Financial Aid
Medical schools do not consider ability to pay when selecting applicants. They expect students to manage their own tuition costs with help from family members and loans. Even older, independent students are asked to provide parental financial information.
Be sure that your credit rating is good so you will have no problems obtaining loans. If you have credit card or consumer debt, be sure to pay it off regularly.
Your main source of information about financial aid during the application process will be the financial aid officers at individual medicals schools. The interview process often includes a financial aid presentation. Regardless of whether you have been accepted to medical school by January of the application year, you should complete the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA).
Other resources include:
- AAMC's FIRST Program
- MSAR chapter on financing a medical education
- AAMC's list of Loan Repayment/Forgiveness Scholarship Programs
- National Health Service Corps, for those interested in practicing primary care medicine in a designated underserved area
Note: If you are an international student who has been accepted to medical school, the school often requires you to provide evidence of ability to pay for all four years of medical school or to have the full amount available in an escrow bank account.