Taking prerequisites after bachelor's degree--how do I pay?

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

Hi everyone,


I’m not sure if this topic has been previously posted, so if it has, I apologize, but I have a question regarding financial aid. See, I am going to be graduating at the end of this fall semester with a degree in sociology. I have long thought about pursuing a career in medicine, but unfortunately, I think I was always too afraid for that path, but I have matured a lot since then and I know medicine would be a great fit for me.


Unfortunately, I don’t have any of the prerequisites that is required for medical school. I don’t have very much undergraduate loan money left, so I was wondering if anyone has any advise on funding available for students with a bachelors degree who want to pursue undergraduate-level classes. I had thought about a private loan, but that may not be feasible for me, so if anyone has any other ideas, I would greatly appreciate it!


Thanks

2

You will be working on a postbac, either informal (as grad student) or a formal program at a specific school. Others can clarify that. Regardless of what you do you’ll either need private loans or federal graduate loans - http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/student s/en…


Good luck!

3

As far as federal loans go, you are eligible to borrow up to about $12,500 for 1 year for a “preprofessional” program - ie courses required for med school.


Kate

4

Thank you both for your help! I’m trying to synthesize all of the information regarding post-bac programs this evening, and thankfully I have a resource like OPM to help!


My situation probably warrants that I’ll take the informal path. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have the credit-worthiness to qualify for a private loan. I’m closely approaching my undergraduate aggregate, so I won’t be able to borrow from that for a 2nd bachelors program. I hope that finances alone will not preclude me from pursuing my education in medicine, as doing this means a lot to me and I am supremely confident I could make it through the program as I am a great student and a hard worker.


This may be a dumb question, but can I be admitted as a graduate student and still take the undergraduate courses in an informal program?



5

You should seriously consider your financial situation before pursuing this path. At the vast majority of medical schools, you will need to borrow from private lenders in order to meet your cost of tuition and living. There is a limit on the amount of federal loan money you can borrow each year and in most cases, it will not be enough. You will need to be able to secure private loans either on your own or have a co-signer.

6
  • Emergency! Said:
You should seriously consider your financial situation before pursuing this path. At the vast majority of medical schools, you will need to borrow from private lenders in order to meet your cost of tuition and living. There is a limit on the amount of federal loan money you can borrow each year and in most cases, it will not be enough. You will need to be able to secure private loans either on your own or have a co-signer.



I have thought about that, and unfortunately, if finances do present a problem, then I may have to postpone my plans. Because following this path means a lot to me, I'll press on and hope for the best. And if I have to wait a while, then that will be o.k. too.

Thank you for the helpful advice!