I'm transferring from a 2 year community college to a 4-year private school in hopes to finish up my pre-requisites for Pharmacy school and/or to earn my bachelors degree and apply after. The cost of tuition a year is about 32,000 (staying with my parents so no rooming fees apply toward me). I was wondering if someone could help me understand my options that are available to me seeing that I do not have 32,000 lying around to spend a year on schooling. The reason I am no longer at the CC is because I already have the max amount of credits I can have to transfer, but the only classes I need to finish for my main Pharmacy school choice are Organic Chem 1 and 2, Bio 2, and Microbiology. My second choice prefers that applicants have a bachelors degree so I was thinking I could finish the above pre reqs, and complete a Bachelors degree in Neuroscience as well. I'm stuck between just finishing up the 4 classes mentioned, or just getting those done along with a degree. The main issue is that I do not understand how loans work and which ones I should take out. Any advice/help would be appreciated! Thank you.
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How do I pay for school?
Started by Nostalgiaultra
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I was in the same boat as you are. My CC essentially "kicked/forced me out" due to having enough credits for an AS. If I had continued to complete my prereqs at the CC then my tuition would have more than doubled what I was used to paying. So I enrolled/transferred to a public university.
Regarding the BS degree, check the pharmacy program you are interested in applying to see if they require a BS for admission. There are a few that don't so I'd research them. In my honest opinion I wouldn't take on any additional debt before applying to pharmacy school because Pharm D programs in and of itself are very expensive. Considering how close you are to finishing up your prereqs, I'd just go to a public university and finish those up or stay at the CC and pay the higher tuition (but it may not be as high as the university though). Then I'd (1) decide afterward if staying for your BS would be worth your while or, (2) apply to pharm program. Good luck
Regarding the BS degree, check the pharmacy program you are interested in applying to see if they require a BS for admission. There are a few that don't so I'd research them. In my honest opinion I wouldn't take on any additional debt before applying to pharmacy school because Pharm D programs in and of itself are very expensive. Considering how close you are to finishing up your prereqs, I'd just go to a public university and finish those up or stay at the CC and pay the higher tuition (but it may not be as high as the university though). Then I'd (1) decide afterward if staying for your BS would be worth your while or, (2) apply to pharm program. Good luck
You *should* still be able to pay what you have been at the community college to finish up your prereqs. I have a bachelors and will soon have a masters yet I am taking the rest of my prereqs at the community college, not my university $84 a credit vs $400 a credit, no brainer. They can't really 'kick you out' of community college, you just can't take out grants/loans to pay for it once you hit so many years/credits. FAFSA and NSLDS websites can help you with loans. I just fill out my FAFSA every year and for undergrad took my pell grant (do not have to pay back) and the Amt I needed to cover the rest in a loan. Essentially as a grad student I do the same now but I take my full loan (no grant) because I use my stipend to pay 'cash' for my community college courses.
Join the military 🙂
If you don't have your UG degree yet, you can get some grants, and can definitely get loans. But you need to have to be working towards a major or degree program. I'm not sure if you can take CC classes a la carte in your situation, but those classes are definitely easier at CC and it would be alot cheaper, however you might not be able to get loans. At Uni, you can get loans for sure, but it's gonna be more expensive and more difficult.
