It shouldn't cost much.

All the students in my department had Teaching Assistantships, as did I. All that remained was to pay for certain books, which we got used, and a few university fees (for parking, etc, but I took the free shuttle). The tuition was entirely remitted.

Most students had roommates in apartments near campus. I lived with my husband in a city close to the university.

Many medical students these days have rich parents.

My husband works in medical education at Georgetown and currently >50% of their students are self (cash) pay--at $80K a year plus living expenses.
It's increasingly difficult to take out enough loans to pay for medical school. It's becoming a profession for the "already rich".

PP.

Neglected to add that I was extremely frugal and still lived like a graduate student for about five years after I received my master's. That allowed me to pay off the loan and come up with the down payment on my first property before I hit 30.

If you earmark your entire twenties as a period of living like a grad student and being frugal, you will set yourself up very well for your 30s and the rest of your life.

Master's. Received a scholarship for half the tuition, loans for the other half. Was a GA (graduate assistant - the graduate version of a RA) in the undergraduate dorms for the entire time I was there and that came with free accommodation and a partial meal plan. Worked part time as well, which covered the rest of my living expenses and paid for a trip to Europe for several weeks. Graduated with about 25k in debt, which was less than half than the salary of my first job, so I did quite well in a way. Paid off all loans within three years. I could have paid it off more quickly but interest rates were low and I was also saving for a down payment.

23:09 again. I just checked the link, and PA's, NP's, and midwives are eligible as well as dentists and primary care physicians (pediatrics, internists, family practice, psychiatry?). There must be a desire to serve in underserved communities.

https://www.nhsc.hrsa.gov/

Correction, it's the National Health Service Corps. If you've ever seen the old show Northern Exposure, about the doctor who goes to rural Alaska to practice, it's based on this program.

I think that PAs may be eligible for the National Health Care Corps scholarships. My sister, who is an MD, went to Tufts Medical School on this scholarship and served in a low-income clinic for several years when she graduated. She would have had more freedom if she had taken out loans for a less-expensive state medical school instead. But, it all worked out.

Everyone has already explained how PhD students live.

For professional schools such as doctor, nurse, and lawyer - you pick a program that has a good reputation, take out loans, and hopefully make enough to pay them back.

For physical therapy: if you take out loans, you'll be struggling with tons of debt. Don't go unless you can pay for it.

No idea where PAs fall into this.

Most of the med and law students I knew took out loans (except for the ones with rich parents). They make enough to pay them off.