how much can I expect from fafsa loans

[nrddct]

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I know theres no way to predict, but is there a ballpark range to expect?

I'm gonna be starting a postbacc program and most likely not working. I earned about 20k last year PT. Does my previous yrs earnings affect how much I will get?

Also whenever I call the FA office, they say that its impossible to give me an idea on how much I will get. This is really getting frustrating as I need to have an idea on how I'm gonna be planning my living expenses.

 

[mpp]

If the financial aid office can't help you then we can't do any better. If this is for an undergrad program then the maximum you would be eligible for is $10,500 in Stafford loans and $4,000 in Perkins loans.

I don't know if a Post-Bac program qualifies for graduate or profesional school, but then the limits would increase to $18,500 and $6000.

If you need more than that then you will have to go to private loans. You should be able to borrow up to the cost of attendance in the program, or you can find non-student loans (e.g., credit card type debt) to borrow if you need more. Living inexpensiviely (i.e., with your parents) will likely be a pre-requisite.

 

[usmaple]

I don't know if a Post-Bac program qualifies for graduate or profesional school, but then the limits would increase to $18,500 and $6000.

It doesn't, or at least it didn't where I did my post-bacc program. It was structured so that the first year was classified as a fifth year of undergraduate studies, and was thus Stafford-eligible, but each year after that was completely reliant on private loans. If you've already taken 5 years for undergrad, you're most likely looking at private loans the whole way through.

There are other ways, though. In my case, I found a research job at the university where I did my post-bacc. Not only did I receive a tuition exemption for nearly all of the classes I took (and a salary to cover the gaps), but I got great research experience, LOR's, and publications from my job. It was rough, but in the end it paid off and I'll be entering med school this fall with no post-bacc debt.