Health Professions Advising

Finances

Financing your Application and Professional School Experience

Applying to Health Profession School is expensive. Application fees, test prep and test registration fees, the costs associated with traveling to interview at schools, and paying a deposit to hold your seat at your accepted schools can add up. Setting up a budget before you apply can help you figure out the number of schools you are able to apply to. There are fee assistance programs available, which can assist with application costs for students who qualify. 

Application Fees, Test Fees, and Fee Assistance Programs

Application Fees and Fee Assistance Programs

Audiology/Speech Language:

Dental:

Medicine:

Occupational Therapy:

Optometry:

  • $180 for the first program, $70 for each additional program
  • No Fee Assistance Program

Pharmacy:

Physical Therapy:

Physician Assistant:

Podiatry:

  • $180 for the first program, $45 for each additional program
  • No Fee Assistance Program

Veterinary:

Test Fees and Fee Waivers

DAT (Dental):

GRE (Audiology/Speech Language, OT, PT, PA, Veterinary):

MCAT (Medicine, Podiatry):

  • $320

OAT (Optometry):

PCAT (Pharmacy):

$210

Financing Professional School

Overview

Attending health profession school is expensive and the majority of students rely on loans to pay for tuition, fees, and living expenses. Most graduates have high debt burdens; the average debt for medical school graduates is $200,000. Scholarships are not as prevalent in health profession schools. According to a recent report from Association of American Medical Colleges, Physician Education Debt and the Cost to Attend Medical School: 2020 Update, “four-year scholarship totals of at least $100,000 – or $25,000 per year – were uncommon; just 12% of public school graduates and 27% of private school graduates reported receiving such amounts, and even among these recipients, the median education debt amounts were six figures.” While it’s true that you’ll ultimately earn a salary that will make it very possible to pay off debt and live a comfortable lifestyle, it’s important to be aware of the debt burden associated with pursuing education in a health profession field.

Things to consider when paying for your Health Profession degree:

Resources by Profession

Audiology/Speech Language Pathology: https://www.asha.org/students/financial-aid/

Dental: https://www.adea.org/GoDental/Money_Matters/Financing_Options.aspx

Medical

Occupational Therapy: https://www.aota.org/Education-Careers/Find-School/Aid.aspx

Optometry: https://optometriceducation.org/financing-an-optometric-education/

Pharmacy: https://pharmacyforme.org/financial-support/

Physical Therapy: https://www.apta.org/your-career/financial-management

Physician Assistant: https://paeaonline.org/resources/member-resources/caspa#support

Podiatry: https://aacpm.org/becoming-a-podiatric-physician/financial-aid/

Veterinary: https://myvetlife.avma.org/new-veterinarian/your-financial-health

Loans

Most graduate students qualify for federally funded loans which offer flexible repayment plans, loan forgiveness opportunities, and lower interest rates than private loans.

Scholarships

Individual schools offer scholarships to applicants and it’s important to check with the schools you plan to apply to.

Service Programs

By agreeing to work in a community in need after graduation, you’ll be eligible for loan forgiveness.

Military Service

The military offers pathways for current health profession students and graduates to serve.

International Student Resources