Check Out 2024’s Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Counseling

5 Ways to Save on your Master’s Degree in Counseling

For most students, tuition is the biggest hurdle to enrollment. Thankfully, there are several options available to help pay for the cost of your online counseling master’s degree. Below are some of the funding options available to those considering the most affordable online masters in mental health counseling programs.

Scholarships, grants, and fellowships created for Counseling Master’s students.

Scholarships, grants, and fellowships are ideal forms of financial aid because they don’t have to be paid back. Many are available directly from schools offering online counseling degree programs. For example, the Master of Education in Counseling with a concentration in School Counseling from William and Mary offers various scholarships with awards from $2,300 to $5,000. Learn more about other scholarships and related opportunities through OMD’s scholarships and resources guide.

Work-Study or Assistantships

Work-study gives part-time jobs based on financial need and provides money to help pay for the education. Assistantships are a type of academic employment where students usually get paid in the form of tuition discounts in return for helping one or more faculty members with certain tasks. For students who must already be on campus, some online master’s in counseling programs, like Fort Valley State University’s on-campus work-study opportunities, have some options available.

Employer Tuition Reimbursement Programs

Employer tuition reimbursement programs are an employment benefit or perk where employers pay for some or all of your advanced education. Employees may need to continue working while taking classes, but exactly how the tuition reimbursement program works varies among employers. Generally, employers ask employees to continue working for them for a set number of years after graduation. If the employee fails to honor this agreement, they may need to reimburse their employer for the money spent on their education.

Payment Plans

Payment plans are a great option for those who have the money to pay for their education but need a bit of flexibility in doing so. The terms of a payment plan depend on the specific school, but they usually work by charging a modest fee, maybe $100 or so, to pay tuition throughout the semester instead of all at once. Usually, no interest is charged, and students make payments each month. Payment plans are more popular at the undergraduate level, but they do exist for some online master’s degree counseling programs, such as at Capella University.

Paid Internships

Accredited master’s degree programs in counseling require hands-on training through internships and/or practicums. These often take hundreds of hours to complete. To help students pay for their education, some schools, like William James College, offer stipends while students complete these in-person requirements. This is a great option for those who can’t use their full-time job experience to satisfy internship and practicum academic requirements.