can I afford dental school with ZERO family contribution?

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Hi,
I am wondering if it is possible to pay for dental school with zero family contribution? I am applying for state school (under ~240K loan) and Ivys (~360K). Anyone in my shoe as well? Looks like at the moment I should just focus on state schools.... But I will apply for Ivy just for the satisfaction that I was good enough for it. leave no regrets for what if I can get into Ivy haha.

Yes it is possible. Your financial aid awards will cover the total amount if needed. I am right there with ya....

but i thought there was a limit? 230k- ish. No way for Ivy for us poor folks?

I sure do hope so...

The limit is defined by the cost of attendance that the school calculates. Cost of attendance includes all of the school fees, along with cost of living in the particular city.

As long as you have decent credit or no credit, you'll be covered.

For example, kids at upenn are getting 100k this year to cover the cost of attendance.

oooo awesome!!! do Ivys give more grant than state schools thus making the actual loan amount less than a state school?

Originally Posted by crashblades

oooo awesome!!! do Ivys give more grant than state schools thus making the actual loan amount less than a state school?

I'm not sure about grants, but there are scholarships you can get.

Penn gives 25 students the dean's scholarship, which is half off tuition (~30k/year).
Columbia gives 1 or 2 students the half off tuition scholarship (~30k/year).
Not sure about Harvard though.

I'd worry about getting into the school first before worrying about scholarships though.

yea i know but i usually worry about things a few steps ahead

I would be surprised to find many individuals attending dental school that are receiving family support. I mean these are hard economic times and dental school isn't cheap. So I'm there with ya...I will receive 0 family contribution.

If you are in good shape and are willing to take a bit lower pay and have travel after school, consider the military scholarship. It really is a great deal.

Originally Posted by dantemac

If you are in good shape and are willing to take a bit lower pay and have travel after school, consider the military scholarship. It really is a great deal.

Did you take the Army HPSP? Also, it's a lot lower pay, not a bit.

Yeah definitely don't jump into even looking into military as a primary solution to your financial burdens. That's such a different lifestyle.........

Grants and scholarships will definitely help if you can get them. As for loans, Federal Diect loans have a cap on what you can borrow; something like $32,000 each year. Any costs after that, you can always cover the rest of the cost by getting a GradPLUS loan, which has a higher interest rate (7.9%) than the Direct loan (6.0-6.5%). You automatically get it if you are enrolled and go through a credit screening that takes 2 seconds to get your results back. If you have bad credit, you can have a parent or someone else co-sign for the GradPLUS loan each year you need them to if they are willing.

Hi Ill be attending a canadian school (cheaper than USA) but for some legitime reasons my parents wont be able to contribute... It really made me think about going to pharmacy school (I got accepted) and I was really confused... I think that money shouldnt be a factor in 2012....

Gov will help with a loan&bursaries program we have here for "poor" students and Ill have my 250k LOC