Cost of school

[sophiedog]

So Columbia just sent out an email to admitted students, with updated tuition info, etc.
Here's the list...

Tuition: $42,752
Health Insurance/Services: $3,000
University Facilities Fee: $700
Arts Resource Fee: $120
Student Activity Fee: $30
International Student Fee: $50 (per semester)
Transcript Fee: $95 (one-time charge)
Course or lab fees: Vary depending on registration and courses
Late registration fee: $50, if within late registration period
Late registration fee: $100, if after late registration period
Late Payment fee: $150, plus a percentage of the remaining balance

Room & Board (estimated): $14,850 (9 months)
Commuting: $1,000
Personal Expenses: $3,375
Books: $2,000
Loan Origination Fees: $185

Plus film costs.
Does anyone else think this is a little insane? How are you going to pay for it, especially international students?
For me being Canadian tuition alone would be over $50,000 and I can't get any financial aid!

 

[tabbycat]

wow, I thought stuff was expensive here


Hmm looks like AFI doesn't offer health insurance, it's not in their tuition and fees breakdown.


I can't for the life of me find Chapman's tuition info on their website. Though I did hear they offer health insurance, all I was told is it's "expensive" but it can't be more than I was paying. Well, it can.

 

[Xijjix]

Tabbycat, if you look here you can get some Chapman information.

http://www.chapman.edu/sbs/tuition/FeeInfo2.asp

Unfortunately, it doesn't have Columbia's breakdown of additional costs or health insurance, just tuition and on campus housing (which I hear nearly no graduate students live in).

 

[tabbycat]

thanks for that link, I knew it was somewhere!

 

[Suzako]

Yeah, having michigan health insurance in new york has not been helpful. Weirdly I'm looking forward to having New York health insurance (from NYU or Columbia) because at least it'd be like, designed to be used in New York and not in Michigan (thanks, work!)

 

[d_lefeb]

OKay, yes it's expensive, but let me point out a few things:

Books $2000 = nada. I have spent maybe 300 and I didn't really have to buy these books. trust me, won't be that pricey.

Room and board: They have nearly $15 000 for 9 months which translates as over 1600 a month which is ridiculous. Most people I know pay less than 1000 a month. You are international too which means you are very likely to get University Apartment Housing, which is usually affordable.

Loan origination fees: Wont apply to international students.

Fim costs: can be minimal. I have hardly paid anything for my projects. This summer will be different, I will grant you that.

Get money from the Canadian government, sophiedog! I got 20 000 from Quebec!

 

[TDK120]

Suzako, does NYU provide health insurance to MFA students? That'd be great if they did, but I haven't heard anything about it.

 

[Suzako]

Yep, it mentioned it in my acceptance package. There was a separate sheet about it? I'll double check the info when I get home, but I remember feeling very relieved to see that, haha.

 

[tabbycat]

yeah I roughly calculated my "living costs" and it was less than what the schools estimate. My rent is definitely less.

 

[TDK120]

Suzako...

I'm looking through my NYU acceptance stuff. The only thing I see regarding health insurance is that every student must have it and that a plan is available through NYU. Following the web address they give, it looks like comprehensive coverage is $2170/year -- or it was last year, anyway.

But maybe you got health insurance as part of your award. Sometimes it's added on to scholarships. If so, that's a nice bonus!

 

[sophiedog]

Hey d, did you get any grants from Quebec or was that all in loans? I'm researching my province info, there aren't many grants and the deadlines were all Feb 1, loans so far I've found info that says the max you can get is $11,000 a year for grad school unless you are in med school, but I'm still looking...

 

[psufilmgirl]

Jayimess-

I just read your post about going for what you want and not caring if you're broke the rest of your life, as long as you're doing what you want, and I'm totally with you on that.

My friends and family have all asked me if I can go somewhere closer to home, which is PA, and my line every time is: if I'm going to take on more debt for grad school for film, I want it to be USC. Plus, I hate east coast weather.

My mom has had the same job for 40 years and is miserable every single day of her life, but financially we are not poor, nor are we well off. She always wanted to go back to school and my dad told her they would find the money and just go, and she took what I think is the easy way out.

I'd rather work for pennies 18 hours a day on a film set than work 9-5 Monday to Friday for 100K a year.

So, for me, it a no brainer: take the federal loans and take out loans for rent and my car payment and JUST DO IT.

That is, when I get in