Does post bac count as a graduate program?

[RiverWind]

I have a question for all of the non-traditionals out there, especially anyone that has experience with grant and loan programs.

I am 1 year out of college with a BS in Anthropology, with an emphasis on Biological Anth. I got a 3.0 cum, but a 3.6 in my major. I took plenty of science classes, but I didn't take the key ones like gen chem, o chem, physics, and bio. I usually do pretty well on standardized tests and score high, so I think with lots of studying I could do well on the MCAT. I'm interested in going into family practice of some kind. I'm pretty sure that my best bet would be to enroll in a post-bac program, either informal or formal, though I'm not above taking classes at a community college.

My question is: I have been working for the past year, but still have very few resources to be spending on a post bac program, and want to apply to financial aid/federal grants and loans, mostly because I don't trust private ones. However, since I am 22, I technically still count as a dependent in the government's eyes (you stay that way until 25), unless I am a grad student. Which means they would look at my parents' income, not mine, and thus I would be deemed to have too high of an income to qualify for anything.

So: Does a post-bac count as a grad program, or an undergrad program?

Any other tips, comments, or ideas are also welcome Thanks in advance!!

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[combatwombat]

Well, the courses you need are all at the undergraduate level. Since you will be wracking up undergraduate credits, I have to assume post-bac programs will not be looked at as a type of graduate school.

That being said, you may be able to find some 4-year schools that have post-bac programs with tuition assistance programs. Other than that, I think you might have to consider private loans.

If you're willing to consider other pathways, I know you can take community college classes for most other health field careers, even higher up one like NP. I have a friend who is in one of the top NP programs in the state and took many of her pre-reqs at a CC.

Since you're fresh out of college I would also add that one pretty good way to kill time between now and the day you turn 25 could be to become a paramedic or something like that. Getting a job like that might not only allow you to make a living while improving your chances for getting into a medical school, but also help you figure out if this is what you want to do with the rest of your life.

 

[RiverWind]

Thank you, Combatwombat
I was thinking about becoming a medical assistant or physical therapy assistant or something similar, but for some reason I never thought of being a paramedic. I will definitely look into that, and any others I (or others) can think of...

As for the federal grants and loans, I'm going to keep researching and keep up hope. Infallible though your logic may be, I'm going to try putting faith in the fact that the government and its rules often do not make sense, or at least have loopholes

I'm really hoping for someone that has gone through this, or something similar, that could give me a definitive answer. Or, simply have more good ideas and comments!

 

[aphios5]

I have a question for all of the non-traditionals out there, especially anyone that has experience with grant and loan programs.

I am 1 year out of college with a BS in Anthropology, with an emphasis on Biological Anth. I got a 3.0 cum, but a 3.6 in my major. I took plenty of science classes, but I didn't take the key ones like gen chem, o chem, physics, and bio. I usually do pretty well on standardized tests and score high, so I think with lots of studying I could do well on the MCAT. I'm interested in going into family practice of some kind. I'm pretty sure that my best bet would be to enroll in a post-bac program, either informal or formal, though I'm not above taking classes at a community college.

My question is: I have been working for the past year, but still have very few resources to be spending on a post bac program, and want to apply to financial aid/federal grants and loans, mostly because I don't trust private ones. However, since I am 22, I technically still count as a dependent in the government's eyes (you stay that way until 25), unless I am a grad student. Which means they would look at my parents' income, not mine, and thus I would be deemed to have too high of an income to qualify for anything.

So: Does a post-bac count as a grad program, or an undergrad program?

Any other tips, comments, or ideas are also welcome Thanks in advance!!

...I was in a similar situation at one point in my life, and I can tell you this: a post-bac does NOT count as a graduate program. Well then, what is a post-bac, you ask? Any "undergraduate" courses taken subsequent (after) to receiving your 1st undergraduate degree are considered "post-bac", regardless of whether the classes were taken in a formal or informal PB program. You have to acually be enrolled into an official graduate program for any of your classes to be considered graduate status.

Hope this helps a bit...

 

[RiverWind]

Thanks, aphios5, that does help...Too bad. I guess I'm just going to have to figure out another way to become independent. I think I can declare myself independent, I'm just not sure how to go about it.

Can anyone else think of decent jobs in the medical field that don't require a lot of extra training? Like medical or physical therapy assistants or EMT/Paramedics? I keep searching online and asking people, but can't seem to make much headway.

Again, thanks in advance