International Students for Vet School

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BigBang1234

BigBang1234

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Hi! I'm an international student who applied to vet school this cycle. I heard that they didnt have loan for IS. What should I do if I got approved to vet school in US?
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sorry I don’t have an answer to your question but I’m wondering what country you are from?? / do they have veterinary programs as well? I’m just curious what would draw you to want to go to school in the US with the tuition being so crazily expensive vs some other international programs. Hope you have great luck this cycle🫶
 
International student currently in vet school in US. As we can not build the residency, you cannot apply either federal loans or private loans in US. You might be able to get your student loan from your home country but you can’t get any loans in US unless you have green card or US citizenship. Also, you have to pay OOS tuition at all time. Let me know if you have any questions. I am happy to answer.
 
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wayne455338 said:
International student currently in vet school in US. As we can not build the residency, you cannot apply either federal loans or private loans in US. You might be able to get your student loan from your home country but you can’t get any loans in US unless you have green card or US citizenship. Also, you have to pay OOS tuition for all time. Let me know if you have any questions. I am happy to answer.
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What school did you attend? Living cost? Tuition?
 
BigBang1234 said:
Hi! I'm an international student who applied to vet school this cycle. I heard that they didnt have loan for IS. What should I do if I got approved to vet school in US?
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Have a plan for showing the school that you have cash to cover your cost of attendance for 4 years… like multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars in a bank account 😳
 
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BigBang1234 said:
I just dont know what to do know. It's too much money to get in a short amount 🙁
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Have you ever checked if there is any available student loan options from your home country? Have you got accepted in any program in US yet? If you have, you might be able to contact financial department to see if there is any information about international student loans.
 
wayne455338 said:
Have you ever checked if there is any available student loan options from your home country? Have you got accepted in any program in US yet? If you have, you might be able to contact financial department to see if there is any information about international student loans.
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I got accepted to one in US. I contacted to the financial department, but they dont offer anything now.
 
BigBang1234 said:
I got accepted to one in US. I contacted to the financial department, but they dont offer anything now.
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Sorry, I can't help you with the problem. I just looked up online and it seems like there are several private student loans that international students can apply for with some requirements. You may want to do some research on that. Or, you can look for student loans in your home country which might be easier to apply.
 
wayne455338 said:
Sorry, I can't help you with the problem. I just looked up online and it seems like there are several private student loans that international students can apply for with some requirements. You may want to do some research on that. Or, you can look for student loans in your home country which might be easier to apply.
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Can you share me some links?
 
Google tells me Sallie Mae private loans is probably your best option if you cannot fully finance the cost out of pocket, what country are you from? Do they have loans they could offer you?
 
Just popping in to say that anyone considering private loans, at least in the US, should be VERY wary. I have a friend who funded her undergrad partially through Sallie Mae, and it was a NIGHTMARE afterwards. Many don’t let you pay off early, so you’re stuck with that interest no matter what, and unlike federally-backed loans, they will never stop being due no matter what you try. Very predatory, do LOTS of research; if accepting them, read every single clause and understand all stipulations before accepting these loans. They can make it feel like your dream is coming true, but ultimately are absolute nightmares when you’re out in the real world.

I want to be a vet more than anything I’ve ever wanted (career-wise, at least), and I would not have applied had I thought I needed to take out private loans. My friend’s experience has stuck with me forever.
 
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indysadventures said:
Just popping in to say that anyone considering private loans, at least in the US, should be VERY wary. I have a friend who funded her undergrad partially through Sallie Mae, and it was a NIGHTMARE afterwards. Many don’t let you pay off early, so you’re stuck with that interest no matter what, and unlike federally-backed loans, they will never stop being due no matter what you try. Very predatory, do LOTS of research; if accepting them, read every single clause and understand all stipulations before accepting these loans. They can make it feel like your dream is coming true, but ultimately are absolute nightmares when you’re out in the real world.

I want to be a vet more than anything I’ve ever wanted (career-wise, at least), and I would not have applied had I thought I needed to take out private loans. My friend’s experience has stuck with me forever.
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That's so sad. I just dont know what to do now.
 
indysadventures said:
Just popping in to say that anyone considering private loans, at least in the US, should be VERY wary. I have a friend who funded her undergrad partially through Sallie Mae, and it was a NIGHTMARE afterwards. Many don’t let you pay off early, so you’re stuck with that interest no matter what, and unlike federally-backed loans, they will never stop being due no matter what you try. Very predatory, do LOTS of research; if accepting them, read every single clause and understand all stipulations before accepting these loans. They can make it feel like your dream is coming true, but ultimately are absolute nightmares when you’re out in the real world.

I want to be a vet more than anything I’ve ever wanted (career-wise, at least), and I would not have applied had I thought I needed to take out private loans. My friend’s experience has stuck with me forever.
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I 100% agree w this sentiment. Especially if you are considering going back to practice in your home country where you will be paid much less than a US vet salary that is already lower than it should be. Vets in the US struggle to pay their loans off with their salaries and I can’t imagine doing it with 1/3 to 1/2 the pay rate.
 
BigBang1234 said:
That's so sad. I just dont know what to do now.
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Truly, I’m really sorry. I can’t help beyond sending a virtual hug, but if you cannot find a way to fund your education through loans via your home country, or some other assistance program, I would reassess and try another way.

If you have to take out hundreds of thousands in private loans, I implore you to consider the ramifications for your future. US private educational loans are absolutely predatory. No career is worth a lifetime of soul-crushing debt.
 
Yeah, I have no idea where OPs acceptance is, but I recognize their name from posts in the Midwestern thread. If private loans are the only answer, be very, very sure you know what those costs are and what repayment looks like. Paying back over 400,000 at private loan rates without the benefit of government backed income-driven repayment options is pretty crazy. Private student loans often have repayment terms of 10-15 years, unlike the government loans which can be extended to 20-25. A 10 year repayment on 400k private loans at grad student rates is going to be at least like 5,000 per month if not more, and if more than half your pay is going to loans, that’s hard to live on, much less thrive.

And also, with absolutely no disrespect meant to OP, for any future applicants reading this, I would strongly recommend you investigate funding options prior to applying so you know what is feasible and what is not to avoid disappointments down the line. I hate that this may be limiting for OP, but if you’re international, I do think the main options are to already have the money/be wealthy to start with or hope for something through your own country.

Edit: I looked up private Sallie Mae grad loans just out of curiosity, and they say they require a US citizen to co-sign, so unless you have someone to be your co-signer, that may not even be an option for an international student either. And it would be a lot to ask someone to cosign on such a large balance we’re talking for to fully fund US vet school. Wow.
 
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Dang! I guess it's no hope if you are international student and you dont have money to be a vet in US
 
BigBang1234 said:
So it's around 90k per year, and do you live in dorm or apartment?
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I live in an apartment. The tuition is increasing this coming fall according to our dean. Also, you need to pay for international student insurance, which is required in the US. It’s about 2500/year. The COL in Pullman is cheaper than a lot of cities and the program cost is more friendly to international students comparing to other ver schools.
 
BigBang1234 said:
Dang! I guess it's no hope if you are international student and you dont have money to be a vet in US
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My suggestion would be to become a vet in your home country.

Or if you are set on becoming a vet in the US, get married to an American and get your green card first.

I’m not saying this to be facetious. It is an insane luxury for any foreign student to receive a US vet education. It makes absolutely no sense for anyone to temporarily come to the states for over $400k just to receive a diploma from a vet school. That piece of paper is not worth that.

The biggest problem isn’t even getting the initial funding to go, it’s paying it off. Just getting the loans is a huge hurdle to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a career that will not pay a salary in the home country that can pay it off… I cant imagine anywhere that average vet salary is higher than the US, and it’s rough paying it off here. If you’re planning on staying in the US after vet school to be a vet here… that road to an employment based green card is also rough. Your list of employers that will take you and support an H1B is a small pool to begin with. Almost no internships will. And then the stress of needing to either get a green card through marriage or on your own (it is hard, hubby went through it) before the clock runs out on your visa. I suspect it will continue to get harder as the veterinary workforce is expected to saturate in the next 10 years. Depending on your country of origin, maybe a little easier or harder, but a pain in the arse no matter what.
 
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