Pre-reqs and Loans

[JBone87]

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Hey everyone,

I'm going to be completing my pre-reqs next year on my own at a 4 year university. However, I've encountered a couple problems. As a "non-degree seeking" student just completing the pre-reqs, I am ineligible for federal government loans and I'm also put at the back of the line when it comes to registering for classes. Obviously I am more concerned with the loans issue. So my question is this...would it be a bad idea to enroll in a degree program just so I can qualify for the loans and financial aid, but then not complete the degree (just finish the prereqs)? I mean, would med schools look poorly on not finishing the degree or would they understand why I chose to do it? Any advice is appreciated. thanks.

p.s. i think someone has asked this before but can't find the thread, so if anyone has easy access to it that would be great.

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

would you qualify for loans that way even with your previous degree? Have you not maxed out your fedeal loan allowance? I don't think med schools would look on it poorly, but I'm no expert. And I'm really tried. Hopefully someone else replies.... Good luck! I know how you feel. I am finishing up my pre-reqs at a CC now that I've already applied. I'm broke!

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Most schools don't care if you don't finish another undergraduate degree. They usually only care if you don't finish a masters or doctoral degree you are currently enrolled in.

I'm in the same situation as you, and chose to become a second-degree-seeking student who doesn't intend upon finishing the degree because it'll take another year of taking useless classes like computers (I was a computer programmer for years) and because I'll hit my undergraduate lifetime loan limit (even though I paid back my previous loan). I know other students in my same situation, and my pre-med adviser advised me to take this path.

Having said that, I've only found one school that said it would look bad to have not finished a second undergraduate degree: Tulane.

P.S. don't post about this in the pre-allo forum. I posted about not finishing my second degree, and was immediately attacked by our lovely, supportive SDN gunners as some kind of thief stealing from the student loan program (I ended up deleting the thread). This makes no sense as these are student loans (i.e. have to be paid back) and you are taking classes to gain access to a higher degree program, not to just "take classes" and be a professional student.

 

[mshheaddoc]

I'm enrolled as a second degree student as well as I know a ton of other people who have done it with no negtive repercussions. I'm not getting the bio degree as well as I think I'm enrolled as undeclared. I would do it to get the classes you need to get into because most of the people that have less than 90 credits are having issues getting the classes they want. I always get to register one the first day since I already have way more than the 120+ credits (if you school goes by credits). Plus then you can even get private financial aid as well!