The Bush School of Government & Public Service

Public Service is a noble calling.


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Overview

Master of Public Service & Administration

Funding & Cost - MPSA

Cost & Funding Overview | MPSA Cost | MPSA Funding | Return on Investment

MPSA Cost & Funding Overview

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 Public Service & Administration will receive funding assistance from The Bush School. That’s right, you will receive funding help! No separate funding application is required for our scholarship awards.

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 Competitive 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 either 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.

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.

 Return on Investment: Is the MPSA 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 MPSA 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.

+ Total Tuition and Required Fees for 2 years:
      $27,146 for Texas residents
      $27,146 for non-residents after non-resident tuition waived

+ Cost of Living in Bryan/College Station, TX for 2 years:
     $44,288 for Texas residents
     $45,480 for non-residents
– Bush School Scholarship for both years:
    $10,000 (for both years 5K is the average scholarship)
__________________________________________
=   $61,434 TOTAL for Texas residents
=   $62,626 TOTAL for non-residents

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

+ Total Tuition and Required Fees for 2 years:
       $72,000 for in-state residents
       $83,000 for non-residents + Cost of Living in Washington, DC for 2 years:
       $69,696
_______________________________
= $141,696 TOTAL for in-state residents
= $152,696 TOTAL for non-residents

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 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 General Schedule (GS) pay scale to determine salaries. 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 master’s 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. Knowing how much you can earn, just how much debt are you willing to take on?

How long with it take you to pay off grad 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, considering your anticipated salary.

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.

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?

  • For those seeking careers in the state or local government, ask employers or colleagues in those fields to see if the name or prestige of a college had any impact on an employee’s ability to get a job in that field.
  • For those looking at government careers in the Washington, DC area, not necessarily. Regardless of where you earn your 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 are thinking studying in Washington, DC would guarantee you a job in the area upon graduation, think again. We have a fully-staffed Career Services team who have established connections and networks in the Washington, DC area who are dedicated to helping our students nail the job they want upon graduation. Not only does our Career Services team work with you on perfecting your resume, LinkedIn profiles, and more, they also help you with the application process for various jobs and even bring employers (from the CIA, FBI, and more) to the Bush School for interviews and more.

We are going to leave it to you to dive deeper into the cost-benefit analysis. After all, you know the colleges you’re considering and can get a more definitive cost of attendance at those colleges to do a direct comparison with The Bush School. Happy data crunching!