Financing NY Post Bacc

[OneDayDocDude]

Hi all,

Putting my last paragraph first, this is the crucial bit, rest is the backstory:

I'm somewhat constrained in my choice of post baccs to the NY area, because my wife and I will be moving there, where she's going to have her job transferred.The biggest hurdle I feel, is managing to afford life in NY, alongside the expense of a post bacc, given that we'll only have one full time salary, and I'll be studying/working a very limited number of hours. (so that I can study and do well)

I've settled on Hunter College (because I understand its respected enough, and one of the few affordable schools in the area) and have a few questions about financing it:
1) Do you think it's worth living in NY for a year to establish residency, and matriculate as in-state? (This would also allow me to get some volunteering and clinical experience to shore up my application)
2) How can I finance the post-bacc if our combined salaries are barely enough to afford rent, food, other basics. I'd really like to avoid private loans, and have read conflicting information about federal aid.

Please let me know your thoughts, and anything else that comes to mind regarding making this all work despite the high cost of living/meagre combined income.



Background info
I'm a dual American-other citizen, who finished ugrad 5 years ago and have been working abroad (other citizen country) since then. (Political Science, BA cGPA3.34, no pre-reqs) I was always a science guy, and did great in bio, chem, organic, but didn't do pre-med because I had always heard that "Med school is super hard, most docs regret it, crazy hours, don't do it unless you're positive" . Given all those things, it didn't make sense to commit when I wasn't certain. Nevertheless, I could never shake the niggling feeling that I should have done pre-med. So much so that on the last day of classes I went to our premed advisor who told me about post baccs.

I've since gotten married, worked in my major's field for almost 4 years, and recently quit my job because I now am positive that medicine is the only field I can be satisfied in, and i'm moving to make it happen. (I'm a short degree away from a very kushy job in the PoliSci , but know that medicine is what I need to do, and have accepted that reality despite what it entails)

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[CBFutureHelper14]

@OneDayDocDude It is great you are going after something you want. Since you graduated five years ago, you may not have to do a post bacc, that is something you'll need to confirm with the school you'll be attending. Pretty sure med schools take courses up to 7 years old and MCAT scores up to 5 years old.

 

[OneDayDocDude]

@OneDayDocDude It is great you are going after something you want. Since you graduated five years ago, you may not have to do a post bacc, that is something you'll need to confirm with the school you'll be attending. Pretty sure med schools take courses up to 7 years old and MCAT scores up to 5 years old.

I guess it wasn't clear in my post. I don't have any of the pre-reqs, and will have to enter a career-changer PB to get them.

Will edit for clarity. Thanks for your input anyhow!

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

@OneDayDocDude OK. Well since you don't have prereqs, have you considered second degree prereqs only? That is one way to get financial aid. If I am not mistaken you can go as second degree and not have to complete the entire degree, just prereqs. At least that is what I was told at my institution.

 

[OneDayDocDude]

@OneDayDocDude OK. Well since you don't have prereqs, have you considered second degree prereqs only? That is one way to get financial aid. If I am not mistaken you can go as second degree and not have to complete the entire degree, just prereqs. At least that is what I was told at my institution.

I'm a little wary about trying to game the system, but that's something I'll make sure to ask the university.

 

[GreenDuck12]

1) Typically, when you move to a new state and begin to work for more than 6 months, you are going to lose residency in whatever state you are currently in. There are other factors that can play into this decision but if your wife is going to be working there then it sounds like the decision has been made. Some factors to consider when deciding residency are: number of medical schools, instate preference, instate acceptance rates and matriculant statistics, cost, etc.

Additionally, it is beneficial to apply only when you have the strongest application possible. Right now, with a 3.34 GPA, you are below average for MD schools and need to give some time to fix that. Volunteering and clinical experiences are an essential part of your application.

2) As for this one, enrolling as a second degree student and accepting aid is a commonly used strategy. When you enroll, you are not required to sign a form stating that you will complete the degree program that you sign up for but I do understand your concern with "gaming the system." Be wary of federal loans as some of them have high interest rates.

I'm a little wary about trying to game the system, but that's something I'll make sure to ask the university.

 

[deleted731525]

@OneDayDocDude OK. Well since you don't have prereqs, have you considered second degree prereqs only? That is one way to get financial aid. If I am not mistaken you can go as second degree and not have to complete the entire degree, just prereqs. At least that is what I was told at my institution.

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This is very hard to do in NY. I myself tried to do it but it didnt work out. The NY state schools dont like taking students who already have a bachelors because they are overcrowded as it is. I tried applying to the school I was doing my informal post-bacc at after pretty much acing a lot of my classes(so there was no doubt as to my abilities) and they still didnt take me. You can try private colleges but they are very expensive.

There is another option for career changers who already have a bachelor's degree though, ask your financial aid office about the "course of study" form. You can(or were able to when i started) get federal loans for an additional year as long as the classes you are taking are pre-requisites for a grad/professional degree. Hope that helps. Good luck.

 

[OneDayDocDude]

Additionally, it is beneficial to apply only when you have the strongest application possible. Right now, with a 3.34 GPA, you are below average for MD schools and need to give some time to fix that. Volunteering and clinical experiences are an essential part of your application.

Right, no I know. My ugrad premed advisor explained that my GPA was ok only if I went on to get all A/A- s in my PB. I also went through a hell of a time in getting that GPA because of a number of health and personal issues that all hit me at the same time. I was planning on addressing it actually in my medschool applications, as I've heard thats usually a good idea if you had legitimate reasons for poor performance.

As for volunteering and clinical, I'd really like you all to let me know if you think the following makes sense:
That it would be a good idea to
a) Work in NY for a year, gain instate residence ($15,000 tuition down from approx. $32,000)
b) use that time to volunteer, shadow, save up, so that I have all my ducks in a row before PB and focus only on doing well academically

Or do you think it would be a better idea to take on the full cost as an out of state, and save a year?

Be wary of federal loans as some of them have high interest rates.

Really? Im kinda shocked to hear that. Surely they can't be higher than your typical private loan, can they? Is there a better alternative then when it comes to loans?

(Just to be sure, we're talking here about all the loans that require FAFSA applications, correct? )

 

[OneDayDocDude]

There is another option for career changers who already have a bachelor's degree though, ask your financial aid office about the "course of study" form. You can(or were able to when i started) get federal loans for an additional year as long as the classes you are taking are pre-requisites for a grad/professional degree. Hope that helps. Good luck.

Hey, thanks so much for your good wishes. Course of study sounds really promising, I'll definitely look into that as well.

 

[ghostman]

I might be a bit confused about your situation, so sorry if this doesn't make sense. I think your best bet is to move to NY (it sounds like this is a given, since your wife is moving there for work), find a job, gain volunteering and clinical experience (possibly as part of your job), then gain in-state residency. Once you gain that, you can get the reduced CUNY prices for post-bacc and have a better shot at going to one of the four SUNY med schools. With the job, you'll be able save a bit for tuition and/or survive living in NYC.

Don't live in Manhattan. Live in Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx (not Staten Island, because you need a car for that). Housing is cheaper in these locations, but factor in that you and your wife will need to purchase monthly metrocards ($116.50 per person). The benefit is that you don't need a car, so you should sell it and save on having to pay for insurance and gas. Surviving in NYC is not impossible on a limited salary, but you'll have to give up some luxuries (Starbucks, eating out, movies in theaters) and learn where to get cheap groceries (Chinatown).

 

[Bru]

Hunter postbacc application process is a bit of a slog as I recall but is the most affordable option out there. You might want to explore the precise timeline of that process as it can be difficult to navigate and one mis-step can derail things.

If you are short on money and clinical experiences, using that year to gain instate tuition and log some clinical hours as a volunteer is a good idea.

If I recall you can get federal loans for the post-bacc which since it is very inexpensive should cover those costs. However, the cost of living in the NYC area is high as you know.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Your post-bac is going to take between 1 and 2 years (perhaps longer) depending on how many classes you take at a time. It is possible to work and take classes at the same time. If I were in your shoes, I would work for a year and volunteer to make sure that medicine is what I wanted to do. I would either take one class per semester during this time, or wait a year for reduced tuition. I would then (because I do not have the option not to work) take classes part time and work full time. You may decide that you want to go back to school full time, in which case you should adjust accordingly.

As for the loans, there are some places that are offering personal loans (or refinancing student loans) with variable and fixed rates for very low interest rates in the 2% range. The best alternative to loans is to not take them in the first place. Someone recently pointed out a strategy of charging tuition to a 0% credit card that has a introductory rate of 0% interest for 12-18 months. A friend did this through graduate school and saved $10,000 in interest over two years. I haven't explored this option personally but its something to keep in mind.

Right, no I know. My ugrad premed advisor explained that my GPA was ok only if I went on to get all A/A- s in my PB. I also went through a hell of a time in getting that GPA because of a number of health and personal issues that all hit me at the same time. I was planning on addressing it actually in my medschool applications, as I've heard thats usually a good idea if you had legitimate reasons for poor performance.

As for volunteering and clinical, I'd really like you all to let me know if you think the following makes sense:
That it would be a good idea to
a) Work in NY for a year, gain instate residence ($15,000 tuition down from approx. $32,000)
b) use that time to volunteer, shadow, save up, so that I have all my ducks in a row before PB and focus only on doing well academically

Or do you think it would be a better idea to take on the full cost as an out of state, and save a year?







Really? Im kinda shocked to hear that. Surely they can't be higher than your typical private loan, can they? Is there a better alternative then when it comes to loans?

(Just to be sure, we're talking here about all the loans that require FAFSA applications, correct? )