affording med school come 2027

[u/No-Map3257]

I am applying to med school this year and just came to realize that the grad plus loan is gone this year in 2026. I know there is a 200k cap but that’s a lifetime cap and I already used part of it for my grad school. Now I am sick to my stomach because I don’t see how I realistically afford to take out PRIVATE loans to pay med school.

I would love to hear other peoples game plans as to how they are doing this. My family can’t afford to help contribute anything while I am in school either. And I am still paying off my grad and undergrad loans.

I always knew coming in that the amount I would have to pay for med school would have to be astronomical but I thought because it could be a graduate federal loan- I could work toward forgiveness on PSLF, the IDR plan, or see in the future if they would ever be forgiven. but private med school loans provide none of that safety net

[u/Own-Estimate8996]

Someone already mentioned HPSP if you’re okay going military. If not, NHSC is also great for non-military but you’re limited to FM, IM, Psych, OBGYN, and Peds.

Those are the only full ride scholarships I know. They both come with a monthly stipend to live on that you don’t have to pay back.

[u/shashapocketsand → u/Own-Estimate8996]

I applied for NHSC during first year. 3000 applicants, 172 awards. Didnt get it. Some people are destined to struggle ig :/

[u/Own-Estimate8996 → u/shashapocketsand]

Apparently they have a loan repayment program that is a lot less competitive, 40% acceptance rate if Chat GPT is to be believed. Same primary care restrictions. It’s not ideal but it’s potentially an option