Grad plus loans questions?

[cryhavoc]

So, if I'm attending medical school in the fall, when do I start applying for Grad PLUS loans?

My concern being, I'm not yet 100% sure which school I'm attending. When do I start the process? When do I need to make a final decision by? Any help would be appreciated, google seems to be lacking and the schools I got into financial aid offices might not like hearing I haven't made a concrete decision.

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[OrdinaryDO]

Go to the financial aid (.gov) website to find out this kind of information. You should complete your FAFSA as soon as you choose a school and your current taxes have been filed.

 

[cryhavoc]

I'm wait-listed at some places, say I don't find out until June? What then? Do I wait until I know 100% what is going on at every school? Do I start with one school and am I able to switch later the school?

 

[lyana]

You can add multiple schools on fafsa. I would just fill out Fafsa and add the schools as soon as possible.

 

[cryhavoc]

So should I add every school I applied to that hasn't outright rejected me yet? "Just-in-case".

 

[cryhavoc]

Anyone? There's got to be someone one here whose parents aren't paying for everything that have been on a waitlist before. Do you just add every school you've applied to and not yet been rejected to when doing FAFSA?

 

[TheOther]

You can submit your FAFSA with your school selection as soon as you're accepted (even in June). They can't proceed until they have a school that can verify your standing and loan amount anyway. You're fine in waiting for an acceptance.

 

[asdf123g]

After we apply for FAFSA, what do we just wait? Or is there something else I should be doing?

 

[TheOther]

After we apply for FAFSA, what do we just wait? Or is there something else I should be doing?

You should get a confirmation email from FAFSA that things are good on their end. They'll coordinate with your school to determine your actual need. You should be getting notifications via email along the way.

And OP, sorry I misread that you were waitlisted, not that you were just making a decision. Don't schools have a deadline for when you need to make a final decision? As for checking with your schools, just call anonymously and ask if there is a deadline if one has been accepted.

 

[asdf123g]

You should get a confirmation email from FAFSA that things are good on their end. They'll coordinate with your school to determine your actual need. You should be getting notifications via email along the way

Thank you for responding. I got the confirmation email that I submitted my application but haven't heard anything since. Do you know approximately how long the turn around time is? I submitted my application 2-3 weeks ago.

 

[TheOther]

Thank you for responding. I got the confirmation email that I submitted my application but haven't heard anything since. Do you know approximately how long the turn around time is? I submitted my application 2-3 weeks ago.

Hm. I got the confirmation that FAFSA completed processing my application a day after I submitted it. It also said they would get in touch with my school. I'm not sure who you can contact if it's FAFSA that's lagging - maybe get in touch with your school's financial aid office and ask?

 

[pathtomedicine.com]

Thank you for responding. I got the confirmation email that I submitted my application but haven't heard anything since. Do you know approximately how long the turn around time is? I submitted my application 2-3 weeks ago.

Turn around time is pretty quick. I got my confirmation email in a few days after submitting fafsa. After this the school processed the information and about two weeks later sent me an award notification. Then after that I had to log onto the studentaid.gov website and do two things. I had to complete some education to learn the basics, then had to do a promissary note for both grad plus and unsubsidized loans. I would say all in all it took about a month to get through the entire process, but as mentioned above the school will coordinate with fafsa and should notify you when your financial aid is processed and awarded. Then at that point you will be guided.

I wouldn't worry with it being 2-3 weeks out, if you are concerned you can always contact a fafsa representative, or even your schools financial aid office to inquire if they have got your fafsa.

This comes from experience and from the research I did when putting together a web page about medical school finances.

hope this helps

Sean
pathtomedicine.com

 

[asdf123g]

Turn around time is pretty quick. I got my confirmation email in a few days after submitting fafsa. After this the school processed the information and about two weeks later sent me an award notification. Then after that I had to log onto the studentaid.gov website and do two things. I had to complete some education to learn the basics, then had to do a promissary note for both grad plus and unsubsidized loans. I would say all in all it took about a month to get through the entire process, but as mentioned above the school will coordinate with fafsa and should notify you when your financial aid is processed and awarded. Then at that point you will be guided.

I wouldn't worry with it being 2-3 weeks out, if you are concerned you can always contact a fafsa representative, or even your schools financial aid office to inquire if they have got your fafsa.

This comes from experience and from the research I did when putting together a web page about medical school finances.

hope this helps

Sean
pathtomedicine.com

did the school send you this notification or did FAFSA? Book marked your website for UG friends!

 

[pathtomedicine.com]

did the school send you this notification or did FAFSA? Book marked your website for UG friends!

The school sent me the notification via email. They sent me the award letter via email, and in that same email all the instructions on how to secure funding. Thanks for the bookmark! It is a newish website and I really want to help others with the process, its kind of a crazy process!

Sean
www.pathtomedicine.com