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[origamigal]

My former student from China has been accepted to MA programs in English and Linguistics here in the US. She is delighted. However, as I suspected (and warned her about beforehand), they are providing absolutely no funding. She wants to attend grad school here anyway, and says her parents are willing to help her pay, but it would mean a significant debt.

I have already suggested that she contact the DGS to ask about being put in contact with someone from East Asian Studies or Modern Languages re: teaching a section or two of Chinese.

Do you have any other suggestions for how she can help defray her costs?

Caveats: It is uncertain whether she will continue for a PhD or just do a terminal MA. And it seems likely that she will return to China, where even an MA from a US university will go a long way toward helping her get a university job.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[pink_]

Unfortunately, funding for MAs has been cut at several institutions I am familiar with, but your idea to contact someone in East Asia studies is a good one (assuming the program offers Chinese).

[origamigal]

Unfortunately, funding for MAs has been cut at several institutions I am familiar with, but your idea to contact someone in East Asia studies is a good one (assuming the program offers Chinese).

Thanks, pink. I knew that I should at least suggest this to her, but wondered if there wasn't something else I was missing.

[hodgeo]

At my school, there's an international student center that funds two foreign graduate students (in any program) to help ease the transition for other international students coming to the US for the first time - they help with visa issues, finding housing, adjusting to American lifestyles and cultural norms, etc.  They're hired as normal graduate assistants, with tuition waivers and monthly stipends.  It's not a lot of money, and it would take time away from her studies, but it's enough to live on in this town.