How do people pay for living expenses during Pharm school?

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GreyFox2002

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I figure that working more than 10-15 hours/week in pharm school would be academic suicide. So how do you guys manage to pay for things like rent, gas for the commute, food, bills, etc. I mean, does everyone use student loans to cover these things? Can loans be applied toward these things? I did my undergrad on a fullride, so student loans are a new thing to me.

So how do you all cope?

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I plan on using the skills I learned in O-chem lab to make recreational drugs and become a street pharmacist to pay my way for pharm school. Hey . . . it's a win win situation -hands on experience, no tax, great compensation and none/less student loans. Ha, I wish. No, I'm taking out the max for loans.
 
I guess you have to work but not that many hours each week and learn how to budget then. Also, people tend to have lifetime partners in school so they help each other out a lot. That's what I've heard form talking to students during my interviews
 
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I figure that working more than 10-15 hours/week in pharm school would be academic suicide. So how do you guys manage to pay for things like rent, gas for the commute, food, bills, etc. I mean, does everyone use student loans to cover these things? Can loans be applied toward these things? I did my undergrad on a fullride, so student loans are a new thing to me.

So how do you all cope?

As far as loans are concerned you can likely get the federal stafford loans for tuition and fees and the federal grad plus loan for living expenses and other people use private loans for living expenses.
 
I plan on taking out loans to pay for everything.
 
I plan on being a Lab Instructor at a local college. It pays enough to cover my mortgage (and not a penny more) and is only 6 hours of work/week. The rest of my expenses will be paid for by student loans and working probably 10 hrs/wk at a pharmacy. I'm also thinking of getting a roommate to help out with expenses. I hope to borrow only a few thousand dollars a year for living expenses. My in-state tuition is only $10k. I hope to leave school with less than $60k in loans. It may be wishful thinking, we'll see.
 
Get married to someone who already has their career up and running. I really don't know what I'd do without my husband. :p

You can use loans towards anything you want, tuition and living expenses. Sometimes people use private loans to fill in the gaps if their federal loans aren't enough to cover everything.
 
Sometimes it depends on how thrifty you want to get too. If you are scared of loans, working a little or getting a lifetime partner like some ppl said could do. You could even live with your parents!:laugh:
But as for me, the greastest inspiration about finances has been from my boss at the pharmacy where I work. He is a recent graduate and works his a$$ off. He works almost 80 hrs a week at several stores and thus racks up close to 12G a month. Now If u can do that..loans shouldn't be an issue. He says he will done with his 160k loans by the end of next year. ;)
Hmm let's just hope I can work as hard as he does:rolleyes:
 
Student loans. At UF the cost of living (rent, car, food, computer) and cost of school expenses (tuition, books, etc) is about $20,000/yr and that's what we are elligible for in loans. Also we have our summers off between 1st and 2nd year and 2nd and 3rd year so that gives us a chance to make some money.
 
parental umbilical cord :(
 
I was wondering the same thing, i have been trying to ask about that for a while. thanks for the topic. :thumbup: (i think i am about to apply for a private loan right now, but the disclosure says you may get approved for as little as 1000.00 :laugh: :eek: , whatever
 
As far as loans are concerned you can likely get the federal stafford loans for tuition and fees and the federal grad plus loan for living expenses and other people use private loans for living expenses.

From what I know, pharmacy students can't apply for grad plus loans. At least I tried and was shot down. Or is it just me? Anyways, it's unsubsidized loans for me all the way, meaning I'll have to work at least enough to pay for the accrued interest every month.
 
My wife works full time-and she will pay the rent/bills etc...

So I have a simple solution...Get married!!! or at least get a roommate!
 
From what I know, pharmacy students can't apply for grad plus loans. At least I tried and was shot down. Or is it just me? Anyways, it's unsubsidized loans for me all the way, meaning I'll have to work at least enough to pay for the accrued interest every month.

From my understanding from my school, yes pharm students can, but the grad plus loan involves your credit score for approval, so bad credit no loan, I'm sure they are also other factors.

Good Luck
 
So you've decided on Michigan, huh?

mhmm! Even though I didn't get into UCSF, I still think that this is the place for me in the long run. I still would have chosen to come here instead if I got in; it's exactly what I wanted in a school.
 
You just have to learn to budget your spending. Get a cheap apt close to campus. My apt is like 260 a person and can walk to campus, saves rent and gas right there. I will also probably get a lab instructor job on campus for 6 hours. The extra 50 bucks a weeks actaully helps a lot, pays for beer and food.
 
I made friends with this nice little old lady named Sallie Mae who sends me checks every quarter that pays for everything. What a sweetheart.
 
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