Paying for Pre-Reqs after you already have a degree???

[tltfdds]

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Hi,

I've hit a iron wall with the dental school pursuit, I don't have the money to pay for these pre-reqs!!!! 🙁. I'm currently, working in a different career path and i'v earned a BA and a MFA. Because I already have a BA, I am not eligible for financial Aid and I am maxed out on undergrad loans which is interesting because I only borrowed a little over 30k. Anyway, I am single and my income is barely enough for rent , bills etc. My plan was to take 2 pre-req classes a semester which is about 4800(at the cheapest school in the city) per semester. For me, money is the problem... I'm not trying to bore you but I would like to know if anyone has any ideas or know of any scholarships or financial assistance for those who already have a degree and want to go back to pursue another career path? I have considered a part time job but i'm not sure how I will work 9-5, a part time job and be able to do well in class. My job does offer tuition reimbursement BUT, it will only pay for classes pertaining to your position. I feel stuck!!!Any suggestion? I could not attend this Fall because of money but I am hopeful to start in the spring? Any Ideas??

 

[cacajuate]

You are still eligible for loans if you apply to the school as seeking a 2nd bachelors.

 

[customx]

Sorry if I am being too blunt, but perhaps you need to find a better job that pays better. That, and go to a community college for some of your prereqs. I too was ineligible for loans since I already had my BA, but I was able to work 34-38 hours a week, pay the bills, and take 2-3 prereqs at a time at a community college. I did fairly well on my DAT, and the one or two times the community college thing was brought up at my interview, I explained that I couldn't afford to go to a 4 year school since I wasn't eligible for financial aid, so I did my best to pay for school on my own, while still keeping my grades up. I also said that the DAT was an equalizer and that I got a good score partly due to the quality of education at the CC I attended.
Sure, some schools don't take CC credits, but most of them do, so don't let that deter you. You already have debt. The last thing you want to do is add $5k more per semester for prereqs. If I were you, I would work my butt off for a semester or two and save up. Keep working your full-time gig if you want, and then get a PT job at night. This should give you a little bit of a cushion when you're taking classes. Don't forget that the application process itself will run anywhere from $2-5k depending on how many schools you apply to and where you need to travel to across the country.

 

[darknightzzz]

Hi,

I've hit a iron wall with the dental school pursuit, I don't have the money to pay for these pre-reqs!!!! 🙁. I'm currently, working in a different career path and i'v earned a BA and a MFA. Because I already have a BA, I am not eligible for financial Aid and I am maxed out on undergrad loans which is interesting because I only borrowed a little over 30k. Anyway, I am single and my income is barely enough for rent , bills etc. My plan was to take 2 pre-req classes a semester which is about 4800(at the cheapest school in the city) per semester. For me, money is the problem... I'm not trying to bore you but I would like to know if anyone has any ideas or know of any scholarships or financial assistance for those who already have a degree and want to go back to pursue another career path? I have considered a part time job but i'm not sure how I will work 9-5, a part time job and be able to do well in class. My job does offer tuition reimbursement BUT, it will only pay for classes pertaining to your position. I feel stuck!!!Any suggestion? I could not attend this Fall because of money but I am hopeful to start in the spring? Any Ideas??

Hello,

please try to stay away from taking courses at community college as far as you can. though what the above poster says is true that you can defend yourself, but given the stigma dental schools have with community college and some schools simply don't trust your GPA there and courseload there if you score a 4.0. they want you to be taking classes at university level.

what state do you live in?

like the above said, you can definitely enroll in as a second bachelor seeking student and still qualify for financial aide, however, I don't advise working full time job while taking classes. This chance you either rock it or you lose it all and having a full time job can definitely lower the chance of you rocking your classes at university level. because the prereqs you take are very few about 10 classes you need to maintain almost all As so the application will go easier for you and you can also focus on taking the DAT. only with a high DAT and solid score in prereqs you can get into dental school. some D schools now require upper div bio and stuff if you don't score well in prereq.

the amount you mention is probably paying as an extension student per unit. that is too expensive. you should get accepted in a university and have a flat rate per quarter to take from 12 units to 18 units (can take more). This way it makes more financial sense and you can take all your prereq in 3 semesters and take the DAT after.

good luck.

 

[ajj70]

You are still eligible for loans if you apply to the school as seeking a 2nd bachelors.

Not with a Masters.

What classes do you need to take?

 

[tltfdds]

Not with a Masters.

What classes do you need to take?

Hi, I need to take all of them 🙂 I have not started any classes yet...

 

[tltfdds]

Hello,

please try to stay away from taking courses at community college as far as you can. though what the above poster says is true that you can defend yourself, but given the stigma dental schools have with community college and some schools simply don't trust your GPA there and courseload there if you score a 4.0. they want you to be taking classes at university level.

what state do you live in?

like the above said, you can definitely enroll in as a second bachelor seeking student and still qualify for financial aide, however, I don't advise working full time job while taking classes. This chance you either rock it or you lose it all and having a full time job can definitely lower the chance of you rocking your classes at university level. because the prereqs you take are very few about 10 classes you need to maintain almost all As so the application will go easier for you and you can also focus on taking the DAT. only with a high DAT and solid score in prereqs you can get into dental school. some D schools now require upper div bio and stuff if you don't score well in prereq.

the amount you mention is probably paying as an extension student per unit. that is too expensive. you should get accepted in a university and have a flat rate per quarter to take from 12 units to 18 units (can take more). This way it makes more financial sense and you can take all your prereq in 3 semesters and take the DAT after.

good luck.

Thanks for the input guys! I currently live in NYC and I am planning to take the pre-reqs at a cuny here in the city and apply to NYU, Columbia as my first choices and then apply to some schools in PA, MD, NJ, DC.... I asked about a sec BA but I was told that I maxed out on loans and that I was denied for financial aid after completing my fasfa. I'm still determine though! Some how some way...Thank you all for the input! If you think of anything else please share!

 

[Genji13]

I hope all goes well! I too am completing my BS and had to take out a private loan, it sucks but you do what you have to do.

 

[ajj70]

Thanks for the input guys! I currently live in NYC and I am planning to take the pre-reqs at a cuny here in the city and apply to NYU, Columbia as my first choices and then apply to some schools in PA, MD, NJ, DC.... I asked about a sec BA but I was told that I maxed out on loans and that I was denied for financial aid after completing my fasfa. I'm still determine though! Some how some way...Thank you all for the input! If you think of anything else please share!

Well, if you have to take that many classes, I would suggest finding somewhere much less expensive than NYC schools. You could take private loans but those are pretty close to criminal the way they charge interest.

 

[GAdawg94]

Thanks for the input guys! I currently live in NYC and I am planning to take the pre-reqs at a cuny here in the city and apply to NYU, Columbia as my first choices and then apply to some schools in PA, MD, NJ, DC.... I asked about a sec BA but I was told that I maxed out on loans and that I was denied for financial aid after completing my fasfa. I'm still determine though! Some how some way...Thank you all for the input! If you think of anything else please share!

If you can't afford to take two courses at a college, why would you want to go to NYU or Columbia? You should have the funds to pay for those courses if you're planning on going to a private dental school. The application process and DAT are also expensive so you need to save as much as possible or get a higher paying job.

 

[jmcunnin]

Well, if you have to take that many classes, I would suggest finding somewhere much less expensive than NYC schools. You could take private loans but those are pretty close to criminal the way they charge interest.

They aren't THAT much higher than federal rates. I agree, they are high though.

 

[ajj70]

They aren't THAT much higher than federal rates. I agree, they are high though.

It isn't the rate so much as the payback is more like a credit card vs a loan so if you only make minimum payments, you will take decades to pay off the loan....at least for some loans. You just have to know what you are getting into.

 

[jmcunnin]

Yeah true. I went mostly with private loans for my post bacc, since I maxed out on the number of credit hours to still be eligible for federal loans. But yeah, you do have to be mindful of how you pay it back. I definitely agree.