Hey there,
My first degree is in Business Accounting/Finance, and I have worked in the loans sector, so basically, I have some experience in the field (coupled with the fact that I also took out a variety of loans for my first degree.)
If I were you, first I would check to see what you can get as far as Stafford Loans (you apply through filling out your FAFSA form each year.) From my experience, stafford subsidized or unsubsidized don't really cover more than the cost of public school state tuition at the undergraduate level. There are also some hoops to jump through if you already have a degree (unless your pharmacy school considers the students there at the graduate level--if they do, you can qualify for quite a bit more in loans.) I'm assuming from the number you dropped that it's a private school you're going to.
If you are still somewhat dependent on your parents and they are willing to help, there are also parent plus loans from stafford that can help.
If you can't get enough coverage from stafford loans (due to tuition limitations, making too much income, etc.) you can also consider "Alternative Education Loans." These are loans that can theoretically go up into the hundreds of thousands borrowed. They are great if you are still claimed as a dependent by your parents (as in: you're under the age of 24) and your parents make "too much money" to get enough funding from the stafford loans. The interest rates are around 8% and a little lower with a cosigner, so they are a bit more expensive than stafford loans, but much more attainable if you have some extenuating factors. You can get a list of lenders for Alternative loans at your school's financial advising office. (I used KeyBank and have been happy with their service and payment options.)
Remember, any loan you take out you can defer until up to 6 months after graduating. Unless it's a subsidized stafford loan, you will be gaining interest during the time you are in school.
If I were you, I'd 1) fill out my FAFSA with my school's info asap and see what I qualify for, then 2) apply for an alternative loan for the first semester or year to fill in any gaps, then 3) now that my tuition is covered for the first semester or year, I'd apply to as many grant/scholarship/work-study programs as I could to try and cover more of my tuition for the remainder of my schooling. Many schools will allow you to apply for scholarships and such only after you have been there for 1 year. So if that were the case, I'd just try to get my first year covered and go from there.
You can always renew/reapply for more alternative loans and have to fill out a FAFSA every year anyway, so you should be ok getting things in this early in the game.
