Financing medical education

[Arista.MD]

Maybe I am asking this question a little bit too early in the process, but I have read various things about financing medical education and I am a little confused. Does everyone need to file for financial aid/loans with the schools at the beginning of 2004, even if they don't yet have an acceptance from the school? I heard the earlier you apply the more likely you are to get approved for a loan.
In addition, how does it work for people that get in off the waiting list in July or August?

Thanks.

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[ATPase]

I interviewed at a school last week and they advised us to go ahead and turn in a FAFSA as soon as we (and our parents) complete our tax returns in January. We were told to do this whether we were already accepted at that time or were still on the waiting list.

 

[mpp]

It is best to complete the FAFSA as soon as your taxes are complete early next year. www.fafsa.gov You need to enter in schools on the FAFSA so just put the schools to which you are likley to be accepted to at that time. By then, you should know a lot more about where you are interviewing, etc. Don't worry about waitlists now.

 

[Blade28]

When I applying to med school in 2000, and was waiting to hear from schools, I was supposed to also file the FAFSA in January 2001 (winter of my senior year of college). This is even though you don't even know where you're going, or if you even got in!

 

[jon_jon]

By January or February, you should have a decent idea if you have a chance at getting into medical school. Most schools will have invited you for an interview, sent you a rejection letter or for those lucky few, already accepted you.

Try to fill out the FAFSA by Feb 28th. You don't have to list every school you interviewed at. You can add the schools later. However if you get in off the wait-list in August, things may be a little tight for the FA office at the med school to process the loan. I've heard some people getting accepted a week before school started having to use personal & family funds for the 1st semester tuition. Still they were just happy to get accepted!