Downstate Financial Aid

[SarahGM]

So I just got my "tentative" financial aid from Downstate, and I'm now realizing that I am absolutely clueless when it comes to this stuff. I need to accept or reject it, and I don't even know what half of it means!

(I would have posted this in the financial aid forum, but we all know that never gets checked...)

Am I an unlucky one, or does Downstate just not offer any grants from the school to help cover the cost of education? Because all I'm looking at are loans here. And my biggest loan is unsubsidized, which I'm told (by them, in the same letter) is bad, and that I should try to not use it. Then what am I supposed to cover that cost with??

Clueless in Carolina....

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[rCubed]

Originally posted by SarahGM
So I just got my "tentative" financial aid from Downstate, and I'm now realizing that I am absolutely clueless when it comes to this stuff. I need to accept or reject it, and I don't even know what half of it means!

(I would have posted this in the financial aid forum, but we all know that never gets checked...)

Am I an unlucky one, or does Downstate just not offer any grants from the school to help cover the cost of education? Because all I'm looking at are loans here. And my biggest loan is unsubsidized, which I'm told (by them, in the same letter) is bad, and that I should try to not use it. Then what am I supposed to cover that cost with??

Clueless in Carolina....

yeah, i just got my downstate fin aid packet too. the amount of loans is ridiculous. if i take the loans they suggest, i'll owe upwards of $120,000 by the time i graduate which seems kind of high for a state school....except i don't really have anything to compare it to.
for those of you who've gotten fin aid packages from other places (esp private schools) does 120K seem a bit steep or not?

 

[SarahGM]

Originally posted by rCubed
yeah, i just got my downstate fin aid packet too. the amount of loans is ridiculous. if i take the loans they suggest, i'll owe upwards of $120,000 by the time i graduate which seems kind of high for a state school....except i don't really have anything to compare it to.
for those of you who've gotten fin aid packages from other places (esp private schools) does 120K seem a bit steep or not?

Yeah, I don't have anything to compare it to either. Are you a NYS resident? I'm from NC, so my loans are even more ridiculous... and they don't even cover the whole budget!

Am I correct in assuming that first-years don't get grants or scholarships?

 

[missbonnie]

hey sarahgm, didnt u get into Columbia? Why worry about downstate. it'll prolly end up costing the same. i know P&S gives some grant money.

bonnie

 

[rCubed]

Originally posted by missbonnie
hey sarahgm, didnt u get into Columbia? Why worry about downstate. it'll prolly end up costing the same. i know P&S gives some grant money.

bonnie

yeah..i was wondering the same thing. esp if you're out of state....at this point u can kiss downstate goodbye

unless ur seriously considering it, then u can open up a columbia spot for me

 

[Vgirl]

Anyone else on thoughts about the financial aid package?

Do we really need to take out 40,000 a year? My parents aren't going to help me with nil....

 

[SarahGM]

yeah..i was wondering the same thing. esp if you're out of state....at this point u can kiss downstate goodbye

unless ur seriously considering it, then u can open up a columbia spot for me

Hey y'all, I think I started this post months ago.... Downstate has been dropped for a looooong time now.

Much luck to all.

 

[mstalk]

I don't think that 120 thousand is that big of a deal compared to what people who are going to other schools are looking at.
I haven't gotten my package yet, but I am assuming that if tuition with books and stuff is about 20 grand a year and we have 10 more to spend on housing and living expenses, then if we don't spend the whole 10 we could probably take out less our sophmore yeah. At least we'll know that we'll be comfortable.
At my interview at downstate, the interviewer made it very clear to me that we shouldn't think of working when entering medical school so at least we won't worry about how we are going to get money to eat.

 

[palatanmr6]

Hey guys, I talked to a current downstate student who told me that without parental contribution the loans end up about 40K a year. It could be worse, many schools have tuition thats 40K and plus expenses - but I am clueless about financial aid (never filed it before) so if anyone can help PM me. Thanks! (Downstate 2008 )