Financial Aid in medical school?

[isjoeflaccoelite]

Do schools give need based and merit based financial aid? I've heard just from word of mouth that you pretty much get nothing. Also is merit based aid only for the top like 10 students? Are there any schools that give more financial aid than others? I don't want to drown in debt if I don't have to.

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[Crayola227]

no one does but we all do unless:

parents are rich
military pays
you do PhD which covers tuition
you get some crazy awesome merit scholarship
the school wants you super bad for some sort of URM mission maybe?

otherwise welcome to the thick red line

 

[Riccardo]

It depends on the school. Most give need-based aid but exactly how much depends on the school. A smaller number of schools give merit aid. Try looking for the average debt of each medical school's students as you research them.

 

[md-2020]

It depends on the school. Most give need-based aid but exactly how much depends on the school. A smaller number of schools give merit aid. Try looking for the average debt of each medical school's students as you research them.

Actually, I think it's the opposite. The vast majority of schools have some merit aid, albeit to very limited #'s of students. Need based aid that's actually in substantial grant form is hard to come by IMO, and probably limited to around 25-40 schools.

 

[ERDOC555]

Some schools hook up their students very well! Think top schools like Mayo, Vanderbilt, Geffen, and some other prestigious ones.

Many lower ranked schools seem to have a few full ride scholarships each year for crazy competitive candidates. We're talking about the 4.0/520 applicant from Harvard undergrad with 10 publications and a Nobel Peace Prize (I'm exaggerating but you get the point).

So yes money is absolutely out there, but mostly only for the best of the best.



As for need, I'm not too sure on specifics.