How to get more money for living expenses?

[cryhavoc]

My school budget does not include money for a vehicle, car insurance, gas money and health insurance.

I’ve been living in pretty much poverty. Dirty, cheap apartment. No clothes. No furniture. Cheapest groceries to get by.

But now I need health insurance because I’m older and need a car for my rotations.

I’ve budgeted every way I could think of and I’m short!

Does it look bad to request more money? They said I took the max. What ways can I get more money.

I honestly wish I had the time to get a part time job to make ends meet. My parents can’t help me out.

Advice?

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[deleted480308]

Are you in a crazy expensive city? A single student should be just fine in most cases

 

[cryhavoc]

That’s what they tell me.

I don’t have roommates or a working SO so maybe that is what is killing me?

Everyone I know is married, living with an SO or has multiple roommates.

I also live in a major city.

 

[cryhavoc]

What are my options? My car insurance and health insurance alone is $4000 for six months and that’s the lowest I can get.

It would be $1000 and I would be on Medicaid but my school requires real health insurance and it isn’t part of the budget of money they give us.

 

[cryhavoc]

I’m $1200 short by my estimate this semester and that’s only if I never go out or buy any coffee or food or anything but cheap and generic at the grocery store.

Any weekend jobs a med student could do to come up with $1200?

 

[SpartanWolverine]

"As dictated by Congress, the COA is the average cost to attend for one academic year (fall through spring). It includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and personal expenses."
Every school I've ever seen breaks down their fees into similar categories. As a medical student you can borrow up to this cost with PLUS and Stafford loans. Sometimes you can get COA increases at the school's discretion. No, your school won't give you money to buy a car but reasonable transportation costs (usually a modest car payment would fit) should be included.

Could you name the school or at least provide a rough breakdown of the COA they give you?

 

[Crayola227]

I don't think the purchase of a car is included, but I know for a fact that you can ask additional funds for its repairs.

I also thought that most schools offer a mandatory student health insurance policy, the cost of which is included in your COA and therefore aid.

I didn't have to go that route, because as it turns out BORROWING about $60K a year doesn't count for income, so I just had free Medicaid.

Not sure why you don't qualify for these things.

Sounds like you need to go to your school and financial aid office and read the fine print, I don't think there's anything we'll tell you here you can't figure out that way (that's how I figured it out....)

I would expect you would still be pretty broke, but usually medical is something that can be worked into your aid.

You can also look into private loans for giving you a little more wiggle room.

Also consider charity, food boxes for the poor, Goodwill for clothes, church type organizations for help.

Some people find a roommate situation above and beyond just a cheap apt can save more money.

Lastly, this should go in another forum.

If this is related to the fact you've started 3rd year and need more for transportation, again, there is some amount of that the financial aid office can work in. Some aren't covered and you need private loans.

Be prepared to do your homework on the policies and bug your financial aid office, mine was incompetent and didn't know how to apply their own rules, and myself and others were able to get more out of them by pointing this out.

 

[cryhavoc]

Hm, so my older classmates told me they get money on their budget for healthcare. I think maybe I’m not showing that because I’m still on my parents at the moment.

If they can pay for my healthcare, I should be golden. I won’t have any money for car stuff but I could manage by living cheaply.

 

[hmockingbird]

I also don’t know why Medicaid wouldn’t count as “real” insurance

 

[deleted645092]

Medicaid 100% counts as "real" insurance, I don't even know what "real" would be if it doesnt. My school has a mandatory health insurance requirement and Medicaid works for them. Everything is covered; office visits, prescriptions, labs, everything. If your school says it doesn't count you need to go to them and ask why.

As for extra money, the simplest things I can think of are mowing lawns/ shovelling snow on weekends, bartending, (barback if you don't have prior experience), and even donating plasma. A local guy in the city I'm starting rotating at does lawns for $20-30 a pop, so I'm gonna do a few of my neighbors lawns in the upcoming months for $10 flat because I'm a capitalist. Donating plasma might feel sketchy but they'll pay $20-30 every 4 days depending on weight.

As for saving more money, getting a roommate or 2 is the absolute best way. Cutting those bills in half every month will absolutely pay for a cheap car.

 

[raiderette]

Medicaid 100% counts as "real" insurance, I don't even know what "real" would be if it doesnt. My school has a mandatory health insurance requirement and Medicaid works for them. Everything is covered; office visits, prescriptions, labs, everything. If your school says it doesn't count you need to go to them and ask why.

As for extra money, the simplest things I can think of are mowing lawns/ shovelling snow on weekends, bartending, (barback if you don't have prior experience), and even donating plasma. A local guy in the city I'm starting rotating at does lawns for $20-30 a pop, so I'm gonna do a few of my neighbors lawns in the upcoming months for $10 flat because I'm a capitalist. Donating plasma might feel sketchy but they'll pay $20-30 every 4 days depending on weight.

As for saving more money, getting a roommate or 2 is the absolute best way. Cutting those bills in half every month will absolutely pay for a cheap car.

Donating plasma is harder to do during rotations. It can take a while (never been to a fast center in three states) and hours are not always convenient.

 

[charleskay]

You may also consider online business ideas like consulting, blogging, etc.