The Conundrum of Higher Education Master's Programs

By Eric Stoller. "Where did you go for grad school?" I was asked that question while working at the University of Illinois at Chicago back in 2003. Working at my first salaried student affairs position, I didn't know that people went to graduate school for higher education. I started looking at masters programs in student affairs / higher education. It turns out that there are scores of programs in the United States. Unfamiliar with assistantships and tuition waivers, I lucked out with my grad program. Oregon State University (OSU) offered me a graduate assistantship and a tuition waiver. Essentially, I was able to go to grad school without incurring any debt. My assistantship within the department of Enrollment Management at OSU provided me with a monthly paycheck that I used to pay for my living expenses. Plus, not having to pay tuition was a tremendous benefit. Read more...