2. Students who are planning to apply to medical
school should obtain current
information as to tuition and fees (and any
projected increases), room and
board, and other expenses (see specific school
catalog Table 6.1, Chapter 6).
3. Students who have been accepted and are
considering enrolling at a school
should request relevant information from the
school's Financial Aid Office.
4. Students who have decided to enroll at a
school should arrange to obtain spe-
cific information about a personal aid package
by requesting an interview with
the school's financial aid officer.
5. Some federally funded programs exist (see
Scholarships and Loans section) that
provide financial aid for medical school
students in return for a specified num-
ber of years of service.
6. Students should realize that the financial
aid picture is a changing one and that
the general pattern of aid has been toward a
declining level of support.
7. Financial aid awards are usually made on the
basis of demonstrated need estab-
lished by a financial analysis system. There
are three national organizations that
analyze the information provided by the
students and their families. The results
are sent to the individual medical schools. The
schools then determine the
award to be made.
8. Public medical schools are less expensive
for residents and, generally, for non-
residents also than private schools. This
applies to both tuition and fees as well
as all other expenses.
9. In 2005–2006, the average cost of
tuition and fees for freshman medical stu-
dents will be about $12,399 for residents and
$27,297 for nonresidents at a pub-
lic school, and $32,000 at a private
school.
10. The total average expenses (tuition, fees,
living) for 2005–2006 for a freshman
thus can be estimated as $20,800 for a resident
attending a state school and
$34,000 for a nonresident. For a student
attending a private school, the average
total expenses were about $37,000.
Note that there is a range on both sides of all
the above figures.
THE CURRENT FINANCIAL AID CRISIS
During the 1990s, there was a marked escalation
in tuition and other costs related to
medical education. This inflationary spiral may
continue for the foreseeable future but at
a slower pace. It is taking place unfortunately
at a time when financial aid programs are
being cut. This situation has caused a rising
deficit between what funds are needed by
medical students and what financial aid is
available to them. To aggravate the situation,
legislation reducing federal grants to medical
and osteopathy schools was approved. In
addition, it has become increasingly difficult
to receive bank loans through the Federally
Insured Student Loan Program, and private
sources of support to medical students are
also on the decline. All this strongly suggests
that very careful consideration be given to
financing one's medical education well before
one considers applying for admission. In
1976 a Health Manpower bill was passed that
requires almost every recipient of a feder-
ally supported medical scholarship to serve at
least two years with the National Health
Service Corps in areas of need.
It is essential for prospective medical
students to be fully aware of the high cost of a
medical education and its possible
consequences. With proper planning this challenge
can be met.
Medical school tuition and fees are the largest
expense facing a medical student.
The current average cost of tuition represents
an increase of more than 400% for private
schools and 275% for public schools over the
past 25 years. Thus, for a typical private
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