What should I do? I’m being “locked out” of grants, and offered (my namesake) Stafford loans to go into debt at 3x to 4x the tuition of other students. While locals can take classes for free (at in-state tuition rates, with a fed. Pell grant) I will have to pay over $30,000 just to graduate. My cost is close to $428/credit-hour and even though I am certainly cognitively up to the task, I was denied entry to a program that could have qualified me for in-state tuition, because the woman running the program is vindictive and didn’t like my inquisitive nature. (please note that I currently live in a culturally depressed region dominated by drug problems, uninsured drivers, and illegal immigrants). I was actually hoping to stay here and to let the immigrant “pressure” on the physician to population ratio work in my favor (i.e., more immigrants means more people who need medical services, preventive medical services, services of hospitals and interns, etc.) but in light of the out of state tuition hurdle, I’m just not sure that this place is attractive anymore. Couldn’t I better use that $30,000 in graduate school? Because as I see it, my job is to help people, but near the border, there is a whole new set of problems. This state isn’t working with me AT ALL on getting these costs down. I just don’t think that I should borrow money to pay triple tuition. Maybe for one semester, but more? Is that a bad idea or what?
I agree that going into a huge amount of debt even before you enter medical school is a bad idea. I really don’t follow your concerns regarding in-state vs. out-of-state, but to be honest, even if I had all the details I doubt it would help make it more comprehensible to anyone who’s not in the situation.
I do think that it’s time to remind you of one of my sayings: “It’s their game, their ball, and their rules.” It sounds like you are taking personally a bureaucratic maze that was likely invented sometime around the fall of Rome - while the bureaucracy’s unstated purpose is to make it hard for EVERYONE, I highly doubt that it is singling you out. I also doubt that you’ll be able to do anything about it if you are hoping that someone will grant a waiver or bend a rule in order to have you considered in-state. Governments tend to be pretty hard-hearted about this and your personal motivations aren’t going to impress them in the least.
I’d suggest putting your energies into looking at alternatives rather than hitting your head against this particular wall. Again, I’m speaking without knowing much of the situation but hey, I grew up outside Washington, D.C. so you could say I’m an expert in bureacracy. 
Mary
What do you have to do to become “in-state”? Live and work there a year first? In what state are you a “resident”, and would it be better to try to get back there to go to school? Look at all the solutions available to you, and to build on what Mary said, don’t waste your energy on the solutions that aren’t available.
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I agree that going into a huge amount of debt even before you enter medical school is a bad idea. I really don’t follow your concerns regarding in-state vs. out-of-state, but to be honest, even if I had all the details I doubt it would help make it more comprehensible to anyone who’s not in the situation.
Dr. Renard, it is worth incurring +$30,000 in additional tuition before medical school? I’ve been trying to generate options for a while. And, as a portion of your total difficulty in getting through your own educational experience, how would you rate working with educational institutions? Because if I understand what you are getting at, you seem to be saying that whatever I do, wherever I end up, there will be bureaucratic, human resistance. And people may seem like they are making it hard for me to proceed or to get the money I feel I deserve, but that is something that you’ve experienced, too? And that’s why I shouldn’t take it personally? Because if everyone is fighting as hard as I have to, I guess it would make me feel better to know that. I appreciate your earlier response to my initial question, but could you clarify? Because time also has to enter the equation. If I switch universities to save on tuition, there’s transfer credits lost, moving expenses, etc. I may have residency in another state, but the house is not close to a major university. So would it be worth moving to save (after subtracting moving expenses) $15,000? And how would the medical schools feel about a student who switched universities? And it’s hard not to take it personally when I work as hard as anyone else, but if I look to my left, and look to my right, my classmates get free cars and I don’t–that’s the tuition difference.
I do think that it’s time to remind you of one of my sayings: “It’s their game, their ball, and their rules.” It sounds like you are taking personally a bureaucratic maze that was likely invented sometime around the fall of Rome - while the bureaucracy’s unstated purpose is to make it hard for EVERYONE, I highly doubt that it is singling you out. I also doubt that you’ll be able to do anything about it if you are hoping that someone will grant a waiver or bend a rule in order to have you considered in-state. Governments tend to be pretty hard-hearted about this and your personal motivations aren’t going to impress them in the least.
I’d suggest putting your energies into looking at alternatives rather than hitting your head against this particular wall. Again, I’m speaking without knowing much of the situation but hey, I grew up outside Washington, D.C. so you could say I’m an expert in bureacracy.
Mary
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What do you have to do to become “in-state”? Live and work there a year first?
Yes. Nobody ever tells me anything. But a lot of the people, predominantly hispanics, are helping each other out. It made me kind of angry because I saw a Latina girl getting interviewed right there in the foyer of the library for a position; she got the job on the spot because of someone she knew. I don’t think I’ve seen a white student working anywhere here. Those kind of jobs can qualify people for in-state tuition.
In what state are you a “resident”,
I don’t think anywhere, because I travel. I think I’m orphaned. But I sent out some exploratory emails today asking, basically, the same thing.
and would it be better to try to get back there to go to school? Look at all the solutions available to you, and to build on what Mary said, don’t waste your energy on the solutions that aren’t available.
Who can say what’s available when information about money is so sparse? I can’t make decisions when these people are being evasive about money. They don’t answer emails, not in their offices. Damn it, Jim, I don’t want to be a financial analyst, I’m a doctor (in training)! This is giving me a headache. I don’t want to fight with people about money, I just want to study.
You do sound frustrated. The other thing I worry about is that the frustration will start to show in your attitude towards “these people” and make them less likely to want to help you. I have to tell you that when I read your first post, my very first impulse was to write back, “Sorry, I’m female, and I only help my friends.” I got over it, but if even a shade of that frustration and resentment shows when you call or e-mail people, it’s going to affect their interest in bringing you into their workplace as an employee. Doesn’t excuse their not giving you information you’re entitled to, but it may not be helping you.
Off the top of my head, some of the options are:
Spend the most energy on obtaining residency status in the state where you paid the most income taxes last year and/or where your drivers’ license was issued.
Exert considerable charm and warmth on the people you contact as you look for a campus job to get that tuition break.
Figure out the state where you’d most like to live and work (for affordability or other reasons) and spend the necessary year there establishing residency before classes. Do a little volunteer work or other work there while waiting for the eligibility to kick in.
Give it up, stomp and swear a little bit (I sure would), take out the loans, and move on.
I do wish you the best of luck. Your situation sounds maddening.
Getting into medical school is about 50% effort, intelligence, and hard work…and about 50% strategy.
Depending on how you apply, a given set of scores can result in your ending up with multiple acceptances or having to wait a year and reapply.
I’m not sure where you are in this process, or where you live for that matter…but based on some of the other comments you’ve made I would highly recommend that you consider moving to some other part of the country.
In my humble opinion, being a California, Texas, New Mexico, New Jersey, or New York resident is not in the best interest of the majority of medical school applicants in this day and age.
As far as moving to a different state… be aware that in many (if not most) states, you’ll not only have to reside there for a certain period of time but also work there and pay taxaes there before you can be considered for in-state tuition. As the parent of two kids who are benefitting from in-state tuition for college, I gotta say it seems a reasonable expectation to me. God knows I’ve paid enough taxes to the Commonwealth of Virginia over the years.
Mary