Unsure of how to fund podiatry school (Canadian student)

[aiikookie]

The tuition at AZCPM is around $200,000 USD for 4 years. With some help from my parents and using some government-funded loans (no cosigner) I can reduce this to $140,000-$150,000. I need to fund the rest using a student line of credit using a Canadian bank, but they require a cosigner. Both my parents cannot cosign for me as my dad works abroad and my mom has no income (but the house is paid off and in her name). I talked to TD Canada and they said they cannot use the house as collateral and I cannot get a LOC without a cosigner. I have an American uncle who can probably cosign a US loan for me but he is very hesitant with the terms and conditions and does not want a liability this big in his credit (reasonable). I'm curious how my Canadian friends funded their education without a co-signer. Were you able to talk to any bank that can take the house as collateral? Are there any organizations or private lenders that fund canadians' education abroad?

I'm also unsure about scholarships as I've heard that I cannot get scholarships being non-American. I've reached out to the financial aid department at azcpm regarding this and pending a response.

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[thenorthenerpod]

Y'all need to stop with the same story over and over about going into nursing etc. Firstly CRNA's don't exist in Canada and RN's get decent salary but it's no glamorous lifestyles for them either (spouse is an RN) and are capped at around $35-40/hr in one of the highest paying provinces in Canada. Dentists come out with 400k+ in debt and start around 90-100k as a new grad and move up to around 200k gradually in Canada as well (have 3 practicing dentist friends). Podiatry does really well in Canada and can come out making $200k as a new grad in some provinces as that's what I got and have moved up since then.

OP, I required a co-signor for my Canadian Bank Loan and there's no way around that unfortunately as banks run the risk of you leaving to the states without a trace, so they need a secure Canadian co-signor who will reside there. AZCPM will have scholarships but nowhere near the amount to fulfill your tuition amount. Only other option with your house would be to take out a HELOC and use that for studies but it would mean your parents would need to contribute financially as well. There was an organization called M-Power that gave students loans without co-signors but not too sure if that would cover everything you need, you can check it out. I hope everything goes well for you!

 

[dpmcanuck]

This will just be the first of many challenges pursuing podiatry as a Canadian. Like I said in another post, DPM in Canada is completely antiquated. If you plan to return to Canada after US training you will be completely over-trained for what scope of practice will be granted. Chiropodists do pretty well in Ontario...check out the "Toe Bro". If you want to pursue a career in foot medicine and minor surgery (toenails) would encourage you to check out the chiropody program in Toronto....

 

[DexterMorganSK]

The tuition at AZCPM is around $200,000 USD for 4 years. With some help from my parents and using some government-funded loans (no cosigner) I can reduce this to $140,000-$150,000. I need to fund the rest using a student line of credit using a Canadian bank, but they require a cosigner. Both my parents cannot cosign for me as my dad works abroad and my mom has no income (but the house is paid off and in her name). I talked to TD Canada and they said they cannot use the house as collateral and I cannot get a LOC without a cosigner. I have an American uncle who can probably cosign a US loan for me but he is very hesitant with the terms and conditions and does not want a liability this big in his credit (reasonable). I'm curious how my Canadian friends funded their education without a co-signer. Were you able to talk to any bank that can take the house as collateral? Are there any organizations or private lenders that fund canadians' education abroad?

I'm also unsure about scholarships as I've heard that I cannot get scholarships being non-American. I've reached out to the financial aid department at azcpm regarding this and pending a response.

The only place to find accurate info about this will be the financial aid office at AzPod.
You should also look into the school-specific (Arizona college) threads in the MD/DO forums.

 

[ion]

Question - is Podiatry a NAFTA/CUSMA eligible profession? I.e. can the OP work in the US with a TN visa?