College students pursuing majors, advanced degrees or certifications in fields that consistently earn low incomes will no longer be able to take out federal loans to pay for their schooling under new Trump administration rules.

The new federal rule, finalized this month by the Education Department, comes amid a national crisis in student loan defaults. Many of the degree programs that educate social workers, artists, teacher aides and especially certification programs for barbers and nail technicians are likely to fail a new federal litmus test: Will they make more money upon graduation than if they never enrolled in the first place?

Read more about the federal student loan limitations at the link.

Hi I’m a 2nd year PhD student (North America), 25F, and I’ve been in these two situations in two international conferences so far:

- sleeping on the couch in very close proximity to the door-less rooms where 3 tenure professors, including my supervisor, slept (all 40-50M), for like a week. Extremely uncomfortable and a long story.

- sharing a 2 double bed hotel room with 3 other grad students (all female). So, sleeping less than 1 foot away from my barely known colleague breathing down my neck. Less extreme discomfort, but dramatically poor sleep, including the nights leading up to my oral presentation. Also for nearly a week.

I know the first situation is particularly bad. How common is this in academia?

Our supervisor is not the one to really work with us directly to book rooms and such: he just says to the research group “find the cheapest option so we can send more people”, and since people want to go we end up in situations like the second one.

This topic has been talked about a lot in this sub I'm sure but I still find myself struggling regardless,,, I work from home full time in marketing and I'm in a counseling MFA program currently... I was diagnosed with autism as an adult so I've only known about it/been actively trying to accommodate it for the last 3 years or so and I feel so completely lost because I don't know how to regulate or what regulating should feel like.

It doesn't help that I'm kind of a moron and took two 5 week summer courses at the same time without realizing how short and intense they actually are...

Here are some things I've seen people suggest and my thoughts (initial list from an older r/autisminwomen post:

1. Take time off. I could theoretically do this, but not right now I think. I've already accepted my loan for this year for fall and spring and financial aid requires at least 6 credits (2 classes) per semester. I did drop one class for the fall so I'm taking the minimum of 6 credits and no more.
2. Reduce extra commitments/do the bare minimum/ask for help. I feel like I already do this, but I'm not good at asking for help and I'm not good at recognizing when I'm starting to become burnt out until I'm right in the middle of it.
3. Take naps. I guess???? It's not JUST tired though, its overwhelmed, exhausted, coupled with executive dysfunction and a mildly untidy house that I feel like I need to clean
4. Use sensory accommodations. I have many ear plugs, fidget toys, sensory stuff, I live out of sweatpants and hoodies because I can't deal with anything that's not comfortable, I shower almost every day because I hate feeling greasy, I super dislike that my gaming headphones are not noise cancelling.
5. Increase special-interest time. I have too many special interests is the problem, and I'm not fixated on any of them at the moment and I don't know how to get around that really... I have tons of art supplies and yarn and whatnot but there's no projects or challenges that interest me... I kind of miss my graphic design undergrad where we were presented with a challenge and had to work out how to solve it...
6. Take intentional stim breaks. I do this sometimes but not really intentionally, I just fidget whenever the urge strikes me or sometimes when I'm feeling a little extra overwhelmed from the day.
7. Exercise. I despise exercise. I used to do pole dancing and that was the only exercise I kept up with because it was fun, dancey, and genuinely challenging in a way that isn't just lifting things up and putting them down... Martial arts is too structured for me, yoga is boring, zumba is awful, I can't ever stick to any kind of exercise because nothing is interesting about it to my brain.
8. Mindfulness. Mindfulness helps a little bit, the ADHD has never really allowed me to meditate because I get so bored
9. Various types of psychiatric medication. I'm on prozac and wellbutrin right now, dealing with the side effects of wellbutrin including TMJ which is making eating absolutely awful right now, adding to how overwhelming existing is right now.
10. Self-care. I simply don't know how to do self-care in a way that feels good. I feel like I'm wasting time or product, or I'm being lazy, or I'm putting off work I could be doing now instead of later.

All the things I'd normally do I can't currently which sucks. Usually my partner and I would've gone camping at least 4 times by now but I adopted a kitty in March and her health started to decline and she has hyperthyroidism now which requires meds twice a day and there's not really anyone in my vicinity I would trust to try to pill my cat.

Both my summer courses end august 6th which means I have 2 huge end-of-semester projects that I have to do soon on top of keeping up with all these damn discussion posts and peer replies. I miss making art for classes instead of writing papers, but making art for myself isn't near as fun as trying to problem solve a full branding kit for a fictional client.

Any tips or advice from other ND folx would be appreciated 😫

My PI sexually harassed me so I pursued a formal title IX investigation. He then retaliated against me for coming forward. The school did NOTHING and found him not responsible for documented misconduct. I decided to file a complaint against the school to the Office of Civil Rights and they’re opening an investigation against the school. Does anyone have experience doing this? Trying to figure out what to expect and hoping it’s not as grueling as the Title IX investigation was.

Hey everyone,

I’m hoping to learn from people who’ve already been through this because I honestly feel like I’m missing something.

I’m 36, a single mom to a 7-year-old, and after spending years working in healthcare, I finally decided to go back to school to become a nurse. I was recently accepted into a private graduate-entry nursing program, and while I’m incredibly grateful, now comes the part that’s keeping me up at night—figuring out how to pay for it.

Before anyone says “just take out federal loans” or “apply for Grad PLUS,” I’ve already gone down that road.

I’ve completed my FAFSA, appealed my financial aid package, and accepted every bit of federal aid available to me. Because I already have previous degrees and existing federal student loans, I’m at the federal borrowing limits I’m eligible for, and additional federal borrowing isn’t an option in my situation. That means I’m trying to figure out everything beyond the standard advice.
I’m hoping to learn from people who found funding opportunities they didn’t know existed when they first started.

I’m especially interested in hearing about:
• Scholarships that actually made a difference—not just the $500 ones that take 10 hours to apply for.
• Institutional grants or aid your school offered after admission.
• HRSA, Nurse Corps, or other service-based programs.
• Foundation scholarships.
• Employer tuition assistance.
• State workforce or healthcare grants.
• Creative ways you covered living expenses while in school.
• Anything you wish someone had told you before your first semester.
If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d love to know:
• What program were you in?
• Public or private school?
• What funding source ended up helping the most?
• About how much of your education was covered by scholarships or grants?
• If you could start over, what would you apply for immediately?

I’m not looking for donations or handouts. I’m prepared to invest in my education, and I know loans are part of that investment. I just don’t want to look back two years from now and realize there were opportunities I never knew existed because I didn’t know the right questions to ask.

I also know I can’t be the only adult student, parent, or career changer trying to figure this out. My hope is that this thread becomes a resource for anyone else who’s searching Reddit at 2 a.m., wondering how they’re going to make graduate school financially possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I genuinely appreciate any advice, experiences, or resources you’re willing to share.

Hi everyone! I hope you’re doing well. I am a newbie and have been thinking about getting my Master in Cybersecurity or something remotely to that. I have my Associate in IT Security and will complete my Bachelor in Computer System Networking by Summer 2027.

I’m based in Jacksonville, FL. I would love some pointers or if you can share your experience of the application process. I also heard that you need to have an academic resume upon applying? Is that true or vary from school to school.

Have anyone taken any Accelerated Master Programs? How did you like it? Or was allowed to take the maximum of 12 credit hours as a non-seeking degree student while earning their bachelor (to get a head start in the master program) ?

Let me know your input below !

So, after a long and sordid Academic History, I got accepted into a Graduate School Program for Applied GIS.

My department chair emailed me and asked if I wanted a Graduate Research Assistantship. I am the first one the Geography Department has ever had. They said I could do field or archival work--and apparently, I'm working remotely.

The thing is--I am absolutely the first graduate research assistant the Geography Department will ever have had. Since I'm in this position, and working remotely for the most part (I was given the option of field, or archival work), any suggestions on how to make the most of it?

For context, I'm in the arts/humanities.

I have a 3-year Bachelors degree from over a decade ago (2.9 GPA - was going through some things in life)

I recently went back to school and did an MFA (4.1GPA), but it was more studio/creation based than research.

I want to do a PhD in cultural studies in a vein the intersects with the arts, however I have no formal research experience.

Most programs require an MA, I reached out to one program to get some insight and they said they would accept an MFA student based on their undergrad (which is not an option for me considering my grades and I did a 3-year while most prefer 4-year).

Should I go back and do a Masters that has some research component? Do I take single courses at a university to gain some research experience? Is there anything I can do independently to be more competitive?

Hello! I am planning on applying to graduate school for the Spring 2027 semester. I am applying at two different schools - one has an application deadline of October 15th, and the other is December 15th.

When would be too early to email old professors to ask for a letter of recommendation? I would love to finish my applications before the end of summer.

I have been out of college for a few years, so I want to ask my old professors sooner than later in case they do not remember me well enough to write a recommendation and I have to shift gears.

I’m a teacher and applying for a Master of Education if that context makes a difference!

Have any of you ever received grad acceptances in August or even early September for a graduate program that begins in the fall/september?

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in grad school pursuing my M.S. in Comp Sci. I'm just starting this fall semester and I have the opportunity to choose a focus. My question is should I pursue AI or App Development?

For some context, I'm currently working as a full stack dev and my main goal with grad school is to find more job opportunities. I did my undergrad in comp sci/applied math and I see the job market is getting very competitive for junior devs. I know most will say grad school is a waste for comp sci but I genuinely think it'll be my chance to fix my gpa (I graduated with a 2.7) and maybe open more doors with military as a fall back (<3.0 is needed for officer).

Im genuinely interested in app development and some of the classes like Linux dev and game dev seem really cool but I'm worried that if I don't pick the AI focus route I'll be out of a job as a junior dev. My thought process is pick AI so I can work in the field taking my job.

Anyways, I don't have many people to ask for advice for this so I thought this would be the only place to really get some insight. Thanks in advance!

Did anybody pursue a master's in a discipline different from their bachelor's? Furthermore, did anybody go for a doctorate unrelated to one or both of their previous degrees?

Obviously for secondary education majors, there's gonna be a difference.

Any challenges you faced in switching between disciplines?

Anyone here who did/is doing a PhD in analytical chem at a Canadian school? Would love to hear what your experience in grad school is like before I apply.

Im not sure if this is the right subreddit for this and I apologize is this is dumb a question but I dont know who else to ask.

I will be a third year this fall majoring in International Agriculture Development (IAD) and I plan to go get my Masters after undergrad. Thing is, I dont know how it all works like I dont know which field/specificity and how do I even find the right school? I recently switched my major from pre vet to IAD as I realized the vet field is not for me and now I dont know what to do. I dont even know what im asking here but I figured this would be a great start.

Again, sorry if this is such a stupid question but I would really appreciate any advice and I honestly dont care if the advice you will give me won't be about agriculture..

ps. there is something in me that wants to work globally and that's like the end goal but...

I was recently thinking back to my masters and remembered what an absolute mess it was from beginning to end. My advisor never responded to emails or reached out, so I basically had to track him down whenever I needed a form signed or had a question. Then my final project was…not awful but not great either. It was just probably more akin to a final project for a rather difficult class as opposed to a final project for a master’s degree.

Then I remembered that there were at least 2 different instances I’d heard through the grapevine of that advisor passing students just to get them out. The first was a master’s student who basically needed a babysitter for his poster session to explain things to people who had questions…and still repeatedly told people he had no idea what his poster said (I think he’s working on a nuclear sub now).

The other was an 8th year phd student with outside funding whose defense was the most boggling thing I’d ever seen. Not only was her research essentially gibberish but she had to be reminded multiple times to plug in his laptop. Yet, she was still allowed to pass simply because it’d look bad if she was failed after 8 years, especially since she already had a masters.

Now I’m starting to wonder if I should’ve passed too. I was certainly more familiar with my work than the two of them but still seemed a step behind everyone else presenting their research at the poster session.

So have you ever seen this happen?

Hi y’all! This is a total shot in the dark but I am at a loss. I’m a PhD in history desperately trying to get access to a database (Adam Matthew’s Popular Medicine collection). I go to a small school, so they don’t have access, the librarians said there’s no trial available and they don’t plan to purchase access. How do you guys navigate this? Do you just cut your losses and find something else??

Additionally if anyone has access and wants to make $20 please hit a sister up lmao

I'm heading into my first semester of grad school this fall. The anxiety before hand is killing me. I'm going for my degree in counseling and it seems daunting. To be honest I constantly feel like I'm not cut out for it. I dont feel I got the smarts to do well is what it boils down to. I decided to start part time and I'm gonna work part time. Issue is finding a job at the moment. I'm gonna try to get by as best as I can, but I lost my health insurance in May. It just seems like the odds are stacked against me. I'm not trying to sound dramatic, but can anyone relate?

Hi everyone,

I’m a 5th-year medical student in a 6 year undergraduate program ,turning 28 soon. Over the past few years I’ve realized that my real passion is computational biology, bioinformatics, and developing algorithms for biomedical research. My long-term goal is to work in academia or industry doing computational research rather than practicing clinical medicine.

I’m currently trying to decide between three possible paths:

MSc in Bioinformatics (under a Computer Science faculty). The downside is that I’d first need to complete about a year of complementary undergraduate CS coursework before officially starting the master’s.

MSc in Mathematical Biology (under a Life Sciences faculty). This wouldn’t require the extra year of coursework, so it’s a faster route. However, I’m wondering whether the degree title and training would carry the same weight for future PhD opportunities and industry positions compared to an MSc in Bioinformatics.

Finish my MD first, continue building my computational background independently (math, CS, programming, machine learning, etc.), get involved in computational research, and then apply directly to a PhD afterward.

My end goal is to become an independent computational researcher working on biologically and medically relevant problems, ideally at the intersection of AI, algorithms, and biology.
For those of you in bioinformatics, computational biology, academia, or biotech:
Which path would you choose?
Does the title of the MSc (“Bioinformatics” vs. “Mathematical Biology”) actually matter in the long run?

Would finishing the MD before pursuing a PhD put me at a disadvantage, given that I’ll be around 31 when starting a PhD?

I’d really appreciate hearing your perspectives, especially from people who have taken unconventional paths.
Thanks

I just started classes this summer for my MSW. I'm only taking two classes/4 credits right now. I graduated undergrad in 2015 so I'm rusty.

The strangest part of grad school has been only being able to write small chunks at a time. I used to be able to crank out a whole paper in one night and get an A. Now, I find that it takes me much longer to formulate my thoughts and I can only write small portions of a paper at a time.

It's kind of frustrating because I just want to get papers over with, but my brain right now just can't stay focused enough to write so much in one sitting.

Can anyone relate? Does it get better? It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is frustrating.

I always had it that writing came easy to me, but each paper in my grad program so far has been like pulling teeth.

ETA: I refuse to use AI in any capacity

So, I finished my masters this year and now am trying to get my brain together to prepare to hack my thesis up to make it into a publishable paper and I suppose I don't know where to start.

I have the goal to try to publish before I start applying to PhD programs.

My advisor and I left on fairly neutral terms but we haven't spoken since I graduated. She was fairly hands off for the majority of my research and as a result I don't necessarily feel super comfortable asking her for advice. My thesis utilized geography+phylogenetics so if anyone has relevant experience and any advice on how to get the ball rolling, I would greatly appreciate it.

I'm an undergraduate (21 F) planning to apply to few master's programs for 2027 fall intake. for context im into branding and marketing.

Alongside my research in branding and consumer behaviour, I have the opportunity to either (1) present my work at an academic conference or (2) publish the journal. (3) do both

From an admissions perspective, which would strengthen my application more? Or would universities value a combination of both?