financial aid tips and tricks (USA!)

1. Apply for lolgrants.
2. Um that's about it, I suck at financial aid advice ;_;

Wait until you turn 24 to apply. Srsly.

Yeah, I don't even know where to start with grants. I think for med school you have to commit to working in primary care/in the military to qualify for the serious $$$. otherwise you've got to stitch together a bazillion tiny grants (Lion's Club or whatever).

i guess i'm wondering about loans i've never heard of or consolidation services or just general saving advice for the strapped and indebted student.

xp hello abbott i am an adult

sorry, by which i mean: this is for medical school, and i am 27 next wed

Did not know, sorry.

youngster.

feel like giving me money?

no can do cause i got $100K+ of student loans of my own that i'm paying back

;_;

unfortunately, working is sort of out of the question, unless i can set up some "passive" income scheme. wait maybe i should go buy a copy of the four-hour work week, huh

xp it's cool, bro. i feel like i should hit up my big dollar lawyer sister here.

xp it's cool, bro. i feel like i should hit up my big dollar lawyer sister here.

she's probably in the same boat as me, then!

maybe have a kid?

the sound and sensation of having hunks of flesh ripped out of yer buttocks

wait no i'll just have her set me up with one of her lawyer friends and we'll get mawwied!

Maybe I'm just lazy, but the general impression I've gotten from the financial aid presentations at my med school interview days (which I guess is what prompted you to post the thread) is that pretty much everybody has to suck it up and take on a huge wad of debt (unless they're from money or marry into it). When I went to grad school they were all "Oh you can get funding from everywhere", but med school presentations have included "For the love of God, pay off your car/credit card balances while you still can" and "Make your own coffee instead of going to Starbucks, you'll save like two grand".

I think it is mildly better if you don't have any lingering undergrad debt coming in (since the undergrad debt will just roll and roll and roll into like twice the original size by the time you're out of residency).