Affording PA school and a family

Jameslouthan · Post by **Jameslouthan** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 3:53 pm

I am very interested in becoming a PA. I'm not worried about school or getting in.
I am the "bread winner" now and if I choose to become a PA I am afraid of how I'll still be able to pay my mortgage and put food on my table for my family. Do you know or have any ideas/suggestions on how to get this done?

Post by **PaulK** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 11:11 am

Off the cuff, I\'d say you\'re probably going to need to get comfortable with student loans. As a breadwinner with children, you\'ll be eligible to borrow more, and at lower cost. The lower cost comes in the form of subsidized loans as opposed to unsubsidized ones. Scholarships may be helpful, but rarely cover more than 10-20% of the the full cost of school. The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment programs of up to $60,000 for two years spent working in a federally underserved clinic. That\'s in addition to whatever salary you would earn working there. This would allow you to repay your loans pretty quickly (and give you some awesome experience). For more, check out our three-part article on financial aid for pa students.

Jameslouthan · Post by **Jameslouthan** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 11:00 pm

Hope! You just gave me a little more hope that I\'ll be able to do it. Thank you for your time. Also thank you for all the great info on this site.

sastacey7 · Post by **sastacey7** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 7:47 pm

Hi James- I am a pre-PA student and am applying this cycle. I am married, 30 years old, and have 5 children to support. I am blessed that I have GIBill to help with much of the undergrad, but it will be loans for us for grad school. I want to work in a rural area, so I am planning on doing National Health Service Corps as previously mentioned. I have also looked at re-joining the military. You owe them 3 years for them covering it all (the best they have to offer is full tuition, books, supplies, fees, etc plus you get full active duty benefits and are paid at E-6 rate). This is also not a bad deal. Anyway, keep working toward your goal. I have to remind myself that the time I spend in books (though I do ok at keeping a balance as I have VERY supportive husband who takes care of house chores, etc) that could be with my kids is also an opportunity for them to SEE that school is a value for me/us- that is, they don\'t just hear me say it, they see me live it! I have even worked out days with professors that they can come with me for a class or two. It keeps them excited about college! Anyway, I think the hard part is not finding the money to go, but being able to balance everything in a very full life.- Kitty

Jameslouthan · Post by **Jameslouthan** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 6:56 pm

Thanks Kitty. I\'m feeling more and more hopeful. I\'ve looked into the NHSC and will most likely do that. I have friend who\'s a social worker and she\'s received finanial aid with them and started w/ 2 years but has stayed on for another year.

I appreciate the help.

bward · Post by **bward** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:16 pm

I am going to PA school and I have 3 young children. I was able to get a loan with Wells Fargo that more than allows me to live comfortably while I am going to school. However; I did apply and was awarded the NHSC scholarship. I applied a few months back and last week signed the contract. It pays for all tuition, fees, related expenses, and a stipend of $1300 per month. In return 2 years of work in an approved location.... Typically these jobs pay $10k less than other entry levels jobs in the state, and it may not be the exact job you want but ultimately I thought it was a wise move. The payments start in November and at that point I wont have need for the student loans. Some people prefer to take on the student loans and land the job they want in surgery, ER, or other specialty right out of school. These opportunities may be available after doing rotations and the staff gets to know you. If you take on student loans as i said you will still be able to live a comfortable lifestyle and ultimately you will pay off the loans. Either way put your mind at ease and apply and get ready.

I found a good read on how to get into pa school on scribd (site where you can post documents for free). Check it out.... http://www.scribd.com/doc/63188497/PA-E-BOOK

Post by **PaulK** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:10 pm

Don\'t forget too, that with an NHSC \"scholarship\" you can nominate a clinic where you would like to work if it isn\'t yet designated an underserved site. Sure, you can\'t do this with some clinics, but many (even in the city) are underserved. Plenty of places that you might already be interested in working *could* qualify. No need to take a job you really really don\'t want...