Financing Graduate School

momrath
Tue, 07 Dec 2004 22:55:14 +0000

Thanks all for your replies.

My son hasn’t a clue what he’s going to do after graduation. He’s far more focused on what he’s going to do for Spring break.

It’s ME that’s concerned about the cost of graduate school. I.e., will I have to work until I’m 70? Projecting ahead (again this is just a parent’s musing, may happen, may not) I see that he may either get an masters in Art Studio or Art History with the intention of museum work or teaching highschool. Or if he’s truly inspired go for a PhD in Art History. Or study architecture. Or then again he may choose the artist in the garret route, Or become a snowboard bum. I’d like him to spend a few years in the real world before making any commitment, but I think that even entry level museum and teaching positions are better with a masters.

What I’m most interesting in knowing is where my money comes in. From what you’ve said, it appears that good students from good schools can rely on grants and fellowships to fund grad school. It also seems that parents are off the hook if there’s a reasonable period of being self-supporting after undergrad. Do I have this right?

What does graduate school actually cost in tuition? Can anyone give me a ballpark, say for Michigan or Yale?

originaloog, the person you’re thinking of was Kurt Varnedoe, Williams grad (plus Stanford), football star, who went on to be a top curator at the Museum of Modern Art. He’s my son’s hero. There was a wonderful reminiscence about him by Adam Gopnik in the May 10, 2004 New Yorker. I haven’t been able to find it on-line.