<p>Just throwing this out there if anyone may have any helpful insight.</p>
<p>I am a US citizen recently got accepted as an international student into a 4 year medical school program at Imperial College London. I'll be spending the next 4 years of my life in London. </p>
<p>What are my options as far as financing my education goes? the tuition is on par with American medical schools.</p>
<p>I know that I can still apply for FAFSA and will get Federal loans, but not sure if that will be enough. Also, I know that in US med schools are considered a graduate school entity, but in the UK it's actually bachelors. Can I say in my FAFSA that I'm doing my bachelors? Would that enable be for some Federal grants?</p>
<p>I have quite a bit of personal savings. Is that bad if you want to get good aid/loans from the Government? I was thinking of applying my personal savings towards everyday expenses and using the aid/loan money for tuition.</p>
<p>Any insight/advice/direction/guidance/caution would help. Thank you!</p>
<p>Federal grants are dependent upon your FAFSA EFC. Unless you’re low income, you’re not eligible for federal (Pell) grants. You’ll only be eligible to take out Stafford loans.</p>
<p>Because your degree is a bachelor’s level, you’ll only be able to borrow to the undergrad limits. ($5500 freshman year; $6500 sophomore year and $7500 junior & senior year–unless you’re a independent student for FAFSA in which case you can borrow higher amounts.)</p>
<p>Are you planning on coming back to the US to practice? Because if you are, you need to familiarize yourself with the exams/licensing/residency process for non-US medical degrees.</p>
<p>[ECFMG®</a> | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates](<a href=“http://www.ecfmg.org/]ECFMG®”>http://www.ecfmg.org/)</p>
<p>You might look into the possibility of getting free room & board by serving as a dorm warden, though some schools only use graduate students.</p>
<p>I know many kids who went to the UK for medical school and plan to return to North America, they all forwent undergrad degrees. Is this what you are doing or do you already have a BS?</p>
<p>Graduate Stafford loans do cover US medical school COA, so there may be a way to use them the same way in the UK.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>WayOutWestMom: Yes, I’m aware of the ECFMG. That comes later though. I first need to finance my medical education. </p>
<p>Somemom: I have already done my bachelors. I will be joining a Graduate entry program of 4 years. But the program still rewards you with a bachelors in medicine/surgery degree.</p>
<p>So when I fill out my FAFSA, should I pick this as bachelors? second bachelors? or graduate education?</p>
<p>Also, I have some personal savings that I plan on using for living expenses. Is it bad to have that much in my account if I want to get good financial aid?</p>
<p>Are there any scholarships or grants or other aid options? For example, I found this but it seems rather unrealistic for someone like me: [url=<a href=“http://www.marshallscholarship.org/]Home[/url”>http://www.marshallscholarship.org/]Home[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>You already have a bachelors, an MD would = graduate work, I think, based on translating the UK designation to it’s equal here.</p>
<p>There are a few scholarships for the UK, but very few.</p>
<p>Go for the dorm warden thing and save a ton if it suits you. Then use your savings for tuition. Minimize your loans!</p>
<p>Just curious, why the UK? If you have already paid for a bachelors & you are planning to practice in the US, why complicate things?</p>
<p>But I wouldn’t be qualified for any ‘grants’ if I choose this as graduate school instead of undergrad? or 2nd undergrad?</p>
<p>UK because I couldn’t get into even the lowest American MD school but I got into not one of UK’s, but world’s best medical schools in the UK.</p>
<p>There is no grant funding for second bachelor’s and graduate loans have a max of upwards of $40k, so you need to be a grad student to obtain those loans.</p>