<prompt> Human: Im a 21 year old undergrad with 15,000 in student loans. Im a PA resident but I plan on attending Rutgers for graduate school. Im having a hard time using the tuition calculator but from what I understand I should be expecting to pay around 28,000 a year. Ive also been looking for an apartment and the cheapest thing I can find is around 1,200. Im the first person in my entire extended family to go to college so I have no idea how much I should plan to take out in loans or where from. Edit: the tuition was for a year,not a semester.Id appreciate any suggestions youd have.Update: Ive decided to go to a state school that I can commute to. The tuition isnt that big of a difference but I wont be having to pay the 15k a year for rent. Thanks everyone!  <response>: I looked up the tuition - your estimate per year looks very accurate. Of course this doesnt include books, your apartment, or food alternatively room and board if you chose to go through the school. So you also have those costs to consider. How long is the program? Two years I presume? So now youre looking at 56,000 in just tuition right? OK. Lets also assume that you end up living on campus and get a meal plan. Thats going to run you about 15,000 over two years. So now were at 71,000 in loans. Plus your undergrad loans - 86,000. What is your expected salary when you leave school? If its not 86,000, I strongly recommend reconsidering your choice, either your choice of school or your choice of degree. I think its awesome that you want to get a degree in social work. I think its awesome that you want to help people. You obviously know that social work, even on the high end of social work, doesnt pay that well, so I know you arent in it for the money. Money probably isnt that important to you. That is fine. That is more than fine. What I am going to plead with you to do though, is to not get yourself into a butt load of debt just to get this degree. You can get this degree without the debt. You can still help people without the debt. After you get your degree, and when youre starting your career, I am confident that your life will be so much better if you can go out and really search for the job that you want, the one where you will be able to make a difference - not the one that you have to take because you need to be able to pay off the loans. Unfortunately I dont know too much about the social work field in general, so this question may seem silly, but is it a thing to find a job in your field with just an undergrad and to then get your degree paid for, at least in part? Alternatively, is it a thing to take out loans for your degree, but work somewhere after you finish for a certain amount of time in order to have your loans forgiven by that company or the government state or local? Is Rutgers really going to give you the greatest benefit for its cost? You could work to gain residency in New Jersey before starting there, but you only save 10,000 over the course of two years, which while not insignificant, isnt enough to make or break your decision in my opinion. Is Rutgers program so good that it will financially make a difference in your salary? Or is the benefit just that it will allow you non-financial opportunities definitely something to consider. 