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Funding & Cost Overview

Master of Public Service & Administration 5-year (3+2) Degrees 

5Year-MPSA Funding & Cost

Overview | Cost | Funding | Return on Investment

The cost and funding for students pursuing the 3+2 MPSA degree with one of the following undergraduate majors at Texas A&M University is unique:

  • Political Science
  • Economics
  • Sociology
  • Agricultural Economics
  • Range, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences

The cost and funding for the student’s first three years of undergraduate study at Texas A&M University is entirely through the student’s undergraduate program as they complete courses for their bachelor’s degree. Refer to the SBS Tuition Calculator for an estimate of undergraduate tuition and required fees. Consult your undergraduate department for funding opportunities.

If admitted into the 3+2 MPSA degree program, the student then enrolls in the MPSA portion of the degree in their fourth year at Texas A&M University taking 12 credit hours of MPSA courses in the fall and spring semesters. However, the student is still classified as an undergraduate (U4) student and therefore, will still pay undergraduate tuition and fees.

*IMPORTANT* Because the student is still classified as an undergraduate student in their fourth year, students need to be aware that only 18 of the 24 MPSA credit hours they take in their fourth year will double count toward their undergrad degree. Because of this, students will face difficulty in being eligible for federal financial aid in one or both the fall and spring semesters.

In the student’s fifth year, they are re-classified as a graduate student (G7), are billed MPSA tuition and required fees, and all MPSA courses they take in their fifth year count toward their MPSA degree plan. Therefore, all are federal financial aid eligible and the student is considered enrolled full-time.

Refer to the Cost & Funding pages for additional information.

Tips for Funding your Education

Student’s in their fourth year at Texas A&M (first year in the MIA) are classified as U4 student and charged undergraduate tuition rates. However, students in their fifth year at Texas A&M (second year in the MIA) are now classified as a G7 graduate student. 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 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 FAFSA) –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.

Return on Investment: Is it worth it?

We know you are asking yourself “Is the 3+2 degree program really worth it?” As with any decision, you have to look at the whole picture.

Obviously, the biggest benefit of the 5-year/3+2 program is the ability for students to double count 18 credit hours of MPSA courses toward their undergrad degree IF the student hasn’t already taken the courses that should have been set aside for MPSA courses. If the student planned accordingly, the student would pay tuition and fees for 150 credit hours, instead of 168 credit hours (120 UG credit hours + 48 MPSA credit hours).

However, students should be aware that if they are ahead in UG credit hours or have already fulfilled some of the courses that should have been reserved for MPSA courses (9 credit hours of UG general electives + 9 credit hours of UG major electives), the student will not be able to save as much money. Regardless, the student must take 48 credit hours for the MPSA so if the student has an excess number of credit hours already completed in their undergraduate degree, then they won’t be able to double count as many courses as intended and therefore will end up taking close to the same number of courses overall as a student who pursues the 2-year MPSA after completion of their bachelor’s degree.

The MPSA allows students to build specialized skills and expand their career network to match their desired interest in the job market. The Bush School has a dedicated Career & Student Services team committed to helping students in their career development, as demonstrated by our employment statistics. Of course, how quickly you get a job and how closely it matches your interests depend on many factors, including how diligently you search and how prepared you are for your search, the economy, your qualifications, your desired location, your salary expectations, etc. By taking advantage of Bush School resources in the Office of Student Services, and by continually developing your network of contacts, you will increase your chances of securing a job upon graduation.

Other factors to consider when determining the value of the MPSA:

  • What are your long-term career goals?
    Most students who pursue the 5-year MPSA degree are young and lack professional experience. Therefore, some struggle to know with certainty if the Public Service career field is right for them. We encourage students applying to the 3+2 program to attend lectures, speak to people in their field of interest, complete an internship, or work part-time somewhere prior to applying so they have some idea if an international affairs career is what they want. The more committed a student is to the degree, and can show that growth, the more successful they can be.
  • What salary are you looking at earning upon graduation?
    Most students who earn a master’s degree in public affairs related fields enter careers in the state or local government, whose starting salaries vary greatly depending on the specific sector and location of the job. Research careers you’re interested in, then research salaries in the locations you are considering. Ask colleagues in those fields what you would likely make upon graduation. Inquire through employers to see if they could provide starting salary ranges.

    For students entering a career in the federal government, your salary will be determined using a General Schedule (GS) pay scale. An employee’s base pay depends on their GS Paygrade of their job and the Paygrade Step they have achieved. Most students who graduate with a masters are looking at entering a federal government career at 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. Now, 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 school debt?
    Using any of the online debt payoff calculators, you can calculate your expected payoff date using the monthly payment you feel you would be comfortable making upon graduation. Keep in mind the salary you will be earning as you decide on the monthly payment you are comfortable making.

    For example:
    The average interest rate for a student loan is 5.28%. Let’s say you make monthly payments of $600 to pay off your student loans in the amount of $77,369 ($29,314 for fourth year + $8,431 in tuition/fees the fifth year + $20,610 for cost of living in the fifth year). With an interest rate of 5.28%, your estimated payoff date for the loan would be July 2038.

We leave it to you to dive deeper into the cost-benefit analysis. After all, you have a better idea/definitive cost of attendance in your undergraduate college (for your fourth year) and how much debt you are willing to take on. You can reach out to us if we can address your concerns or questions. Staff, faculty, and current students are ready to help!