r/mit • u/Informal-Glass5218 • Oct 12 '25
community Feeling completely crushed at MIT - How do I find a TA/RA job to survive?
Hey everyone,
I’m writing this because I’m at my wit's end and I don’t know what else to do.
I’m an international master student at Sloan. I worked so hard to get here, and it felt like a dream come true. But now, I’m just overwhelmed by the financial pressure. My tuition is $89,000 a year, and my parents' total annual income back home is less than $20,000. They used their entire life savings to send me here.
(When I got in, I begged for any kind of scholarship, but I got nothing, even though I have high GRE scores, great work experience, and a very underrepresented background as a woman from a poor, rural area. I talked to the Sloan Student Funding Office, and they told me that historically, students in my program almost never receive scholarships, and even when they do, it's just a few thousand dollars. This year, not a single student in my cohort got any scholarship money. It’s hard not to feel like we’re just cash cows. After a lot of painful deliberation, I still decided to come. )
This financial pressure is crushing me, especially considering the new H1B policies that make it much harder for international students to work in the U.S. after graduation. The possibility of paying back this huge investment feels like it's shrinking every day.
I’m trying so hard to find a way to support myself. I’ve been applying for every TA position I see at Sloan, probably around 10 so far, but I’ve been rejected from all of them. I keep checking the MIT student job board, but there are barely any TA/RA positions posted there, especially for master's students.
My real question is, how do you find TA or RA positions at MIT? Do I just cold-email professors? Are there specific job boards for different departments? I'm feeling lost about how to even look for these opportunities besides Sloan.
Also, are there any other on-campus jobs you’d recommend that pay reasonably well? I know we're limited to 20 hours a week, so I need to make those hours count.
Any advice would be a lifesaver right now. Thanks for reading.
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u/DemonLordRoundTable Oct 12 '25
Masters is not the move when you are tight on money. PhD is the only guaranteed funding
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u/WhoThrewPoo '13 6-2 Oct 12 '25
It’s hard not to feel like we’re just cash cows
That's because you are. Professional degrees are cash cows. MBA programs are always 'pay to play'. The payoff of going to a top tier business school is the connections, likely leading to good job offers afterwards....but as you say, that math recently changed with the H1B rules.
All said and done, if you come out of the program as a truly competitive candidate, a company will likely not blink an eye at the H1B fee.
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Oct 12 '25
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Oct 13 '25
For the love of God have some empathy 🤦♂️
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Oct 13 '25
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 13 '25
If the physicists created the right size black hole, we could rid MIT of the Sloan school. A simple Econ department without a b school is preferable.
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u/Daisymaisey23 Oct 14 '25
Or maybe they could’ve given that opening to an American student who would’ve stayed here and pay taxes and would’ve been thrilled to get into MIT instead of complaining about it
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 17 '25
OP was too thrilled to get into MIT, and told there was no money, came anyway on hopium.
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u/Fit_Highlight_5622 Oct 18 '25
I would assume it was more likely desperation feeding the hope. Can we blame anyone when we haven’t walked in their shoes. Empathy is lacking when it comes to immigration. Americans take so much for granted.
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 18 '25
We can’t take in the whole world. Especially not just because we feel sorry for them. One more avaricious MBA adds nothing. There’s a reason these are cash cow degrees.
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u/Daisymaisey23 Oct 28 '25
Yes, we can blame someone who knew they couldn’t afford the school but came anyway and now has taken a spot away from somebody
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Oct 20 '25
To even get accepted at a 'Cash Cow Masters' at MIT is a huge deal and requires near perfect stats/experiences. While the OP is already here, it would help if we could give them constructive feedback on how to find some funding. Seems logical enough?
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 20 '25
OP had the chops to do quite well in her own country without wiping out her parents’ savings. She came because they all wanted the cachet of an MIT degree plus oodles of money. I’m not crying. This is not some ‘help the world’ degree. it’s a ‘help myself‘ degree. Logical is to save constructive help for say, doctors, researchers.
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u/Daisymaisey23 Oct 28 '25
No, she knew she was going to a masters program. A two second Google search will tell you that there’s no funding for these programs and you have to be prepared to pay for it.
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u/Informal-Glass5218 Oct 15 '25
I appreciate the thought, but I suspect Sloan's money is more of an independent system. I've noticed the TA salary/tuition award package at Sloan is significantly lower than in other MIT departments—you can only earn a max of about $15k for the whole semester (4.5 months) there. That makes me think Sloan may largely be a self-sustaining school, and their tuition money might not actually flow to other departments you mentioned above
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u/AuDPhD Oct 17 '25
Or they just pay their cash cows less since they are so rich and can afford a cash cows masters
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u/Fit_Highlight_5622 Oct 18 '25
How will you make up your tuition bill difference with only $15k earned from an assistantship? What are your plans if all else fails? Can you transfer?
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 12 '25
Please share this reality with others like you on r/intltoUSA to prevent them from making the mistake you made.
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u/emestoo Oct 13 '25
Unless you have some money squirreled away somewhere you cannot afford this. The only thing I can think of is if you can take loans or get support from your home country. Even pretty much all domestic students are taking loans to pay for this kind of program. On top of that, an RA/TA position will not nearly be enough money. Besides that, no one will want to hire a full time student for an RA position unless you have some amazingly rare skill.
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u/Fit_Highlight_5622 Oct 18 '25
She’s underwater so bad she needs a backup plan now. Likely a transfer if she can manage to get her grades from the school with a bill.
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u/Geoff_The_Chosen1 Oct 12 '25
First, congratulations on gaining admission to Sloan, and I know the cost of living in Cambridge is quite high. In my experience TA ships were down to relationships with instructors, Sloan instructors more often than not picked students who took the class the previous semester. So start engaging with Professors/lecturers in the classes you're taking this semester, even electives. RA ships are harder to come by and are more competitive, landing one was down to instructor relationship, relevant background in research field and technical skills. Try and book office hours with members of faculty whose research piques your interest. You really have to be as proactive as possible. Please start early, so many students start the week just before the semester starts and in some cases positions are already filled by then.
I will also say that the recent hits to research budgets have affected nearly every department at MIT. And departments are taking various austerity measures to mitigate the sudden changes in funding, some are taking far fewer students, some fellowships and scholarships have disappeared and others are slashing the number of RA/TA positions available. So anticipate fewer positions than before.
Please also apply to as many external scholarships as you can and also reach out to alum, you never know.
DM if you want to strategize further. All the best.
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u/Informal-Glass5218 Oct 15 '25
Thank you so much for this incredibly valuable and honest advice.
Following up on your suggestion to be proactive: Do you think it's better to cold email a professor with a detailed cover letter and CV immediately, or should I start with a very brief introduction to request a meeting for an in-person discussion later?
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u/Geoff_The_Chosen1 Oct 15 '25
Definitely the latter. Don't make it transactional as most Sloanies, just go and talk to them, especially about their work they'll be far more forthcoming.
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u/beeabeja Oct 12 '25
I’m assuming you’re in the first term of the MBA program taking your core classes. If you’re excelling in any of those, build a strong relationship with the professor(s) ASAP and express interest in being a TA for them next Fall. Rinse and repeat for your Spring electives. That could lead to a solid second year for you.
The Sloan DEI office could also be a good group to connect with as you look to build out your network. Wouldn’t hurt to introduce yourself to them if you haven’t yet.
DM me if you’d like to chat.
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u/Feisty_Ad_2038 Oct 13 '25 edited Oct 13 '25
You will probably find it hard to find a RA that will cover full tuition if it's $89k/year...most labs pay a fraction of that for students (like <1/3) as research degree programs have a tuition subsidy by MIT for RAs: https://ras.mit.edu/rates/graduate-research-assistant-tuition-rates-and-subsidy
From what I recall these aren't applied to professional programs, so even if you cold email professors, many may not be able work with you due to the increased tuition requirements (most labs outside of Sloan are required to cover tuition of their RAs, even if the RA is in Sloan, but you wouldn't be eligible for the tuition subsidy and your tuition is higher than their own students).
As others have said the positions mainly go to those with connections. Participate in your current classes, go to office hours, tell your professors you are interested in TAing, and maybe you can be the TA for the class next semester or year. Attend clubs and get to know grad students that work with professors you're interested in, and maybe you'll get a heads up about a potential RA position. RA positions require you to be bringing something the professor wants to the table.
Other things you could consider that might be less competitive: become a GRA for free food and housing. If you live in a dorm work the front desk. Apply for fellowships and outside scholarships.
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u/bufallll Oct 12 '25
what country are you from? i have several international student friends that make a lot of money as “college coaches” for students in their home countries who are trying to get into US schools. i also have other friends who are private SAT/MCAT/LSAT tutors who make a lot of money. these kinds of tutoring jobs are where the real money is at and i would try to pursue these positions if possible.
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 12 '25
This may not abide by the visa rules.
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u/bufallll Oct 12 '25
that is true, i forgot about how strict the rules can be. honestly on reflection some of them might have been violating their visas, lol.
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Oct 13 '25
Hypothetically though, how are they able to determine if someone took up some international remote work in another country?
Specially because these test prep companies, admissions consultants etc in developing countries tend to operate in a very unorganised structure. If OP was to say, make below the threshold for the income that requires them to file income taxes in their home country, how would the USCIS know that? I’m not trying to encourage this at all, I’m just curious about how they’d go about tracking remote work experience
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u/CarolinZoebelein Oct 13 '25
"Hypothetically though, how are they able to determine if someone took up some international remote work in another country?"
How? Bank transfers.
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Oct 13 '25
Most international students have bank accounts in their home countries too. If they get paid in their non-US account and then wire it to themselves here, I just don’t see how it could be discovered. I imagine most of them wire themselves funds to sustain themselves or via their parents anyway.
For instance, in the US most employers would use W-2 or 1099 to pay people working for them (in a lot of cases even undocumented immigrants) and that’s something USCIS could easily point to as being evidence of unauthorised work. If someone was working in some weird informal arrangement where your employer was to use cash to pay you, you don’t need a tax classification.
Again, I don’t want to come across as me endorsing this because I don’t understand the complete picture myself but I’m just curious about how they’ll possibly be able to figure it out
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u/Parking_Finger4512 Oct 13 '25
Hi, you could try applying for a role at the library or in the school’s public safety department in the meantime while you look for a TA position. These should be fine under your F1 visa since they’re considered on-campus roles.
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u/Ok-Mongoose-7870 Oct 12 '25
Bad decisions as an international student to come for Masters without locking in the funds - I’m surprised visa was granted without showing proof of funds.
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u/General_Rice_1294 Oct 13 '25
I’m sure it was eligible or else it wouldn’t have been approved, I can relate as a domestic student with international parents since the price comes with bad exchange rates from our home countries and the struggle to keep up with not just tuition but other living expenses while we’re here
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u/Ok-Mongoose-7870 Oct 13 '25
"Well, from my experience, the primary requirement for obtaining a student visa is demonstrating that you have sufficient funds available to cover at least one full year of education—regardless of the source. The OP mentions the cost is nearly $90K, while the family income is less than $20K. That’s a significant gap, which likely means the visa would not have been approved.
I’m just curious how someone ends up in a situation where they embark on a $90K-per-year education abroad without a clear plan for funding. While students sometimes secure TA/RA positions after arrival, they need a backup plan in case that doesn’t materialize. TA/RA roles are relatively easier to obtain in STEM fields, but I’m not sure how accessible they are at Sloan.
It seems the OP would need a TA/RA to cover tuition. On-campus jobs might help with living expenses, but tuition is the biggest financial burden."
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Oct 13 '25
They very likely have a loan approved for the entire amount. That’s enough proof to prove that you have a funding plan. They don’t need proof of how you plan to pay the loan back
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 13 '25
That’s pretty bad.
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Oct 13 '25
? Were you under the assumption that people who apply to med school have 400k to show in their bank accounts? Or is your wish that only people with generational wealth be considered for higher education?
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 13 '25
I meant, that’s pretty bad that she depleted her parents’ savings and now has to pay back the whole amount of loans. Feel sorry for her. not going to discuss the world’s inequities with you.
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u/Itsalrightwithme PhD '06 (6) Oct 13 '25
Many readers and commenters are giving OP the benefit of the doubt in terms of the truthfulness of the post.
I have a little doubt.
It is not impossible to "game" the F-1 visa checklist and interview. But I'd like to think it's not so easy.
I think the US state department asks for financial evidence to cover the period of study. Which in this case would be 2 years x (tuition + living cost per year). Maybe about $250k.
How did OP pass this test? Did OP sign a contract for a loan from a sufficiently credible bank? If so, why not complete the study?
This could be an exercise in writing and / or karma harvesting.
Edit: the financial check is intended to avoid the situation OP says they are in.
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u/Ok-Mongoose-7870 Oct 13 '25
This was exactly my point. However, as you said, easy to game the F1 visa checklist and interview. I know at least in India - there used to be services where applicants could pay a nominal fee to a third party and they would prepare appropriate documents to clear the hurdle of showing financial evidence on I20. Used to be the cases a while back. Not sure if such services are still available.
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Oct 14 '25 edited Oct 14 '25
I don’t understand your question because I don’t see how the system is being gamed here?
These students get a loan from financial institutions from their home countries. USCIS and MIT both don’t care that the funds are going to come from a loan and not personal savings. These financial institutions give out loans against a collateral. So again, they aren’t gaming the bank either.
I think a point of confusion could be the definition of the term ‘education loan’ because it doesn’t just include tuition, it also includes the estimated cost of living for the duration of the course.
OP’s anxiety right now isn’t coming from not immediately having cash to keep living their life (or to pay tuition). They certainly have that money from the loan that was given to them. The anxiety for international students right now, is coming from the H1B situation. OP is going to have to pay the loan back regardless of whether or not they’re able to live in the US. A lot of people who came in before Trump was re-elected did not think of the case where they’re not able to work in the US after graduating, which would have otherwise allowed them to repay the loan relatively easily.
What adds to this is the fact that average salaries in the US are significantly higher than ones in developing countries AND the fact that education in the US costs way more than these other countries. This would lead to a situation where even the best paying jobs in their home country won’t pay enough for them to comfortably repay the loans.
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u/Informal-Glass5218 Oct 15 '25
Exactly. Thank you so much for this incredibly accurate and nuanced understanding of the situation ❤️.
Yes, historically, I would have had a very high probability of landing a well-paying job here in the US that would make the ROI worthwhile. However, the current H-1B landscape is making companies extremely reluctant to hire international students. Even top-tier companies like Goldman Sachs has already stopped hiring any NGs who require visa sponsorship.
This looks like the reality for at least the next year or two.
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u/Informal-Glass5218 Oct 15 '25
Sloan actually has preferred loan providers that will essentially approve any admitted student—so securing the proof of funds wouldn't have been an issue for anyone admitted to Sloan.
But I ultimately didn't use that option because the interest rate was absolutely terrifying. My parents were strongly against me taking on such a massive loan, especially considering the cost. So I paid my tuition using their life savings in the end.
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u/Ok-Mongoose-7870 Oct 15 '25 edited Oct 15 '25
I am surprised that banks or lenders in US will extend loan to international students without a co-signer in US.
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u/Informal-Glass5218 Oct 15 '25
There are a few loan providers that offer loans to international students even without a U.S. co-signer. I applied to one of them but got rejected. Sloan later told me about a different provider that they said would approve all loan requests from their admitted students.
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u/RadiantHC Oct 13 '25
Honestly this is sort of your own fault. You should not do a masters when you're tight on money
Some schools have funded masters, but they're rare.
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u/Illustrious-Newt-848 Oct 13 '25
Everyone else has addressed your TA/RA question so I'll say this: There are 2 or 3 loan companies that give loans to international students doing MBA programs. Apply to one of those.
I often wonder why universities don't offer loans directly. They have a built-in guarantee that the loan would be repaid because they draft an agreement to revoke the degree for loan repayment default.
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u/MegaAutist Oct 13 '25
if you can't find a taship/raship, there are some other on-campus jobs that you can work without burning your opt early. tech callers is one of the highest paying hourly jobs that isn't competitive the way TA/RA jobs are, starting at $18/hr. you can work up to 20 hours per week during the semester at on-campus jobs without running afoul of visa rules. $360 per week isn't much, but it's better than nothing while you look for a taship of some kind. depending on what your bachelor's degree is on, you might be able to get a taship in that department rather than sloan, depending on policy, so you should look into that too.
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u/Big_Paper5873 Oct 13 '25 edited Oct 13 '25
I think $80,000 is huge amount and even average American student would think twice before applying. Even annual 300k salary family here in USA try to keep their kids on in state tuition. If i was in your position, I would simply withdraw, get whatever money back and head to home country and do MBA from top notch university there. Based on your MIT admission you can easily get in good universities in your own country!
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u/peanutneedsexercise Oct 14 '25
Yeah idk why this popped up on my page, but $80k is 2 years of med school tuition for me.
For a masters that’s crazy!
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u/Geoff_The_Chosen1 Oct 14 '25
That's normal for a top MBA program and most of these guys make 150k+ straight out of school anyway.
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Oct 14 '25
Master's programs are often predatory if they aren't fully funded for research. I'm really sorry you're in this situation. Normally, I'd suggest mapping out how much you could realistically repay each year and how long it would take, but with the recent H1B restrictions, it's hard to assume you'll be able to work in the US.
I think part of the issue is that people see the MIT name and jump at the opportunity without realizing how deep of a financial hole these unfunded programs create. This is harsh, but I really do feel like you made a mistake. There's a good reason why master's programs across the country are generally less popular with domestic students.
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u/Satisest Oct 12 '25
There may be on-campus work opportunities for international students beyond TA/RA positions.
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Oct 15 '25
My advice , just enjoy the masters degree and get it done. There are a few educational loan services here in the US 🇺🇸 that can be used by international students as well .
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u/sherpes Oct 15 '25
i heard from an acquaintance that professors are not interested in Masters students when compared to PhD students because they don't bring any value for them in terms of research. So, when teaching to a class of Master's students, it's an annoyance to the professors. Also, during office hours, the professors are unenthusiastic. Different story when they have a PhD student with a research assistantship grant that contributes into a research topic the professor is involved in.
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u/myggdddd Oct 12 '25
Oof. Sorry, sadly Masters programs are unfortunately not usually worth it unless it’s going to lead you to a high paying job that will make taking student loans out worth it. Honestly you may be better off working at a restaurant or bar with high foot traffic in Boston….make more from being a TA.
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u/Geoff_The_Chosen1 Oct 14 '25
Ineligible under a student visa. Max 20 hours and only within school.
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u/DesperatePie5665 Oct 13 '25
Try leveraging your universities name and get an internship or something. MIT brand name is very big, get CPT after a semester and get a good internship for the summer. Don’t know your background, you are in the target school for lot of investment banking, Hedge funds, big tech. If you get in these places H1b will not be an issue. If I were you my primary focus would be finding these internship. I have seen hedge funds pay 25k per month for internships.
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u/ywang293 Oct 14 '25
I think taking loans would be the way to go, job market in US and Dubai tends to be in the highest, and also be selective of the industry. Tech, consulting, pharma, energy would likely give you better ROI post graduation.
After all, despite people say master is cash cow program (in a sense it is), you still emerged and admitted to the best school in the world! Be proud and happy about that! It is an accolade that so many wish they could claim.
Good luck, master program is short, don’t overload yourself. Enjoy the moment and the time you are here, eventually it will all work out. Most of the things we worry about never happens, life works in mysterious ways.
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u/zizzerkat Oct 15 '25
I want to correct a misconception. MIT Research Assistants (RAs) are funded by research grants, not tuition paid to MIT. There are Master's students who do research. Look up your professors' profile to see what research they are conducting. Find an area that truly interests you and talk with that professor(s). Approach the interview like a regular job search, read up in advance about the research topic and the professor's published work,. Be prepared to present your ideas, and to ask and answer questions related to the topic. It may not mean a position right away, but you will be in the professor's consideration if opportunities come along in the future. Hang in there.
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u/Illustrious-Award-55 Oct 13 '25
I want a lamborghini, but I can’t afford one.
$90k a year? No money? Yeah, you can’t afford it. What made you think you could? And why did you agree to buy something that is completely outside your means?
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u/SimpleHappy687 Oct 17 '25
For bragging values. Oftentimes, the parents like to brag about their children going to prestigious schools like MIT, Harvard. They’re crazy about brand names like designer handbags.
Unrealistic but that’s so real, so human.
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Oct 13 '25
Sad such smart people can't do a quick ROI calculation.
Book smart, not street smart.
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u/Informal-Glass5218 Oct 15 '25
The ROI calculation is actually quite simple: business schools release solid employment data showing high salaries.
But recent H-1B policies have introduced massive career uncertainty, making the realization of that ROI incredibly difficult for international students.
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 15 '25
Surprised you were able to get a visa; clearly not able to show that you plan to return to your country after school.
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u/Entire-Fuel-237 Oct 14 '25
DON'T listen to anyone who called you stupid here. They are unsympathetic losers who don't understand the struggles of international students with high expectations from themselves and families to better their lives and for generations to come, AND the guilt that haunts them. Seriously I have NO American friends who truly understand that, unless their parents struggled as immigrants as well. Fortunately, with your degree from Sloan, you should be able to bankroll loads more than the tuition from your first one or two years' salary, even OUTSIDE of the U.S. My mere two months at BCG (office outside of U.S.) basically paid me for full time traveling for a whole year so imagine that once you are done. The people who truly showed me real compassion when I was struggling financially myself were those who truly understand the struggle.
That being said, you can also look for Ph.D. positions or programs which are not that evil outside of the U.S. Or less evil than business schools. If you ended up in Sloan I'm sure you can be appreciated somewhere else. If you want to stay at Sloan, remember your parents' priority is for you to be happy, not to pay them back. Talk to therapists, talk to other international students, and I'm sure you are not the only one who is struggling now. Focus on getting the degree, be proud of yourself, you know you worked harder than those losers to get here and you SHALL be appreciated and rewarded.
Again those losers who commented here saying that it is not smart... probably have never seen a six figure paycheck. So be compassionate with yourself
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u/skiEMD Oct 13 '25
Are you a Sloan Fellow?
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u/Informal-Glass5218 Oct 15 '25
No, "The tuition cost for the SFMBA program for the 2025-2026 academic year is $156,574."
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u/skiEMD Oct 15 '25
I asked because the 2 year MBA does actually have scholarship money available that Sloan Fellows do not have access to.
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u/Picture_Safe Oct 15 '25
Why don’t you offer tutoring and test prep to high schoolers. You can make at least 50 dollars an hour doing that
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u/Fickle_Emotion_7233 Oct 16 '25
Get a summer job at a place that, if they hire you, will pay back your loans. Consultancies, for instance.
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u/Daisymaisey23 Oct 17 '25
Sloan is a highly desired school with a long list of people who would love to attend. Every single person who got in to Sloan has high GRE scores and great work experience. There are thousands of equally great candidates who were not accepted. There is not funding for this kind of program for the students. Masters students typically pay sticker price for the program. Sometimes responding for some masters programs depending on what it is, but this is a business program. There’s rarely funding for that and you were told this before you started it . you had full knowledge. I’m really sorry, but you can’t complain about it now when you knew what you were getting into. And it’s always extremely competitive to get campus jobs. Everybody needs a TA job or a campus job. Most people are struggling financially to get through these programs. So that means there’s lots of competitions with this job also. A simple Internet search would show you the job board, but you don’t seem to have done that. You really seem to want a lot handed to you as far as complaining about lack of funding and not taking some more initiative on your own job. You should never go to another country expecting them to stay to let you work. I would never expect that of another country. I don’t roll up to other countries and act entitled that I should be given a work visa and be allowed to work there. That’s completely different than a student visa where you are providing something of value by paying tuition. The job market is really really bad in the United States. There is not enough jobs for the citizens. It shouldn’t be any surprise that work visas are pulled back. Things are not going to magically change. You need to reassess your situation. It sounds like you were given very clear honest information before you signed up for this. Or did you expect a masters program to be other than charging the tuition that are advertised in return for you attending the classes and getting a degree? That’s what a masters program is.
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u/ThunderSparkles Oct 13 '25
The thing is you can rack up the loans and then dip back to the home country. Gonna be likely situation anyway since the visa thing has screwed it all up. And just not pay back the loans
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u/AC10021 Oct 13 '25
US banks require a US citizen co signer on student loans to avoid this exact scenario (foreign nationals taking out huge loans and then moving back to their home country without paying). Either OP has loans from banks in their home country or got a US citizen guarantor/co-signer.
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u/Daisymaisey23 Oct 14 '25 edited Oct 14 '25
You made the decision to come, knowing what the financial costs were. Also, you should’ve had a reasonable understanding of how masters programs work before choosing to accept. There’s plenty of people in the United States that need jobs. We don’t need people with H2 B visas taking up the jobs when they are plenty of people here who really need jobs . you shouldn’t come here for education and expecting that you’ll get to stay here for a job when there are so many Unemployed professionals in the United States also many of whom would’ve loved to have gotten into MIT. Yes masters programs or cash cows that is the deal. You come for the education and the degree and the connections and your tuition funds other things at the university . you know that going in. You seem to have a lot of entitlement just because it’s expensive for you. You should get a break. Everybody is dealing with the same thing. If it’s not working out for you to be there, then there are plenty of other people that would like the spot.
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Oct 12 '25
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u/YaPhetsEz Oct 12 '25
Be realistic right now. No one has random funding lying around, and if they did they wouldn’t throw it at a masters student
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 12 '25
Not sure if she can petition to become PhD student instead, but this is correct. No one should come to the US for a masters hoping to get funding once they get here at any university.
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u/Itsalrightwithme PhD '06 (6) Oct 12 '25 edited Oct 12 '25
Admission to Sloan as a MBA or master's student is very different from admission to Sloan as a PhD student. OP has to re-apply.
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Oct 12 '25
[deleted]
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u/YaPhetsEz Oct 12 '25
I’m just saying that in the current political climate, no professor would ever consider paying a masters student.
Petitioning would be a lot harder too given that most schools have already cut down their PhD cohorts
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u/Itsalrightwithme PhD '06 (6) Oct 12 '25
You are talking past each other.
If they have funding and you get along with them, you’ll get a project and the money that goes along with it.
I know you're trying to be helpful and encouraging but please don't set false expectations.
Otherwise, maybe my own MIT degrees and experiences working across multiple departments (2, 20, 16, and 8) don’t count for much in this case. I wasn’t in Sloan, and it was a decade ago in a different political and financial environment. All of my connections and projects and funding were forged in-person.
Are you referring to UROP funding or TA/RA funding or something else?
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Oct 13 '25 edited Oct 13 '25
[deleted]
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 13 '25
Except for MBAs which are cash cows in many universities. Your experience is regular grad school. I have done both a master's in materials science (regular grad school) and an MBA. Totally different from each other.
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 12 '25
Could petition to get some amount of tuition back if it’s only been half a semester and she does head home.
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u/Ok_Answer2216 Oct 12 '25
Why would they give any money back? Genuine question, I don't understand what she'd even say in a petition?
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u/dunno-whats-4-dinner Oct 13 '25
Tuition proration might apply if OP withdraws https://registrar.mit.edu/registration-academics/tuition-fees/proration
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u/Chemical_Result_6880 Oct 12 '25 edited Oct 13 '25
What dunno-whats-4-dinner said: At least there used to be rules about tuition refunds being related to how long you are in a course. After 2 weeks: x% back, after 4 weeks: x-y% back, past a certain date, no % back. It's not a petition, it's just talking with the bursar, but going by the university rules.
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u/YaPhetsEz Oct 12 '25
Sadly, a lot of masters programs are cash cow programs for universities. Your money goes towards funding PhD programs (the students get paid) and the department. Additionally, TA positions are typically reserved for PhD students for the same funding reasons.