MIA Cost & Funding Overview

Master of International Affairs

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Overview | Funding Tips | MIA Cost | MIA Funding | Return on Investment

The Bush School is dedicated to making graduate education affordable. We know the majority of our students are seeking purpose-driven lives and cannot take on an enormous amount of debt. By providing some financial assistance, The Bush School supports students choosing jobs that matter to them and are free to pursue their passions, not their pocketbook, as they enter the workforce.

Financial assistance comes in many forms. The centerpiece of our funding are competitive Bush School Scholarships, which provide some support for our students.  All admitted students enrolled full-time in the Master of International Affairs will receive funding assistance from The Bush School. That’s right, you will receive funding help! No separate funding application is required to be considered for a Bush School Scholarship.

We recommend applicants submit and complete their application by the priority deadline to ensure it is considered for the best Bush School funding options. Applicants who complete their application after the priority application deadline, but on or before the final deadline, will still receive a Bush School Scholarship, but may miss the opportunity to be nominated for other funding awards.

Please keep in mind that while The Bush School funding we offer can help with some of the cost, students often have to take out loans, work, or receive funding elsewhere to cover the rest of their expenses. We strongly encourage applicants to apply for any outside funding opportunities they may qualify for. Refer to the “Supplemental Aid” section of the Funding page.

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Tips for Funding your Graduate School Education

Graduate aid is packaged differently from undergraduate aid, so familiarize yourself on the various funding options. For starters, grad school applicants are considered independent, so you are already tagged for higher need. This means that you may qualify for aid in the form of loans, especially those with competitive interest rates.

But before you start borrowing, be sure to look for money you don’t have to pay back.

Order of Financing

1. Free Money
   • Scholarships / Fellowships – earned through merit, eligibility criteria, or need
   • Grants – usually given based on financial need; often state based
   • Waivers – avoiding certain fees based on designations or qualifications; can include waiving non-resident tuition, application fees, and more
2. Earned Money
   • Work – seek on-campus or off-campus options
   • Graduate Assistantships – work for faculty or staff in research, teaching, or support roles; most require 20 hours per week and may include some tuition remission and insurance benefits
   • Military Benefits – utilize GI Bill, Hazelwood, and other earned support
3. Borrowed Money
   • Loans (fill out FASFA) – borrowed money that has to be repaid, with interest, usually after you graduate/leave the university
     • Subsidized – government pays the interest until you graduate
     • Unsubsidized – you pay interest throughout, including while in school and in deferment periods
     • Private – also pay interest throughout; check those interest rates!

Financial Resources

Check out some helpful financial resources from some sites below to help you learn more about financing your graduate education, navigating student loan options, and what to consider when taking on more debt. These are just a few of the hundreds of sites out there.

• Idealist.org
• Federal Student Aid
  • Check out Perkins, Stafford, and Graduate PLUS loans
• AskHeatherJarvis.com
• Student Loan Borrower Assistance  

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Return on Investment: Is the MIA worth it?

As with any decision, you have to look at the whole picture. It’s important for you to not only consider the cost of tuition and fees, but also the cost of living in the location you plan to attend grad school. When comparing these rates to other top-quality programs in the nation, you’ll see why the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University is a best buy from a top institution—with programs and faculty competitive with the finest in the country.

Let’s take a look…

Below is a snapshot of the total cost for both years of the MIA degree, so you can get a better idea of the overall cost you are looking to pay. Please note the $10,000 Bush School Scholarship we listed below is just an example. The cost could be significantly less with a larger scholarship.

Now, let’s compare this to the total cost of attending a private university in Washington, DC:

As you can see, the cost of attending school in Washington, DC, can be almost three times as much as attending The Bush School.

Now, let’s dive into the salary ranges you could make after graduation to get a better idea of how much more you can make with your master’s and how long it will take you to pay off your master’s debt.

What salary are you looking to earn upon graduation?
Most students who earn a master’s degree in international affairs related fields enter careers in the federal government, which uses a General Schedule (GS) pay scale to determine salaries. An employee’s base pay depends on their location, the GS pay grade of their job, and the pay grade step they’ve achieved. Most students who graduate with a Master of International Affairs (or similar degree) enter a federal government career at a minimum of the GS-9 pay grade. Let’s compare two locations for 2022 with and without a master’s degree:

• Washington, DC – A starting salary for a bachelor’s degree typically starts at a GS-7 pay grade, which offers a minimum salary (step 1) of $50,643 in the nation’s capital. With your master’s degree completed, alumni move to the GS-9 level, which pays a minimum salary (step 1) of $61,947.
  
  
• Houston, TX – A starting salary for a bachelor’s level at a GS-7 pay grade in Houston offers a minimum salary (step 1) at $51,579. With your master’s degree completed, alumni qualify at the GS-9 level, which pays a minimum salary (step 1) of $63,091

This means that earning your master’s degree helps qualify you for an additional $11,000 per year for the rest of your federal working career. Knowing how much you can earn, just how much debt are you willing to take on?

How long will it take you to pay off graduate school debt?

The average interest rate for a graduate student loan is 5.28%. Let’s say you make monthly payments of $625 to pay off your grad student loan of $141,696 at a college in Washington, DC. Your payoff date for the loan would be August 2136.

Now, let’s say you make monthly payments of $625 to pay off your grad student loan of $58,082 at The Bush School. Using the same interest rate of 5.28%, your estimated payoff date for the loan would be August 2032.

Will a master’s degree from a college in Washington, DC, be more beneficial than earning a master’s degree from The Bush School at Texas A&M University?

Specifically, for those looking at federal government careers after earning their master’s degree, not necessarily. Regardless of where you earn your graduate degree, your pay scale will be the same. The location of a college has no impact on the salary or pay scale earned in a federal government career.

If you believe studying in the nation’s capital offers additional opportunity that’s worth the cost, then that’s a personal decision. But know that schools outside the Beltway have well-developed career connections all over the nation, including within DC and their agencies and organizations. Do your homework to see how strong the employment record is with your intended school for the agencies or location you desire.

The Bush School Career Services team is dedicated to helping our students nail the job they want upon graduation. They work with students in perfecting their resume, LinkedIn profiles, and more, while also bringing in employers (from the CIA, FBI, and more) to campus for interviews and jobs talks and helping students prepare for the competitive career application process.

We leave it to you to dive deeper into the cost-benefit analysis. After all, you can get a more definitive cost of attendance at your interested colleges and can then do a direct comparison with The Bush School to see what works best for your lifestyle and goals. You can reach out to us if we can address your concerns or questions. Staff, faculty, and current students are ready to help!