How do you pay for school?

[Sarahgelatinano]

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[lobelsteve]

My family has no money and has consistently fallen below the poverty line. I made it through undergraduate on Pell grants, and loans loan loans (although all from the FAFSA). Anyway, the grand total for debt is 38,000.

My question is that the Caribbean may give me the opportunity to become a physician and to help out the uninsured like my family was/still is if I do not get accepted to US. This is all riding on my MCAT (to be taken in 4 days, Sept. 11th).

How do you pay for school? I will not have any family contribution and have often heard that you have to be "rich" (well, in my sense of the term) to go to any of the caribbean schools.

Do you guys just apply for private loans with higher intrest rates or do most people have family help?

I am just wondering if the caribbean is out of my league because of financial constraints.

Thanks so much.

Private loans exist for the top schools. SGU is the most expensive and the best (both points open to debate) and my current loans from attending from 96-00 including capitalized interest is $256,000 down from a max of $262,000.

No money down. If I did not have a big house, 2 young kids, and a need to race an STI, I could have easily paid off the $110,000 that is private/unsubsidized (read over 6%).

 

[McGillGrad]

Canadians have to get all private loans to pay for Carib schools.

You are lucky to be in the states where most of your loans are gov't backed.

Lucky bastard.

 

[Sarahgelatinano]

Canadians have to get all private loans to pay for Carib schools.

You are lucky to be in the states where most of your loans are gov't backed.

Lucky bastard.

So you CAN file the FAFSA for caribbean schools? I was under the impression that the US gov would not loan money for that because it is not a US school.

If you can use FAFSA, then I think I will be okay.

To the other poster with private loans, what private loan company did you use? Did you use the FAFSA for gov. loans?

 

[McGillGrad]

For 3 of the schools this is possible. You can get Stafford for now.

I had to go through the Canadian version of TERI and a Line of Credit from a Bank.

Both will cost me at least 6-7% Plus fees, plus for the LOC, we have to pay interest every month while in school.

So you CAN file the FAFSA for caribbean schools? I was under the impression that the US gov would not loan money for that because it is not a US school.

If you can use FAFSA, then I think I will be okay.

To the other poster with private loans, what private loan company did you use? Did you use the FAFSA for gov. loans?

 

[BSRADSCI]

So for St George, Ross and AUC we can apply for fafsa.

St George 17k's per semester Good to have fafsa but its and expensive school

Saba 8k per semester sadly they don't have fafsa but good thing they are not expensive like St George, AUC and Ross.

So weigh out your options.

Good Luck.