Is Public Service Loan Forgiveness a gamble?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She needs to go to her state school. If she doesn't have the money and you cannot help, its not a question what to choose. I wouldn't trust those programs and she has to stick to specific jobs.

She did not get accepted to the state schools.

Then reapply. If you cannot help that debt is crushing.

[Anonymous]

Another way in is to apply to another program and transfer in later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apply to the same in state program for Spring. It sucks. Have her volunteer in the Fall.

They do not accept students for the spring. Only fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do schools still offer graduate assistantships? I have a masters in education (not counseling, but close) and everyone I knew had a “job” that covered tuition and a stipend. I was in residential life, so had a free apartment as part of my package. Others worked in the counseling office or admissions or student affairs. I’m out of the field now so I don’t know how it works anymore. If she wants to be a school psychologist, programs like that would also giver her good experience and exposure. she should look into those options (even if that means reapplying for the following year).

The number of graduate assistantships ranges from limited (~25% or so of the class) to non-existent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apply to the same in state program for Spring. It sucks. Have her volunteer in the Fall.

They do not accept students for the spring. Only fall.

Then she should do something relevant and reapply.

[Anonymous]

If the graduate program is that competitive, what does she think the job market will be like? Are there any similar paths she would be interested in pursuing?

For the record, I largely think that parents should not involve themselves in the life choices of their adult children, but this is one place where parents' guidance can have a legitimate lifelong impact on the happiness of their child. Big debt is no joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the graduate program is that competitive, what does she think the job market will be like? Are there any similar paths she would be interested in pursuing?

For the record, I largely think that parents should not involve themselves in the life choices of their adult children, but this is one place where parents' guidance can have a legitimate lifelong impact on the happiness of their child. Big debt is no joke.

NP. There is a massive shortage of school psychologists and anyone remotely competent entering the field will have their pick of jobs. Especially if you move away from the coasts. However, the vast majority of job opportunities are in public schools so the pay just isn’t that high.

I agree completely with your last paragraph.

[Anonymous]

I think $62k would be fine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think $62k would be fine

Same.

[Anonymous]

Do any of their schools have their own debt forgiveness program? Some institutions offer their own private program for graduates that take positions in needy areas. I would check into that, at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $62k would be fine

Same.

Really? I think that's a lot for a job that may never cross $100k in annual earning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $62k would be fine

Same.

Really? I think that's a lot for a job that may never cross $100k in annual earning

General rule of thumb is to take out no more than what you’d expect to make in your first year.

[Anonymous]

There is a lot of bad info out there on PSLF. The president's budget has tried to cut this program each year, and as of now, it hasn't been touched. The company servicing the loans for PSLF has people answering the phones who dont know the rules and have told people wrong information.

With that said, 10 years is still a long time to be making loan payments, and it assumes you are working for a qualified employer for that full time.

[Anonymous]

Someone up thread gave you some good advice, Have your DD contact the department she is interested in. Ask what she can do to make herself a more competitive applicant. Do whatever it takes and reapply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone up thread gave you some good advice, Have your DD contact the department she is interested in. Ask what she can do to make herself a more competitive applicant. Do whatever it takes and reapply.

OP here. So she actually did this and here is the email she forwarded on to me from one of the schools:

“Dear Larla,
Thank you for your message. We were very impressed with your application and thought that overall, you had a strong interview. We received 120 applications and chose to interview approximately 50 candidates. Given staffing requirements and capacity limits, we are only able to accept between 13 and 16 individuals each year to join the cohort. Please understand that the admissions process is highly competitive and based on program fit. It is not a reflection of any perceived weakness on the part of any applicant.”

Sounds like she was perhaps just a victim of sheer numbers. She did email the other program as well but they haven’t gotten back to her yet.