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I believe the undergrad max is 50 or 60k, so the undergrad limit doesn't affect the professional school limit.
I do. Because the student loan system is broken and has been for a long time. The logic here is that the universities have increased tuition prices significantly compared to the rate of inflation since the introduction of the loans most of us have used here. And so if we take away the nearly unlimited amount of money people can take in student loans to pay the universities, two things would happen:
1. Universities would have to drastically cut prices for people to attend at all across the board.
2. Certain degrees will be cut to achieve that price cut as they have a questionable return on investment.
This makes sense. It's how my household budget works. However, it's too simplistic in every way and there's a lot of genuine emotion on both sides on how right this is.
It forgets about the ineptness of the loan servicers. It forgets about the intangible benefits of certain degrees (like the arts and lit). It forgets about interest rates that are greater than that of a mortgage. It forgets about how 40-50% of undergrads never finish their degree in the first place.
This is definitely true of human doctors. However, lawyers get a little bit shaky. This is definitely not true of veterinarians. A decent chunk of veterinarians aimed for the forgiveness route in order to have as low of monthly payments as possible and pay as little interest as possible.
No you are right about this. It says on the federal student aid website that parentPLUS is for undergraduate students. There is parentPLUS and graduatePLUS. I'm assuming both PLUS loans will be kaputs with OBBB
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Honestly wondering how smaller colleges/universities and private institutions might survive this.
I can't say I think universities cutting/streamlining offerings is a bad thing. On one hand, how many schools do you need in one state, or even one region of a state, that offer the exact same degrees? I can see the potential benefit of universities getting more focused in what they teach. On the other hand, eliminating choice and control is a slippery slope, and funneling more students into fewer schools would be an issue too.
I'm thinking of my state here though, we have somewhere around 10ish large public universities (2 of which are major satellites to a big 10) all within 2-3, maybe 4ish, hours of each other that have significant degree crossover. I could have gone to any of these 10 schools in my undergrad and had the exact same choices, with the exception of zoology/animal science/fisheries and wildlife which only one school in my state offers.
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I'm also thinking about all the people who would lose their jobs from schools closing. My alma mater is likely closing soon and I'm still in touch with faculty and admin that I formed relationships with there. It makes me sad to think these people who love what they do will be laid off. For even more of that to possibly happen as a result of the bill is disheartening
vetschoolhopeful101
Aspiring Large Animal DVM
This was $40k/yr for unsubsidized listed. Hopefully it changes and becomes $50k/yr.
I do think this was bound to happen eventually, regardless of the student loan situation. College enrollment was already teetering down due to societal change in the value of a bachelor's degree. This situation will make it happen faster is all.
I'm pretty sad cause I went to a very small college in the middle of nowhere that was so cheap. Full cost of attendence was less than 40k for my bachelor's degree, and I had a ton of scholarships. So I ended up paying ~6k out of pocket. It was a phenomenal resource for the rural folks of the area, which spanned 3-5 states, depending on how you did the math. They will likely end up on the chopping block.
I've posted a video before on the bloat in higher education that I pretty strongly agree with. A lot of the expense is in the wasted space of all the classrooms, dorms, etc. that are used at best up to 70% of the year and at worst <30%. Then there is absolutely the labor aspect of it.
This aspect of it, the closing of schools and limiting of degree options, I have mixed feelings. Competition is absolutely important to any sort of economy, so having a lot of small schools close isn't necessarily the best. Particularly in underserved areas. Likewise, do we need UC-Denver and Metro State University both in Denver ***sharing the same campus*** along with Community College of Denver? All three are literally right there sharing the same campus. I don't think so. And keeping schools artificially open as enrollment is going down at the same time as limited funds is not a good use of money.
A better system would probably be concentrating degree programs or trades to specific campuses. My undergrad was established as a teaching school. Now the pre-health and pre-law (RHOP and LHOP) help keep people in rural hospitals in these rural areas. These kids come back home to practice. It also is great in wildlife management and agriculture management. Should my school focus on these specific area? Maybe.
An alternative is transitioning to what the rest of the world is like and rather than having a multi-tiered approach of degrees, having a 5 year bachelor's degree. The caveat there is that you have to test into professions. And so those that don't do well in their teenage years might not have the opportunity to become doctors or lawyers or whatever.
The pros and cons list of everything is pretty long. It comes down to what we prioritize as a society. I for sure don't think everyone needs a college degree and not all degrees have the same ROI on a tangible level where paying the bills matters.
I'm so glad Toddler Bats is not at the age where it matters directly for me other than getting my loans repaid.
stinkyfreddy
Full Member
I am lucky to have had my pell grant cover everything for my undergrad. however, im faced with a difficult decision. is it wrong to think that for a school that has already accepted me (and can offer my a chance to start in May 2026) that is almost 340k total (pretty much very expensive) would offer me a better chance to not be in debt for the rest of my life because I would start before the BBB is in place? or do I wait out other schools and start in with the new BBB?
for context: I am OOS everywhere I applied to... so im cooked in that sense. honestly, i know this is a personal decision, but regardless I feel like my inexperience with these kinds of decisions is eating me alive. I did apply to schools that offer in-state tuition after year 1, but still like the competitiveness of the cycle is crazy so idk
for context: I am OOS everywhere I applied to... so im cooked in that sense. honestly, i know this is a personal decision, but regardless I feel like my inexperience with these kinds of decisions is eating me alive. I did apply to schools that offer in-state tuition after year 1, but still like the competitiveness of the cycle is crazy so idk
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stinkyfreddy
Full Member
I applied to 13 schools. I am OOS for each one since I have no in-state school option. I have heard back from 2 of them, and interviewed at both (accepted to 1). if you want specifics you can pm me!
also this is a very much standard situational question so i don't think it really points any fingers. just wanted to share a rlly hard question in my experience in interviews
vetschoolhopeful101
Aspiring Large Animal DVM
Way to go!
vetschoolhopeful101
Aspiring Large Animal DVM
I'm a bit confused by your question, but I'll try to answer based on my understanding of what you are asking. Your principle debt of $340k would be the same regardless, you would just be able to get started before the BBB takes effect, which in turn would make you have a higher cap on what you're allowed to borrow in federal loans versus having a lower federal loan limit + having private loans. Only other difference that I can think of is that length of loans may be extended as of July, which would increase your overall interest amount in the long run. If your second school choice is much cheaper, regardless of the BBB, that is typically recommended.
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This is extremely difficult for someone to determine for you, especially since we don’t know your career/life goals and what your earning potential will be like. We also don’t know what private loan servicers are going to do/offer in regards to rates and whatnot in the future.
If you think you’re going to be a person who makes it a goal to pay off the loans as quickly as possible and not use an income based plan, then it’s always cheaper to take out less money. The interest is what’s killer, and the more you borrow, the more you pay in interest per month. But the difference in 10 year standard payments when taking out 200k vs 340k is literally like 3,000 vs 5,000 per month, respectively, so going to a cheaper school is always going to be my recommendation. It may be overall cheaper to take 200k in federal loans plus 50k in private and go to a cheaper school starting in the fall than to take 340k in federal if you’re planning on full repayment.
If you’re likely going to be making minimum income-based payments and going for loan forgiveness 25-30 years down the line, then getting to still be on one of the “old” income based repayment plans (IBR) that are going away for future borrowers might potentially be the lowest total cost repayment options because they have shorter repayment terms than the new 30 year RAP plan, but it also depends on your income projections and that sort of thing. However, I think any loans taken out after July 2028 don’t even have PAYE/IBR as options it’s just RAP, so you’re looking at at least some of your loans being under RAP anyway because you won’t be finished by July 2028. But you might get to have 2026-2028 loans on IBR if you started earlier? I think you could probably keep a couple years worth under IBR and have later years repaid under RAP? But that would be complicated even if possible.
With the new RAP plan, if your income based payment doesn’t cover the interest you accrue, your balance won’t grow like it does on the old plans that are still available, but you do have to make payments for 30 years, which is significantly longer than the “old” income based plans and can make your total amount paid/total cost of the loan more even though less is forgiven in the end.
All that to say, this is all a game basically and the rules don’t matter to politicians and are subject to change at will. What’s available now will almost certainly change within the next 25-30 years and all anyone can do is hope for the best and make the best plans you can with what information we have right now.
I’d still go to the cheapest school. Private loans can be predatory but a potential 100k+ difference in loan balance is also really significant. If the options were 340k at both, one with a start before and one starting after, then I’d say go with the early option to retain ability to borrow full cost of attendance as federal. But if the other option is significantly cheaper then it’s a much different discussion.
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For everyone with loans, paying down your loans faster will never be penalized either under current plans or RAP. So even if you have a 30 year loan, you're able to treat it like a 20 year loan if you want. You just have to be willing to put in the extra money per month
my partner and i have a 5-7 year plan, i would basically funnel almost my entire salary into my loans and he would bare the weight of the majority of household bills. idk how realistic that is but he said he’s willing to do it so we can debt free faster (he has no undergrad loans).
stinkyfreddy
Full Member
im so glad you have this plan and a supportive partner by your side. mine wants to study human medicine so idk how we'll survive. but hey, dreams must be accomplished.
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stinkyfreddy
Full Member
idk if it was this thread where I mentioned about adopting my first feline child who will become my life partner for vet school.
update: her name is Mochi and she is currently chasing her own tail while I write a paper. the easiest child i will ever have. I took her a few weeks ago and they told me she was negative like 3 weeks earlier when tested for parasites. Im working at a vet hospital, soo I wanted to check for myself and BOY. I found every single parasite in existence. she's fine now, glad I took her in!
update: her name is Mochi and she is currently chasing her own tail while I write a paper. the easiest child i will ever have. I took her a few weeks ago and they told me she was negative like 3 weeks earlier when tested for parasites. Im working at a vet hospital, soo I wanted to check for myself and BOY. I found every single parasite in existence. she's fine now, glad I took her in!
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he’s graduating with a degree in food science and he wants to go into the brewing and fermentation industry- lots of beer here in CO! haha he’s extremely supportive and on board with the financial plan which is super relieving to know we have a tentative plan when it comes to money and the $300k worth of debt i’ll have (probably more bc i wont be able to take gradplus loans for my final year in 2030 since gradplus is going away entirely in 2029 🥲)
This is a legitimate strategy for those who can make it work. Couples definitely have an edge over single people in that regard.
My partner and I also have this, so if it's an option for you I recommend people to do this. Even if you want to go the forgiveness route, it's a good idea to sit down and put it in black and white with your partner. It's easy to avoid it otherwise, and you and/or your partner might not realize the magnitude of the debt if you don't. Writing it down or putting it in a spreadsheet makes it feel a lot more real! It's good to at least have a plan and some goals set to help guide your choices now to help out future you.
At least if they gets to the other side of human medicine, they will make 3-4x what their veterinary counterpart makes. There's a reason most human doctors pay off their loans.
I'm thinking that once my patio is paid off, I'm going to aggressively focus on the student loans. I have 8 savings buckets, one of which is for "fun" stuff for me. All that money will go to the loans in addition to the extra from the patio bill
We have a similar plan, though it's not as cushy. Spouse works in government and is making mid-upper 5 figures. Goal is to try to live off of that salary and funnel as much of my salary towards loans as possible. Unfortunately, car payments we didn't have when we started have been added in.
Ultimately, I know plenty of vets who have houses and children and the occasional vacation and still pay their loans. I'm not planning to put any of that on hold just to pay my loans off a few years faster.
Ultimately, I know plenty of vets who have houses and children and the occasional vacation and still pay their loans. I'm not planning to put any of that on hold just to pay my loans off a few years faster.
futurefishdr
UCD C’O 2030
All this talk of loans got me worried now. Federal Pell grant and a few small federal loans (~13k) paid for all of my undergrad . However I just renewed my fafsa and despite my SAI being lowest bracket, it says I may not be offered Pell grant for next year (but my brother is? Both independent students with same SAI).
I got an interview with my IS but realistically, I won’t be able to pay out of pocket at all. My family is very low income so all our finances essentially go on bills and other household stuff.
So what im understanding (pls correct me if im wrong) is that I’ll be able to get a cap of 200k in federal loans and if costs come out to more, I’ll have to get private loans? Or will it be 200k - whatever loans I got for undergrad?
Just trying to weigh my options since my credit or my mom’s isn’t great either :/
I got an interview with my IS but realistically, I won’t be able to pay out of pocket at all. My family is very low income so all our finances essentially go on bills and other household stuff.
So what im understanding (pls correct me if im wrong) is that I’ll be able to get a cap of 200k in federal loans and if costs come out to more, I’ll have to get private loans? Or will it be 200k - whatever loans I got for undergrad?
Just trying to weigh my options since my credit or my mom’s isn’t great either :/
Pell Grants typically aren’t available for grad students, just undergrad unfortunately. You will get offered federal unsubsidized loans plus or minus grad plus depending on when they go away.
Pell grants are only for undergrad, and you can’t use those for professional school. If you’re low income you may qualify for the health professions student loan, which is another federal loan that usually has a lower interest (and might be subsidized? But idk for sure). Often HPSL is only a few thousand a year, but it does have more favorable terms than the direct and old gradplus, so it’s still good if you qualify for that.
There is a 200k cap for professional (aka vet) school. That 200k cap is separate from any undergrad loans. There IS a new 257k total lifetime cap that would include undergrad, grad, and professional schools, BUT if you had the undergrad loans prior to July 2026 I believe they don’t apply to a cap? I don’t see how they could retroactively apply that when we didn’t know this was a thing. But I’m not quite as well versed in the new undergrad rules compared to vet school.
But yes, if your school costs more than 200k, you’d have to find private loans, scholarships, borrow money from someone, use savings, etc. to cover any amount over 50k/yr for a total of 200k.
I qualified for over $19k for the HPSL my first year. 5% interest, no accrual while in school, no accrual and no payments until 12 months after graduation. I have no idea how HPSL fits into the loan cap.
I think historically it’s been considered more of a school based program/administered by the schools and probably isn’t subject to the caps, but heck if I know for sure.
That would be very nice. At least that would be one avenue for truly low income students.
I have a nagging feeling they wouldn't be that nice though.
futurefishdr
UCD C’O 2030
Thank you for the guidance 🙂
I’m the first person in my family to go onto a professional school where loans are sometning that have to be considered so I’m like a fish out of water figuring this all out haha
ba dum chh
This is basically what I did, and what I've heard of many others doing. It's perfectly realistic so long as your partner makes enough
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futurefishdr
UCD C’O 2030
I’m honestly glad someone caught this LOL
Booklover33
Full Member
Hey I was wondering, does anyone know if the fall of 2025 grades will influence a school's decision once we submit our fall transcripts or are they mainly just looking to see if you passed your prerequisites
They can absolutely influence a decision.
I believe Iowa specifically holds off on decisions until they calculate how fall grades affect your gpa.
Dear applicants - please have people help you proofread. Make sure you are directly answering the prompts. If you have any grade lower than a C, explain what happened. Make sure you include current, relevant experience. And don't bother including that you did high school math team in 2018.
For more detail, see my previous posts. I'm tired.
For more detail, see my previous posts. I'm tired.
Depends on the school. Most email initial updates (check spam!) Some call with acceptances (eg. UGA). I don’t know if any schools use snail mail anymore?
If you look on previous schools threads for the places you applied to, you’ll likely see how the school has done it previously. Email or a portal update is definitely most common nowadays, but it does vary.
You young whippersnappers are lucky that you don’t have to stalk your mail person anymore like us old fogies had to do. Whether you got a thick or thin envelope and if there was a sticker on the back or not…
But I suppose obsessively refreshing your email is also just a different kind of stress vs having to wait on your daily mail.
futurefishdr
UCD C’O 2030
weird overthinking question I had.. If I schedule my interview for one of the last interview days, are my chances lowered bc just about everyone has been interviewed already/adcom is likely tired of talking to people?
Or is this something I don’t need to worry about 😅
Or is this something I don’t need to worry about 😅
This is something you don’t need to worry about. The process isn’t something you can control, and worrying about things like this does nothing but cause stress. I mean you could also convince yourself that if you go “too early”, they may be overly critical and be “waiting” for even more “outstanding” people that may or may not exist. Or maybe they judge harsher at the end because there’s only a few spots left and they want the best. I don’t necessarily believe either is true, my point is that you can convince yourself of almost anything if you wanted to. It’s just anxiety talking and things may or may not be true but either way you can’t change it.
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futurefishdr
UCD C’O 2030
Thank you. I needed to hear this
purrlywhites
Full Member
I want to get a 128gb 11-inch iPad for black friday! Is this enough or should I go for the 256?
I’ve never heard anyone regret having more storage if you can afford more.
Would you use all 256 for vet school? Probably not. But will you want to use this device after vet school and **then** will you eventually use all of it? Yes.
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futurefishdr
UCD C’O 2030
Is there a thread on here someone can link/recommend for good interview tips, potential questions, and info I should just have on hand (ie. why I wanna be a vet, why this program, etc)?
I’ve put together a list of potential questions and know some will be unpredictable but any tips are appreciated🙂
Edit: I wanted to add that I’ve done mock interviews with my schools pre health committee but it was in a general interview format but the schools I’m interviewing with are mmi format
I’ve put together a list of potential questions and know some will be unpredictable but any tips are appreciated🙂
Edit: I wanted to add that I’ve done mock interviews with my schools pre health committee but it was in a general interview format but the schools I’m interviewing with are mmi format
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I don't have any links for you but I can tell you to be yourself and embrace the nervousness. I told last year's group I completely blanked, wheel of death, error 404 brain not found in the middle of one of my interviews. I cracked a joke, took a breath, got back on track, and still got accepted. Obviously don't be so nervous you can't talk, but an amount of nervousness is not only allowed, it's kind of expected.
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TukusTeten
PennVet ‘29
Quizlet has some practice interview questions!
Something that helped me A LOT during my interview was telling the interviewers "I'm going to take a moment to collect my thoughts" and literally taking a moment to take a deep breath and think of my answer. It's much better to pause for a moment than to blurt out word vomit, and it takes up a lot less time than it may feel like. I probably only took 15-20 seconds for my break for each question but it made a world of a difference. Like Rae said, they expect you to be nervous and I think they'd rather see you manage that nervousness than try to blast through it. It also shows them that you are taking the time to come up with a genuine answer to their question.
