 3 classes left before graduation.
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What’s available at UC-Denver??
RE: Data Science Is that called by other names at other schools? Is that like MIS? or what?
What will your undergrad degree be in? What is your career or career goal?
You need to realize that it really won’t matter where you get your degree as long as it’s a decent school.
As an alternative to a Masters in Data Science you may ask your company what certification programs might help with your job and see if you can get “close enough”. Those might also fit within your $5K annual limit.
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That means for 2 three-credit classes it will cost almost $14000 per semester or $42000 a year (including summer semester). The program lasts for almost 2 years.
cost is $2222 per credit plus $525 per semester.
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MIDS is a part-time, 27-unit program.
A standard course load is 6 units (2 courses) per semester for four semesters; some students may opt to take a heavier course load and shorten the program length to 12 months.
Keep in mind that this kind of program is a money-maker for Berkeley as they know many students will self pay. You don’t need to help them make all this money, even though it might be a good program.
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was thinking of getting multiple small scholarships, 1000 here, and 3000 there and so, and adding them all up reach to $42000. Is that realistic?
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No…and those little awards that you’ve heard about are for undergrads…mostly incoming frosh.
The total program is about $60k-70k? Is that correct? I think there is also a req’t that you attend something on campus for 4-5 days.
You need a Plan B since it’s highly unlikely you’re going to find $50k+ in merit scholarships…I doubt you’d even find $10k.
Look at it this way…your OWN company, which would directly benefit from your education is only paying $5k a semester…so why would some outside entities that wouldn’t benefit at all from your education throw money at you?
Yes, I am paying for Regis using the tuition reimbursement from work, which is $5k. Cost of undergrad is way lower, $300 per credit, so it works out. It only gives me enough to take 2-3 classes a year so therefore, I am going at a slow pace but I am almost done so that’s ok. I refuse to get a loan and I will not get a loan for graduate school either. That I know for sure.
Now, the reason why I am looking at Berkeley is because of the program itself. The classes are live online classes. Regis has an online masters in Data science as well, more affordable ($700 per credit) but it does not have online live classes. I really don’t like online classes at all because I do not learn that much. I would much prefer to go to a classroom, but that program is not available on a real classroom in my area (Regis claims they have a classroom version but I checked the schedules, only the online classes are available) The recurring theme of online classes where the teacher says read chapter 1 and 2 and answer the question in the discussion board and then respond to two other people does not work for me. I need a real class and a teacher in front of me who I can ask a question toon the spot and get an answer right away and not 24 (sometimes 48) hours later. This program at Berkeley has a live class where you have the instructor In front of you and you could ask him questions right there. You could even interact with your classmates. It is like a real classroom. Colorado State university has a similar online platform but not in the field I want.
Having said that, at the end, I might end up going to Regis. I will still have the same predicament because at $700 per credit ($2100 per class, my $5000 tuition reimbursement will not be enough, but of course not for such a huge amount as with Berkeley.
Based on your feedback, it sounds like Berkeley will not be an option unless I win the lottery. By the way, thank you for all the feedback, I didn’t know how hard it was before so this is enlightening. It amazes me that most people at berkeley graduate pay out of pocket.
Actually, many Berkeley graduate students are PhD students who are funded (tuition waiver plus living expense stipend, often in exchange for being a research or teaching assistant). But professional degree students generally have to pay their own way (or have it paid by their employers). This is the case at most research universities.
Strange. it is an undergraduate degree, so 1000 might be for a masters. CU Denver was $390 per credit when I was going there before I switched to Regis. My cost at Regis is actually $460 per credit (http://www.regis.edu/CPS/Academics/Degrees-and-Programs/Undergraduate-Programs/BA-Social-Science.aspx), but I get a 10% discount through my work (Regis and Comcast have a partnership of some sort which gives me a 10% discount) My degree is a B.A. in Social Science.
It looks like the Data Science at Regis is much less expensive. Also, it looks like they offer a classroom version (not just online).
I don’t know if this is possible, but will Comcast pay $5k per “school year”? If so, does that mean that if you start in a spring semester, they will pay $5k for that semester? Or will they only pay $2500 per semester?
If they will pay $5k per school year, then you could squeeze an add’l $5k by starting in the Spring.
Well, they do offer a classroom option but since I go to Regis already I have access to the schedules and they never get the classroom option available, only the online. It happens with my current undergrad program too.
Comcast reimburses $5750 per calendar year. I could use it in one semester all at once if I want to. However, I will still need to come up with the difference. At $710 per credit, and assuming they will have the 10% discount still for grad school, $5750 will be enough for 3 classes per year. I think I will need to take 5 classes per year. I could pay out of pocket if I need to, since it will be a much affordable difference, but I rather get a scholarship to cover it.
Will it be more realistic to get a scholarship for the difference?