Loans/Scholarship/Tuition Reimbursement Questions Thread

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Should I wait til I receive this years W-2 to fill out the FAFSA?

I would wait until you get the W-2 so you can get all your info in correctly and not have to worry about making corrections. You still have more than enough time to get your W2 and complete the FAFSA before any deadlines.

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It depends on which schools you are applying to. Some like getting your FAFSA info right away even if you're somewhat guessing on your tax info. For these schools, I would submit the FAFSA as soon as possible, taking a stab at what your taxes will look like. For schools that have later deadlines, I would say it's fine to wait.
 
I would wait until you get the W-2 so you can get all your info in correctly and not have to worry about making corrections. You still have more than enough time to get your W2 and complete the FAFSA before any deadlines.

I concur, the corrections are prosssessed at the same speed as the first submital. Wait until you have filled out your tax forms so you can give accurate information the first time. If the school gets the information and it is incorrect the first time, you will get audited by the school and that's a headache waiting to happen!

Just my 2 cents!
 
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I didn't want to start a new thread but I started working on my fafsa tonight, and I'm classified as independent. Well, if you're independent you don't have to list anything about what your parents made last year. However, it stated that if you're going into a medical profession that you might want to list your parents financial information. Any independent pharmacy students do this? I don't see why it would make a difference. If it's going to benefit me, I'll do it, but it's always been a pain in the butt to list my parents information.
 
I've been filling out my FAFSA as I go. If you have a steady job that has not changed within the past year or so, you could always use the previous year's W-2 as a rough estimate, but you'll need to update your information once you get your current one. Starting a file and filling out the demographics just saves you time later on.
 
I didn't want to start a new thread but I started working on my fafsa tonight, and I'm classified as independent. Well, if you're independent you don't have to list anything about what your parents made last year. However, it stated that if you're going into a medical profession that you might want to list your parents financial information. Any independent pharmacy students do this? I don't see why it would make a difference. If it's going to benefit me, I'll do it, but it's always been a pain in the butt to list my parents information.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=598372
 
I would advise people to look at the FAFSA submission deadlines of the schools you are applying to. Submit your FAFSA about two weeks before the earliest deadline. This is because the application is looked by the FAFSA people first and then they forward it to the schools. It can take a few days.
 
True, and not to mention there are other students, both undergraduate and graduate, who will be applying for financial aid as well.
 
So can some1 clarify this for me. In undergrad I've been filling out FAFSA and has been receiving federal grants and state grants which is essentially free money. I was also qualified during my undergrad for federal loans but I didn't bother taking them because I just dont like taking out loans. So for pharmacy school (1st year of actually pharmacy school not p1 or p2 but p3) is it true that the only kind of fiancial assisstance would be federal loans. Can pharmacy students in p3 and p4... can federal grants and state grants? My main goal of filling out the FAFSA is to get the grants not the loans so is there any point of filling out the FAFSA then.
 
So can some1 clarify this for me. In undergrad I've been filling out FAFSA and has been receiving federal grants and state grants which is essentially free money. I was also qualified during my undergrad for federal loans but I didn't bother taking them because I just dont like taking out loans. So for pharmacy school (1st year of actually pharmacy school not p1 or p2 but p3) is it true that the only kind of fiancial assisstance would be federal loans. Can pharmacy students in p3 and p4... can federal grants and state grants? My main goal of filling out the FAFSA is to get the grants not the loans so is there any point of filling out the FAFSA then.

As far as I know, Prof students won't get any grants from the gov. All you will get from them are loans. However, if you fill out the FAFSA, you schools will have your info, and it might qualify you for some scholarships ("free money") from the school. It is not guaranteed thou since the number of scholarships for prof student is usually limited.
If you don't want taking out loans and you think you can pay everything out of your pocket, then yeah there is no point of filling out the FAFSA:cool:
 
So in pharmacy school, there is absolutly no federal grants given out to pharmacy students if we fill out FAFSA? And the only thing that is given out to students are loans and posisbly schloarships? I just want others to validate this statement for me because if FAFSA does not issue grants to pharmacy students, then I might just ask some of my relatives for interest free loans from them. So can others who know for sure about an answer to my question please confirm this statement. THANKS.
 
So in pharmacy school, there is absolutly no federal grants given out to pharmacy students if we fill out FAFSA? And the only thing that is given out to students are loans and posisbly schloarships? I just want others to validate this statement for me because if FAFSA does not issue grants to pharmacy students, then I might just ask some of my relatives for interest free loans from them. So can others who know for sure about an answer to my question please confirm this statement. THANKS.

There is very little, if any, Federal money available to professional students besides the loans (these are still better than private loans because the interest rate is lower and some interest accrual is deferred until you graduate). Your school may or may not have grant/scholarship money available to pharmacy students, may or may not reserve this money for P3/P4 (traditional P3/P4 equaling last two years of professional study), and may or may not require the FAFSA if you want any chance at this money.

Federal Student Aid for Graduate Students: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/gradstudent.jsp

The ONLY "free money" I've seen for professional school is the HRSA's Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students but I think you gotta be super poor to qualify: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/sds.htm

If you can get $20k-40k per year out of your relatives, then by all means.. go for it.
 
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So in pharmacy school, there is absolutly no federal grants given out to pharmacy students if we fill out FAFSA? And the only thing that is given out to students are loans and posisbly schloarships? I just want others to validate this statement for me because if FAFSA does not issue grants to pharmacy students, then I might just ask some of my relatives for interest free loans from them. So can others who know for sure about an answer to my question please confirm this statement. THANKS.

Yes, by filling out the FAFSA, you will only get loans for pharmacy school - no grants. However, (as of this school year) up to $8,500 of the annual loan can be subsidized, meaning that to you it is interest free until 6 months after you graduate. The amount that is subsidized is dependent on your income. But if you've been getting grants, it's a pretty good assumption that you will receive the max. subsidy allowed. But you can only get the subsidy if you fill out the FAFSA.

Hope that helps.
 
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I hope this doesn't sound too dumb. My family has the misconception that if you put your parent's info in the Fafsa, you may not receive as much aid if your parents have a higher income. Is this true even if you are an independent? I know @ the financial aid presentations they say that certain loans or programs require more info such as parent's financial stats, but will it hurt your chances of getting aid? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I guess I haven't been researching paying for pharmacy school since I was so preoccupied w/ just getting in.
 
I hope this doesn't sound too dumb. My family has the misconception that if you put your parent's info in the Fafsa, you may not receive as much aid if your parents have a higher income. Is this true even if you are an independent? I know @ the financial aid presentations they say that certain loans or programs require more info such as parent's financial stats, but will it hurt your chances of getting aid? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I guess I haven't been researching paying for pharmacy school since I was so preoccupied w/ just getting in.

No. You are in eligible for the Pell Grant because you are no longer an undergraduate, and for the most part, schools always cover the entire financial aid of their professional school students (what I mean is that schools will give you as much in loans as you need for your expenses, to a limit.)

Putting in parents info may or may not help you in Undergrad.
 
No. You are in eligible for the Pell Grant because you are no longer an undergraduate, and for the most part, schools always cover the entire financial aid of their professional school students (what I mean is that schools will give you as much in loans as you need for your expenses, to a limit.)

Putting in parents info may or may not help you in Undergrad.

In addition to CUbeav, you will not be required to enter your parent's info, as you are now classified as an independent student, once you have a Bachelor's degree.
 
If I don't get accepted to pharm school this year, I'm planning to continue my undergrad education. So, should I wait on adding the pharmacy school to the school list since I'm marking "undergrad" as my continuing education instead of "professional/graduate"?
 
My situation if I get accepted:

1) Unemployed & broke
2) Parents will be unable to help me with any payments whatsoever upon Pharmacy school.
3) Will fill out FAFSA as an independent, even though I'm unemployed.

Tuition is ~36,000 per year, food & dorms are around 10,000 per year, and books (I don't even know)...

Where can I start looking to for help? I know there's loans, but I need scholarship & grants, as I will have over 130k of debt!
 
My situation if I get accepted:

1) Unemployed & broke
2) Parents will be unable to help me with any payments whatsoever upon Pharmacy school.
3) Will fill out FAFSA as an independent, even though I'm unemployed.

Tuition is ~36,000 per year, food & dorms are around 10,000 per year, and books (I don't even know)...

Where can I start looking to for help? I know there's loans, but I need scholarship & grants, as I will have over 130k of debt!


Better start scratching some lottery tickets. lol. :D
 
My situation if I get accepted:

1) Unemployed & broke
2) Parents will be unable to help me with any payments whatsoever upon Pharmacy school.
3) Will fill out FAFSA as an independent, even though I'm unemployed.

Tuition is ~36,000 per year, food & dorms are around 10,000 per year, and books (I don't even know)...

Where can I start looking to for help? I know there's loans, but I need scholarship & grants, as I will have over 130k of debt!


Loan debt isn't that big of a deal if you're coming out on the other side making 100k per year (before taxes of course). Most plans opt for repayment over the course of 10 years and for federal aid the interest on the unsubsidized loans is a 6.8% fixed rate.

Just fill out the FAFSA and as an independent going into professional school, you're EFC (expected family contribution) is automatically zero even if you have money in the bank...unless you have significant income. You don't have to be employed. If you're trying to attain in-state residency, your loans will count as income from that state. Of course residency varies widely between states. Here in Ohio, gaining in-state residency is a piece of cake. I also know it's pretty easy in Washington state as well. Many other states are not very flexible (e.g. Maryland even considers residents who went to undergrad out-of-state to be questionable for residency purposes even if the student is a dependent whose parents live in MD).

I'm on 40k+ loans per year and am doing fine. I've got full sub and unsub from the gov. The max for subsidized is 8500 and the max for unsub is 12,500, but there is also an extra 20,000 per year you can get under unsub if you have a very low EFC like zero. If you still need more loans then you can apply for a GradPLUS loan also through the gov. This involves your parents though and I'm not sure if that would jeopardize things if you were trying to gain residency somewhere. This would be enough for a total of the 46k you need per year. Scholarships are rare in pharm school. I've got a $1600 per year one from ohio state that helps.

Good luck - consider going in-state or to a school where you can gain in-state residency and your tuition will be cut by roughly $15,000 per year. Also consider going to a school where the cost of living is cheaper. Living in Columbus is really cheap. Rent is around $250-$450 per month on average and is of course on the low end if you have roommates.
 
In addition to CUbeav, you will not be required to enter your parent's info, as you are now classified as an independent student, once you have a Bachelor's degree.

Not true, there is at least one loan program, the health professions student loan, that is guaranteed by the gov't but they must have parental info for students, regardless of degree or independent status.
 
Loan debt isn't that big of a deal if you're coming out on the other side making 100k per year (before taxes of course). Most plans opt for repayment over the course of 10 years and for federal aid the interest on the unsubsidized loans is a 6.8% fixed rate.

Just fill out the FAFSA and as an independent going into professional school, you're EFC (expected family contribution) is automatically zero even if you have money in the bank...unless you have significant income. You don't have to be employed. If you're trying to attain in-state residency, your loans will count as income from that state. Of course residency varies widely between states. Here in Ohio, gaining in-state residency is a piece of cake. I also know it's pretty easy in Washington state as well. Many other states are not very flexible (e.g. Maryland even considers residents who went to undergrad out-of-state to be questionable for residency purposes even if the student is a dependent whose parents live in MD).

I'm on 40k+ loans per year and am doing fine. I've got full sub and unsub from the gov. The max for subsidized is 8500 and the max for unsub is 12,500, but there is also an extra 20,000 per year you can get under unsub if you have a very low EFC like zero. If you still need more loans then you can apply for a GradPLUS loan also through the gov. This involves your parents though and I'm not sure if that would jeopardize things if you were trying to gain residency somewhere. This would be enough for a total of the 46k you need per year. Scholarships are rare in pharm school. I've got a $1600 per year one from ohio state that helps.

Good luck - consider going in-state or to a school where you can gain in-state residency and your tuition will be cut by roughly $15,000 per year. Also consider going to a school where the cost of living is cheaper. Living in Columbus is really cheap. Rent is around $250-$450 per month on average and is of course on the low end if you have roommates.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm only applying to MCPHS this time, because my chances of acceptance are greater there & it's at a desirable place. I'm sure it's an expensive place to live, but I really want to be in a comfortable setting more than anything. One thing I have to figure out, if I get accepted, is how I can gain a bona fide residency (is this risky?). I really don't mind being a Massachusetts resident. I can see myself living there for a long time. But I think the sure thing is...to ask the financial aid department to help me. I'm sure they'll be willing to help. That'll be my starting point, I think. I just want to know if I should be applying for any scholarships or grants ahead of time...maybe something privatized? I don't know. Again, thanks for your sincere advice.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I'm only applying to MCPHS this time, because my chances of acceptance are greater there & it's at a desirable place. I'm sure it's an expensive place to live, but I really want to be in a comfortable setting more than anything. One thing I have to figure out, if I get accepted, is how I can gain a bona fide residency (is this risky?). I really don't mind being a Massachusetts resident. I can see myself living there for a long time. But I think the sure thing is...to ask the financial aid department to help me. I'm sure they'll be willing to help. That'll be my starting point, I think. I just want to know if I should be applying for any scholarships or grants ahead of time...maybe something privatized? I don't know. Again, thanks for your sincere advice.


There's no reason to fear gaining/switching residencies between states - it's all the good ole US of A in the end. People switch all the time. If you gain residency during your time in pharm school don't worry that it won't be ok to move out of MA as soon as your done. You aren't forced to stay in any state; if you get a job in a state other than MA well...of course you have to move out of MA - what are they going to tell you...please stay? :)

I would talk with, yes, the office of financial aid but also talk to whoever is in charge of residency status; typically the registrar's office is in charge of this at most schools but the office of financial aid is still very knowledgable regarding the issue.

Since you're going to be living in a relatively pricey part of the country, the name of the game is roommates and maybe try to look for a place that is safe but no frills (you know drill).

As far as scholarships and grants are concerned - as I said before pharm school is nothing like grad school when it comes to this. Scholarships and grants are typically hard to come by. Most are offered by chain pharmacies. Amounts offered are usually just a couple or maybe a few thousand per year, but the trade-off is that you agree to work for them for x number of years after you graduate. A decent number of pharm students opt for this option since they already know what company they want to work for and really have their choice of an employer. Personally, I think there are no scholarships or grants out there that really put a dent in the cost of pharm school but you're welcome to apply for each of them - just watch out for the required committments you have to make in order to get the money. Lastly, a key point - many pharm students work while in school since their employers (pharmacists) offer them low hours during busy times and many hours during free times (weekends/breaks). However, be careful when doing this - many times if you make beyond a certain level of income, you will not be eligible to receive the same amt in loans as the previous year when you didn't have any income (makes sense right?)...so it's somewhat of a catch-22; the only bonus is that you don't have to pay interest on the money you're making at your job.

Ah, last point I forgot - you can always have the gov pay for your education scott-free by agreeing to serve in the military afterwards. This is actually more common than you would think. Remember, the military needs pharmacists as well. This is the ultimate route if you know the risks involved and are extremely worried about going into debt or not making it financially during school.

Best of luck
 
Hey guys, it's FAFSA time...

Question 50. For the 09-10 school year will you be working on a masters or doctorate program (such as MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or grad certificate)? yes/no

I answered yes assuming PharmD fit into that category, is that correct?
 
Hey guys, it's FAFSA time...

Question 50. For the 09-10 school year will you be working on a masters or doctorate program (such as MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or grad certificate)? yes/no

I answered yes assuming PharmD fit into that category, is that correct?

Yes that is correct.
 
I filled out my FAFSA yesterday and it says that my EFC is 10444? I was wondering why it is so high if I only made $36,470 for 2008...I really hope they don't expect me to pay that bc all my money has gone to rent and paying off my undergrad loans.....I can't seem to keep more than 1000 in my savings! Do you think that my EFC will change once my FAFSA form is processed?
 
I filled out my FAFSA yesterday and it says that my EFC is 10444? I was wondering why it is so high if I only made $36,470 for 2008...I really hope they don't expect me to pay that bc all my money has gone to rent and paying off my undergrad loans.....I can't seem to keep more than 1000 in my savings! Do you think that my EFC will change once my FAFSA form is processed?

Wow, that seems way too high. I would think it would be more like $1,044 not $10,444! I'll let you know when I fill mine out what it says, I'm pretty close to the same as you according to what you said.
 
Wow, that seems way too high. I would think it would be more like $1,044 not $10,444! I'll let you know when I fill mine out what it says, I'm pretty close to the same as you according to what you said.

10K is correct. That figure is close to what mine was last year. I believe room/board is also calculated into these figures. So, for instance, tuition, fees, and room/board all total up to 20K, then you would be eligible for up to $9556 in aid to make up the difference.

The thing that makes me upset the most is that they go off of last years income. I know that I will not be working while in pharmacy school and so I'm kinda penalized that first year.
 
Hey guys, it's FAFSA time...

Question 50. For the 09-10 school year will you be working on a masters or doctorate program (such as MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or grad certificate)? yes/no

I answered yes assuming PharmD fit into that category, is that correct?


This will vary from school to school. It depends on how the school classifies you. If they say you will be an undergraduate, then no. For most schools, the answer will be a yes. If you already know where you will be attending this fall, check with them. They will be glad to answer the question for you.
 
10K is correct. That figure is close to what mine was last year. I believe room/board is also calculated into these figures. So, for instance, tuition, fees, and room/board all total up to 20K, then you would be eligible for up to $9556 in aid to make up the difference.

The thing that makes me upset the most is that they go off of last years income. I know that I will not be working while in pharmacy school and so I'm kinda penalized that first year.

I agree. 10K doesn't seem far-fetched for the salary she is making. I made a poor 29K last year and have EFC of around 8K. Yeah, it's unfortunate that with the small salary I made last year and the fact that they look at the previous year's salary.
 
So I just got back my PCAT scores. The test kind of raped me...so I thought. But by some divine intervention I ended up with these scores:

Verbal: 97
Biology: 98
Reading: 75
Quantitative: 75
Chem: 95

Composite: 96

I'm expecting roughly a 3.6 upon undergrad-graduation from Ohio State. I'm involved in a bunch of extra-curriculars, namely Theta Chi fraternity, Young Americans for Liberty, and I just won the student government's pharmacy senate seat.

However, my family and I are POOR AS DIRT! I'm mooching off a full ride through my undergrad; after next year (presently a junior) I'm going to be either getting a loan shark or selling my body to make ends meet lol.

With this background, do you think I'm in the running for any decent PharmD scholarships? For that matter, do many schools even offer big scholarships for graduate programs???

HEPP MEH HEPP MEH!
 
Moved to pre-pharm because of topic.

I wouldn't count on a scholarship as there aren't too many of them. Even if you did get one, it likely wouldn't pay for much of your total costs. The opportunities for scholarships will depend on where you go to school, so it's something to consider when you are applying. You might also consider taking a scholarship from one of the major retail chains, but then you owe them a certain amount of years upon graduation. Most people take out loans. I know it's scary to think about having that much debt, but you can easily pay them back on your $100k salary.
 
So I just got back my PCAT scores. The test kind of raped me...so I thought. But by some divine intervention I ended up with these scores:

Verbal: 97
Biology: 98
Reading: 75
Quantitative: 75
Chem: 95

Composite: 96

I'm expecting roughly a 3.6 upon undergrad-graduation from Ohio State. I'm involved in a bunch of extra-curriculars, namely Theta Chi fraternity, Young Americans for Liberty, and I just won the student government's pharmacy senate seat.

However, my family and I are POOR AS DIRT! I'm mooching off a full ride through my undergrad; after next year (presently a junior) I'm going to be either getting a loan shark or selling my body to make ends meet lol.

With this background, do you think I'm in the running for any decent PharmD scholarships? For that matter, do many schools even offer big scholarships for graduate programs???

HEPP MEH HEPP MEH!

I've looked into the same thing as well because my family is also poorer than dirt and I couldn't come up with much. I found some for Rite-Aid and Costco where if you intern at their pharmacies, they will giver you some money toward schooling (Costco was only $500 I believe). Its not very much and as my sister told me, I could get $500 from winning amatuer night at a sleavy t*tty bar in san francisco lol. I guess if you are really determined, you could rake up a bunch of little ones like that to help pay for schooling. I myself am worried about my loan situation....I was in default status for my undergrad with Direct Loans, but the default status finally cleared this past month. I am really hoping that having default status in the past won't joepardize my chance of getting graduate school loans.....I couldn't go to pharm school back in 2007 because my default status had not cleared yet.
 
So I just got back my PCAT scores. The test kind of raped me...so I thought. But by some divine intervention I ended up with these scores:

Verbal: 97
Biology: 98
Reading: 75
Quantitative: 75
Chem: 95

Composite: 96

I'm expecting roughly a 3.6 upon undergrad-graduation from Ohio State. I'm involved in a bunch of extra-curriculars, namely Theta Chi fraternity, Young Americans for Liberty, and I just won the student government's pharmacy senate seat.

However, my family and I are POOR AS DIRT! I'm mooching off a full ride through my undergrad; after next year (presently a junior) I'm going to be either getting a loan shark or selling my body to make ends meet lol.

With this background, do you think I'm in the running for any decent PharmD scholarships? For that matter, do many schools even offer big scholarships for graduate programs???

HEPP MEH HEPP MEH!

yes, but it's unlikely to cover all of it, or even half of it. Most of your money is going to have to come from loans and part-time work.

I'm a P3 at OSU, so you are in luck. Every year, around april you fill out an application for all the college managed scholarships. They will give you a certain $ based mostly on your GPA and needs as far as I can tell.

For example: my girlfriend had a GPA of 3.2 for P1, got $1500 need based for P2 year, but no merit. My P1's 3.7 landed me $1500 need based + $2600 merit based. Then I also qualified for the college's schering-plough scholarship, so that's another $1K.

I made too much money in one of my investments during P2 year, and ended up losing the $1500 need based scholarship, but still got all the merit based ones.

As you can see, keeping a good GPA nets you a pretty respectable chunk of money, but it's no where nearly enough to cover the $15K tuitions/fees. The difference is covered by Staffordloans, and I am able to pay for my living cost by working at Riverside hospital and Walgreens.

Hope that helped.
 
I'm still waiting for any responses from all of the pharmacy schools I'm applying too. When I apply for financial aid, should I include the schools I'm applying too just in case I get in? Thanks!

Nevermind, all of my questions have been answer from previous posts. Thanks everyone!
 
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I agree. 10K doesn't seem far-fetched for the salary she is making. I made a poor 29K last year and have EFC of around 8K. Yeah, it's unfortunate that with the small salary I made last year and the fact that they look at the previous year's salary.

It sucks that I would have to pay that much as I can't keep more than a $1500 in my account at any one time because of rent, undergrad loan payments, food, gas, helping my parents, etc. I emailed Touro's financial aid office and she said the 10444 would not be the amount I am expected to pay, but a number they simply use to calcuate my EFC. She said my EFC should be coming with my SAR report shortly, so hopefully it is only a couple of grand.
 
Well you're better off than me Sprinkle. I made around 18k with EFC of 4069. I actually owe a lot more on my credit cards alone than what I have in the bank. Also, I owe another 6k in undergrad loans.
 
I agree, but on the basis of taxes, if you parents still claim you as a dependent, it is logical that parental contribution is expected.
 
10K is correct. Expected contribution is roughly 1/3 of your adjusted gross income. The government loans should then cover the difference between EFC and cost of attendance (which include school and living cost).

Keep in mind that most of the time, the cost of attendance is higher than what you will really need, especially if you work as an intern. So you should still get more than enough loans even if you don't have $10k in savings.

For me and many pharmacy students, really only needed to borrow enough Stafford loans to cover tuition&fee, then make enough money on internships cover living expenses.
 
Hi everyone,

I'm filling out my FAFSA right now and there are questions regarding what degree I'm pursuing and what grade level I'll in for 2009-2010. I'm not sure what to put for these two questions because I'm still waiting for the pharmacy schools I'm applying to.

This has nothing to do with pharmacy, just want everyone opinions on this. If I don't get into any pharmacy school (knock on wood), I'll be graduating fall 09, would it be better if I put down full time student rather than part time? If I'm going to reapply next year, I want to either take more higher level classes or retake prereq I didn't do well on. That way if I apply as full time at least I have loan to pay for tuition. If I'm planning to do that, wouldn't be more convenience to apply for graduation in the spring than the fall?

I'm going to go ask my advisor about this, but I want to have different opinions on it before I do. Thanks!
 
I always fill out the fafsa and end up getting $250 per semester, despite the fact that my family income isnt much, and my tuition costs are. However, I went to fill it in this week, and there were two questions that hung me up. Do I select "3rd year- junior" or "1st year-professional"?
The other question was "Are you in a graduate program?"

So I guess I'll have to wait to fill it out, and the earlier you fill it out the more aid you get, from what I've heard. Oh well.
 
OK I was looking at figures using 6.8% subsidized stafford, 6.8% unsubsidized, and 8.5% gradplus loans and calculated that with interest accruing for the latter two during school and no interest for the first with 50k being distributed each year divided among the three with their limits (8.5k for unsub, 23.5k for sub, and 18k for gradplus) that Ill end up with a debt of $233,760.79 (assuming no interest payments) when I graduate. But when I compared with a sallie mae private loan at 10% (distributing loan 50k a year like above) it ends up only being $255,255 (assuming no interest payments) of debt when I graduate. This is the main thing im debating about between waiting for next year to get into an accredited school or going to my northstate interview and it doesnt seem that much of a difference. Anyone see anything wrong with my math cuz its not making any sense to me. Thanks!
 
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Avoid the grad plus loans. Stafford are okay, but grad plus has ridiously high interest rates. It would be foolish to take one out.
 
Actually I have a question myself...When I was in dental school I was able to borrow 8,500 Stafford Sub and 34,500 Stafford UnSub. But I called South and Mercer and both only allow 8,500 Stafford Sub and 24,500 Stafford UnSub.

My question is why the different in 10K for UnSub loans???? Anyone here going to a pharmacy school that allows 34,500 in UnSub loans????
 
Actually I have a question myself...When I was in dental school I was able to borrow 8,500 Stafford Sub and 34,500 Stafford UnSub. But I called South and Mercer and both only allow 8,500 Stafford Sub and 24,500 Stafford UnSub.

My question is why the different in 10K for UnSub loans???? Anyone here going to a pharmacy school that allows 34,500 in UnSub loans????
I think it's just the amount of money allotted to the schools, and they designate the average amount each student gets. I think you may be able to request more in some cases but that depends on the location of your school and the standard of living. I'd check with the school directly as to the maximum they are willing to give you.

@OP: I would avoid the GradPlus loan if possible. The thing about a private loan from Sallie Mae is you are expected to repay your loan regardless of your employment and/or decision to go pursue residency. Also, I think you may have done the interest calculation for Sallie Mae wrong. I'm assuming plan to take out $50,000 per year so that money will accrue interest from the moment you take it out. By the time your second year comes and you seek out another $50,000 loan, you'll already be past $100,000 with the two base loans and the interest from the first one... and it's not cheap.
 
Shc. Going to pharm school you get less in stafford loans than going med or dental school. The max is like 33k a year or around there. As opposed to the 43k med students get.
 
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