Tuition for This MFA Program Worth It?

I'm very, very close to applying to the MFA in Digital Cinema at National University. However, I'm also hesitant because I would have to take student loans to finance tuition & fees, and to buy the mandatory equipment and software (that I don't already have) the program requires us to have. Tuition and fees for the ENTIRE three year program, starting July 2012 is $30,910. That includes the fees for the residency which includes meals, but not accommodations or transportation.

I'm hesitant because I got out from under the yoke of my prior student loans and I'm skittish. But, at the same time, I know that the approximately $40,000 in student loan debt, I estimate I'll end up with, from this MFA is a lot less than my original student loan debt. And, I know that paying back $40,000 is manageable (I'm not just starting out). Then, there is the knowledge that I will have a terminal degree, and the knowledge that $40,000 TOTAL for three years of graduate film school is practically unheard of. But, I'm still nervous.

I really do want to make films, mostly documentary. I'm in the second half of my life, and see so many stories that need to be told, especially here in Southern Appalachia... there is NO shortage of material here. So, I need to figure this out quickly, because classes start in July.

As my favorite "kittehs" say in LOLSpeak... HALP! Am I just overreacting? Is this a good risk to take? Do I need to stop overanalyzing, and "just do it" like Nike says? :dunno:

Thanks in advance!

 

I am a National U alumni and I can attest that it is an excellent school. HOWEVER (a big however) $30K is too much to spend for a film making degree. There are not many jobs in film making that will yield the kind of returns needed to pay back a loan like that. I wouldn't do it if I were you. Most community colleges offer film making programs for a tiny fraction of what you would pay and would be a more sane road to take. Don't get yourself bogged down by a huge loan that you will be stuck with much of your life. It will be a monkey on your back unless you are one of the few that can land a lucrative job in film making. My buddy does film editing and lives in his camper in the parking lot of his employer; not such a good life there. IMO

 

Thanks for your reply, SurfDoctor. I agree with you that a community college filmmaking program would be a great alternative. However, where I live, there is only ONE two-year school with a program, and they only teach 35mm film production, not digital and digital is where it's at today. The industry is quickly moving away from actual film because digital is cheaper. Feature films and TV shows are now being done entirely with DSLRs, for example.

The only schools with online associate degree programs in filmmaking are the for-profit schools like Academy of Art University, where tuition and fees by themselves for ONE YEAR run more than the $40,000 for the entire MFA program at National. That $40,000 includes tuition, fees, residency, equipment, and software - the whole enchilada. As far as jobs go, that's not an issue.

To my delight, I just learned of the VRAP program and I qualify for it, so I'm eyeing some film programs at community and private two-year colleges in neighboring states (I'm able to relocate) and online certificate programs (preferred) from university extension schools and independent trade schools.

I don't have to have the MFA to do what I want to do. It's just that in the course of researching film programs it became clear that - the VRAP program notwithstanding - the NU MFA was the most reasonably priced and provided the most bang for my buck. Why would I spend $30,000+ on an AFA or BFA (tuition alone) when I could get a terminal MFA for the same amount, all-inclusive?

 

There ya go! Sorry your post sat in the queue so long.

 

Thank you!

 

I know what you mean, and thanks. I just found out some crushing news. The VRAP benefit can't be used at a college that awards degrees higher than an associate'd degree. This disqualifies the community colleges that award even one bachelor's degree (more are doing so), and the 4 year colleges that also award certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees. It disqualifies extension programs that also award bachelor's (or higher) degrees, too.

Sure, some people are able to move to attend 2 year colleges that don't award anything higher than an associate's, but if the whole point of VRAP is to retrain unemployed (and presumably BROKE) veterans, how many of them can really afford to move to take advantage of the program if the community college or voc/tech/trade school nearest them don't offer the program they want?

The Veterans Admin didn't make up that rule, the Dept. of Labor did I was told. I have to wonder how much the person/committee who came up with this rule knows about what's REALLY going on in higher education. Lots of community colleges and 4 year colleges are expanding their offerings to include higher (or lower) degrees and certifications in order to better meet the needs of the communities they serve.

I know that the goal of the VRAP is to steer eligible veterans to trade schools to get them retrained and back in the workforce ASAP, but the DOL seems not to realize that the clear lines that used to exist between trade schools, community colleges, and colleges/universities no longer exist. This is so short-sighted!

Then there is the geographic discrimination factor. This rule favors veterans who live in urban or suburban areas that offer many choices, and penalizes veterans who live in rural areas where a regional community college or (regional) university is the equivalent of a "one stop shop".

How hard is it to certify that the program a VRAP student enrolls in is a certificate, diploma, or associate's degree program? VRAP students will probably have to certify their ongoing enrollment on a regular basis, anyway, just like regular GI Bill students (whose programs have to be approved as well), so I don't understand why this restriction exists.

I don't want to move clear across my state to take advantage of the one film production program in the entire state (it also happens to fully qualify for the VRAP program). It's in a very expensive coastal city, and I just can't afford to live there. So, I'm back to the drawing board.

 

Sorry for the slowness in approving.

 

SteveFoerster, that pic made me literally LOL. It's so perfect!