Grad School and Crossroads: Weighing the Options

In my last post, you heard about how I was let go by X Publishing, and am deciding on full time grad school, or finding a company to work for that will offer tuition reimbursement. There are a lot of things to consider if you are weighing these two options:

Grad School

Where would your income come from? Would you be able to swing living on financial aid and some sort of part-time job or TA position and keep up with your courses? A lot of people do it, but it’s stressful.

Where is the location of the schools you are applying for? Will you be able to get instate tuition, or will you have to work for a year to establish residency before applying? If you are like me, and already own a home, are you willing to sell or rent your place and relocate? The last question is something I have really been struggling with, both in my job search and deciding on prospective schools.

Job with Tuition Reimbursement

What are the conditions of the reimbursement? Will you have to pay out of pocket, and then the company will reimburse you once they see you have completed your classes? Are you financially prepared for expenses like that, or will you still need to take out a loan? Some companies, like X Publishing, require an employee to stay with the company for a certain number of years after graduation. Are you ready to make that kind of commitment?

Will the company you are working for allow you some sort of flexibility to attend class, or are you better off looking for an online program that will allow you to work on your own time?

These are a few of the things I will be thinking about over the weekend as I continue my job search and my research on grad programs I might apply to. Stay tuned!