I would like to introduce a semi-regular program here at ThomasNixon.com called "Ask Tom." Feel free to send me questions and I will answer them here (time permitting; no guarantees!). The only questions that I won’t answer here are about online high schools. I will answer those here.
Ask Tom #1
I am maxed out on my financial aid and I want to continue to my Ph.D., but I only have $27,000 left that I can get from federal loans. Is there a business management Ph.D. that will cost me under $30,000? I have been searching, but I have not found any so far. NorthCentral University cost $27,000, but I have to get a private student loan and I was denied for it.
If I had a dollar for every time I have been asked this question. As background for readers, students who use federal loans do eventually hit a ceiling; a point where you can no longer get more cash from student loans.
Let me first tell you that this writer has significant loanage. That ceiling is really quite high, but you can reach it if you get students loans to pay for your entire bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. The other way is to select really expensive options.
In her case, I believe she has only one option. After she goes out and buys a copy of Bears’ Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning , she should look in the section on business administration. She is looking for nothing in the United States. Instead she will want to look at Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. All three of those places offer instruction in English through distance learning, but at a drastically lower price than you will find in the United States. And I do mean drastically lower price.
You will need to ask the specific universities if they are allowed to accept U.S. student loans.