Monday, February 4, 2008

Paying for Your MBA: Alternative ways to cut costs

Paying for Your MBA:Alternative ways to cut costs


There’s more to financial aid than the federal government, although it does offer some of the best loans and terms around. However, even the Fed can’t necessarily get you everything you need to get that MBA you’re after, so do a thorough job of checking out what is available to you. You might be surprised by what you find.

Alternative ways to cut costs
Before you take out a loan, put in the time to investigate every source of aid for which you may be eligible.

Payment plans
Check with the schools you're interested in to see if they offer payment arrangements to lessen out-of-pocket expenses. At some schools, you can divide tuition and other fees out over the course of a year rather than paying everything up front. If you have a steady source of income, such an alternative could be a godsend.

Tuition reimbursement
If you work while attending school, your employer may provide tuition assistance, so find out if you have this benefit. Make sure you’re clear on what’s covered and how your employer administers assistance. In most cases, you'll need to pay for your classes up front and then be refunded upon successful completion of your course work ("successful" is usually defined by maintaining a certain GPA, usually a B average or better). Every company has its own rules, however, so be sure to find out all the details before you apply.

If your company doesn't offer this benefit, you may want to make a persuasive argument to your boss for doing so —employers are always looking for ways to keep good employees. Be sure to explore any tax ramifications of accepting tuition reimbursement from your employer. In some cases, it may be taxed as income

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