Financing Your Professional Degree

Most medical schools and health professional programs (e.g., PA, dental, pharmacy, nursing, OT/PT) offer institutional financial aid packages, which may include scholarships, grants, and school-based loans. These awards are administered by each institution’s financial aid office and are typically offered after admission. Students should carefully review their award letters and reach out to the institution’s financial aid office with questions or to discuss appeals.

How the Process Works

• Students must submit all required financial aid applications, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) most federal aid is in the form of loans, which will need to be paid back, with interest
• Some programs may also require a school-specific or supplemental financial aid form.
• Aid determinations are based on cost of attendance, federal eligibility, and institution-specific criteria.
• Institutional aid provided may be need-based, merit-based, or a combination

• Spring–Early Summer: Financial aid award offers are released after admission decisions.
• Rolling or Fixed Deadlines: Aid packages may change as applicants accept or decline offers.
• Late Summer: Final adjustments are often made once enrollment is confirmed.

Additional Resources & Starting Points 

• Medical: AAMC Financial Information, Resources, Services, & Tools. AAMC’s FIRST guide for prospective and current medical students on financing their education. Includes Medloans organizer/calculator. DO students can also reference the AACOM’s Financial Aid resources.
• Physician Assistant: Paying for PA School
• Dental: Financing Your Dental Education
• Other professions: National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions resource page

External scholarships can significantly reduce educational debt. Students should begin searching for scholarships at least 12 months in advance and be mindful of eligibility requirements, deadlines, and service commitments. Often we find these types of scholarships offered by:

• Professional associations and foundations
• Community organizations and nonprofits
• Employers, hospitals, and healthcare systems offering tuition benefits to employees

Additional Resources

• National Medical Fellowships (NMF): NMF scholarship programs recognize merit as well as financial need
• American Medical Association (AMA): Physicians of Tomorrow Medical School Scholarships
• Corporate Scholarships: Tylenol Future Care Scholarship, Thermo Fisher Scientific Antibody Scholarship Program
• Medical schools often list external funding on their pages. Links to outside scholarships that Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and University of Illinois School of Medicine has consolidated

Private Loans

Private or alternative loans may be used to supplement federal aid. Students are encouraged to compare lenders carefully and fully understand repayment terms before borrowing. Typically private loans:

• Require a credit check (a co-signer may be necessary)
• Have variable interest rates and fewer repayment protections
• Should be considered only after federal options are exhausted

Additional Resources: Note HPA does not endorse any specific private or commercial loan provider but rather encourage applicants to compare options

• Understand Your Credit / Personal Financial Picture! With the likely gap in funding of what federal aid can provide, and cover the total cost of professional school, private loans are a new reality for students. Ensuring you are in a position where you qualify for private loans is top priority and it starts with understanding your credit score, how to build good credit, and staying financially healthy.  
  • Northwestern Financial Wellness has great resources on understanding this!
  • Per federal regulations, you can obtain a free copy of your credit report from each agency once every 12 months, available at www.annualcreditreport.com. 
• AAMC and ELFI Medloans Borrower Benefit Program: Program to support medical students facing urgent education funding gaps
• Federal Versus Private Loans
• AAMC FIRST: Provides comprehensive debt management and loan repayment resources.
• ELMSelect: An unbiased tool to compare private loan options.
• NerdWallet / Student Loan Planner: Offer detailed, updated comparisons of private loan rates and terms. \