How much did your Master's Degree cost and which school(s) did you go to for it?

[dfrecore]

hahah!! Very true.

I've been debating throwing out a question as to how people paid for theirs. As a home schooling stay-at-home parent, I won't have a place of employment or the Military to help finance any further educational goals either.

I'll be cash-flowing mine. I'm considering taking 1 course at APUS and 1 at ENMU, as they are both ACBSP, and will accept each other's courses. I like the price of the ENMU obviously, but the 16-week format of the classes is making me reconsider it. APUS has an 8-week format, which is much better for me (I tend to lose interest by week 10, and just peter out - but then again, I've never taken a graduate-level course, so maybe I'll feel differently about that).

Also, taking 1 course at each will allow me to get a feel for each school, and see what I think about the program as a whole.

It may take me longer than others here, but then again, I'm not in a huge rush to finish - I won't be working for a few more years (after youngest graduates HS), so I have time to stretch it out.

I like the idea of Patten or WGU, but honestly, since I don't have anything really pressing me to finish, I don't think I'm motivated enough to get through the program quickly enough to take advantage of the pricing. If I don't get through it quickly, it could end up costing me a lot more than one of the others where I pay by class.

[Tireman4]

Let me see:

MA History..North Carolina Central University...not quite 4K...
MA Library Science..North Carolina Central University..not quite 6K.

[bjcheung77]

Let me see:

MA History..North Carolina Central University...not quite 4K...
MA Library Science..North Carolina Central University..not quite 6K.

Hello Sir, good job!
Can you please elaborate on how you can get one of those degrees for so cheap?
I'm already looking into my Masters, but most likely will "stay focused on the current three".
Thanks in advance (TIA)!

[april004]

Not done yet but it will cost me $22252 at SNHU. I buy my books used on Amazon and try not to buy them through the bookstore.

Jealous of these prices I am seeing!!

[rebel100]

hahah!! Very true.

I've been debating throwing out a question as to how people paid for theirs. As a home schooling stay-at-home parent, I won't have a place of employment or the Military to help finance any further educational goals either.

Employer covered all but about $750 of my WGU MBA....I actually could have finished at 12 months, but the new cycle of funding was such that I got a third infusion of cash which just made sense. ,( I actually did the program in about 11 months, but kept taking breaks. By WGU it was 18 months, but I finished in I think 14 months by the calendar).

[kevinmane]

Thanks for all the responses.
I should graduate from Amberton next year.
As long as I pass every class and don't have to retake anything, the tuition total should be a little over $7,000 because I transferred in 12 VESi credits.
So far, the books haven't cost more than $25 total for each class.
My current class required 4 books but I found each one all online for less than $5 each.

So including books, the entire expense for going to Amberton will be about $7,500.

I can't believe some of you found some for less than $4Gs! Crazy!

[jsd]

What is your area of study? What VESi courses were you able to transfer in? I still need to figure out more about how VESi works.

[TheCommuter]

I'm currently enrolled in the master of science in nursing (MSN) degree program at Eastern New Mexico University and have completed 18 out of the required 36 credits. Current tuition and fees are $235 per credit, so I will earn this degree for less than $9,000 as long as the school approves no steep tuition increases within the next year and a half.

[ladylearner]

Let me see:

MA History..North Carolina Central University...not quite 4K...
MA Library Science..North Carolina Central University..not quite 6K.

And upon reading this, ladylearner quickly opens up a new google search tab to look into North Carolina Central.

[kevinmane]

What is your area of study? What VESi courses were you able to transfer in? I still need to figure out more about how VESi works.

I'm doing the Master's of Professional Development at Amberton.
Amberton accepts up to 12 graduate credits for this degree.
Those 12 credits can be in any subject as long as they are graduate level and from a regionally accredited college; you also have to get at least a "B" in each course.

To get VESi credits, go here: https://www.virtualeduc.com/direct_accou....php?uid=1

Call the number to register and tell them you want Augustana University to transcribe them as graduate credits.
The best four 3-credit courses to take are:
Learning Disabilities
Understanding Aggression
WHY DI?
Try DI

After you pay, they will email the courses, you take 'em, you finish 'em, they grade 'em, and Augustana sends you an unofficial transcript in the mail with your grade.

Once you complete the 4 classes I listed on here, hit up Augustana and tell them to mail you an official transcript (it's free!).

They mail it to you.
You apply to Amberton.
Amberton will send you a request to submit prior credits earned.
You send the sealed envelope (official transcript) in the mailing packet.
Amberton hits you back that they've accepted it and will ask you to call them to set up a start date and academic plan.

Once you're enrolled, you're already 12 credits into your 36-credit Master's (1/3 of the way done!).
Then, just take either one class a semester over the course of 2 years (like me) or try to do 2-3 classes a semester to get it done in less than a year.

The VESi courses require no textbooks. 4 courses at $285/each makes it $1140.
8 courses at Amberton for $750/each makes it $6,000.
Average book cost for each Amberton course is around $25/class - so that's about $200.

Graduation Fee is $125.

So after you add all the costs up, it should be no more than $7,500 for your Master's.

Not bad for a regionally accredited Master's from a reputable non-profit university, amiright?