Master of Arts
in Liberal Studies
Financial and General Information
Costs and Financial Assistance
Tuition is calculated on a per-unit basis at a rate reduced from that of the undergraduate program. For the 2007-08 academic year, the semester MALS tuition rates are as follows:
| 1/2 unit | $1,640 |
| 1 unit | $3,280 |
| 1 1/2 units | $4,920 |
| 2 units | $6,560 |
| 2 1/2 units | $8,200 |
| 3 or more | $9,840 |
Listed below are supplemental programs to assist students in meeting the costs of the program:
Federal loans:
Students enrolled at least half time (1.5 units in the fall or spring terms, 1.0 unit in the summer term) are eligible to participate in the Federal Stafford Loan program. Students wishing to borrow under the Federal Stafford Loan program must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition, for each semester that a MALS student is interested in utilizing a federal loan, the student should provide the Reed financial aid office with the following information: a letter stating the semester of attendance (fall, spring, or summer), the course titles and the number of units per course, and a loan request form. New borrowers at Reed must also complete a loan entrance session.
The FAFSA is available in Reed’s financial aid office, or online at www.FAFSA.ed.gov. The Reed College code for the FAFSA is 003217. If the student would like to borrow through one of the college’s preferred lenders, a student loan request form also is available in the financial aid office. The maximum subsidized Federal Stafford Loan available to a graduate student is $8,500 per academic year. The maximum unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan available to a graduate student is $12,000 per academic year. The academic year at Reed College for financial aid purposes begins in summer, continuing through fall and spring. The exact amount of subsidized and unsubsidized loan eligibility is based upon the student’s determined need, calculated from the FAFSA and the number of units enrolled at Reed each semester. Graduate students also may borrow costs of attendance under the federal PLUS loan program, which requires a credit check. As the Stafford loans should cover the cost of attendance for most students, however, it is unlikely that MALS students would qualify for the additional PLUS loan.
Monthly payment plan:
A Reed College monthly payment option, administered by Tuition Management Systems, offers a flexible alternative to semester payments to the college. Participants make 10 equal monthly payments, beginning July 15, for the academic year. (A five-month payment option also is available for one-semester participation.) Requests for an application and questions may be addressed to the Reed College business office, to Tuition Management Systems at 800/722-4867, or online at http://www.afford.com.
Menashe Scholarship:
The MALS program sponsors a small scholarship each year to help defray tuition costs for a few students. Recipients are chosen by the Committee on Graduate Studies based on an application process that takes into account primarily financial need (as calculated from the FAFSA form), but also academic and personal merit. Generally, the committee will call for scholarship applications in the spring and make a final decision on awards no later than fall of the new academic year.
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