Student Assets and Financial Aid for Med School / Law School

[Anonymous]

I got offered tuition only for a state law school as was a NYS HEOP candidate.

That means a few things. First I was dirt poor. I mean zero assets and almost zero income.

Second I had to be no able to get into the law school on my own and needed assistance.

Even then I did not go as would not pay room and board just tuition.

Unless full ride HS due to poverty not many law schools are generous.

[Anonymous]

Anyone aware of any medical school loan programs that forgive payback if a student pursues a particular specialty, works in a rural or low income urban setting, etc?

[Anonymous]

This doesn't work like undergrad. Some schools have some merit scholarships, but loans are a much bigger part of the landscape.

[Anonymous]

You are kind of on your own for grad school (as far as the school goes, unless you get merit...which is quite rare for the specialties you mentioned).

You can take out loans through the government. Or explore payback programs (for physicians) which require a commitment to work in an area that needs physicians. Not sure if there is any equivalent for lawyers.

I got a PhD in public health (which unlike the "hard sciences" often does not provide funding). My merit resulted in most of the tuition being covered, but often the living expenses outpace any small stipend you might get. So people work on the side and/or take out loans. For my field, I was eventually able to secure a predoctoral fellowship from the NIH...but again, it was meager.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone aware of any medical school loan programs that forgive payback if a student pursues a particular specialty, works in a rural or low income urban setting, etc?

NYU is free medical education.

[Anonymous]

Op here - thanks, I know about NYU. Harvard has also announced plans to move in that direction in the future. I’m not expecting DS to get into either - I’m sure almost every premed in the country now applies to NYU if they have any remote shot at getting in.

[Anonymous]

You are considered an independent for the FAFSA. (That said, a particular school might ask you for your parents' data, if they are considering you for their institutional aid)

Re a PP above, Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree.

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

[Anonymous]

There is no such thing as need-based financial aid for medical school or law school. Everything you get is based on merit. Otherwise you take out loans. I mean do you expect the government to fund everything forever?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone aware of any medical school loan programs that forgive payback if a student pursues a particular specialty, works in a rural or low income urban setting, etc?

NYU is free medical education.

Also Cleveland Clinic and Kaiser. If you do a combined PhD/MD program, the tuition drops significantly - VCU's is around 10K. NIH also offer grants for research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no such thing as need-based financial aid for medical school or law school. Everything you get is based on merit. Otherwise you take out loans. I mean do you expect the government to fund everything forever?

What?! There is need-based financial aid almost everywhere for med school. Unfortunately, it is capped. For example, at UVA is 26K but the tuition is 75K.

[Anonymous]

Military service after school = free education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no such thing as need-based financial aid for medical school or law school. Everything you get is based on merit. Otherwise you take out loans. I mean do you expect the government to fund everything forever?

What?! There is need-based financial aid almost everywhere for med school. Unfortunately, it is capped. For example, at UVA is 26K but the tuition is 75K.

Fine, for med school maybe. But for law school no.

[Anonymous]

It’s pathetic for medical schools to request parents’ income to determine needs based grants. It’s frustrating. We got loans for our kids’ undergraduate and our kids still won’t be eligible for needs based grants for medical schools. (Yes many schools offer needs based grants for med school). I want to retire at some point. Once they are in medical school, they are independent. Why do parents have to be responsible for their tuitions or our child not able to receive grants because of our income.
What’s irony is undergraduate college doesn’t recognize sibling’s medical school tuition when they determine financial aids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no such thing as need-based financial aid for medical school or law school. Everything you get is based on merit. Otherwise you take out loans. I mean do you expect the government to fund everything forever?

What?! There is need-based financial aid almost everywhere for med school. Unfortunately, it is capped. For example, at UVA is 26K but the tuition is 75K.

Fine, for med school maybe. But for law school no.

Not at my kid's med school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s pathetic for medical schools to request parents’ income to determine needs based grants. It’s frustrating. We got loans for our kids’ undergraduate and our kids still won’t be eligible for needs based grants for medical schools. (Yes many schools offer needs based grants for med school). I want to retire at some point. Once they are in medical school, they are independent. Why do parents have to be responsible for their tuitions or our child not able to receive grants because of our income.
What’s irony is undergraduate college doesn’t recognize sibling’s medical school tuition when they determine financial aids.

Oh stop whining.