Financial Aide and Ross

I have been frantically researching financial aid options for this upcoming quarter.  Here is what I have found so far.  First, the only Ross supported student loan programs are either Sallie Mae or Wells Fargo.  You cannot get federal student loans for the MERP program.  I was denied funding for both of these loan programs.  I have found an alternative source of funding for the MERP program, so it IS possible for me to go.  Namely, I will have to take the money out of my retirement fund.  I will only have the money to do this my first quarter, and then the fund will be exhausted.  This means that if I do this and cannot get Federal loans in January then I will have taken a very expensive and not very fun vacation. 

I called the financial aide office at Ross and they assure me that I should have no problem getting Direct and Graduate Plus loans in Jan.  I did a trial application for the Federal Plus loans and was denied, but they said that if I would have a credit worthy co-signer then I could get these loans.  At this point I am pretty sure that I will be able to get loans once I am in med school propper. 

As another source of funding, I am considering continuing to work at my job as an online A&P instructor.  (If they still have classes for me next quarter.  This will bring in some extra dollars.  If, at any time I feel that this is interefering with my MERP success then I will quit immediately.

I am taking a big leap here.  I am mostly sure but not 100% sure that once I complete MERP I will be able to get loans for Med School.

I also think that I can save up a little bit of money between now and then to supplement my income.

So, at this point I am 90 - 95% sure that I can pay for the program this fall.

Additionally, I called a rural medicine doc in Eastern KY which is where I intend to start practice once I am done.  He had gone to school in the Philippines and strongly encouraged me to go to school there.  He said that I would be able to get a Medical degree with about 2k in loans.  To me this seems really good, but I really DON'T want to go to the Philippines.  I think that all of the hurdles I will encounter at Ross will be doubled for a Phillipine school.  I do however want to maintain contact with this guy because I think it will be good to begin with the end in mind, in other words have contacts at the place I want to go after residency.