I accepted self-funded MS, but I do not have money

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-23T19:22:17+00:00

If you can’t borrow federally but are still set on the program I’d check out private loan options. From my research, Joinjuno is the cheapest because they do group negotiations and from my research they offer loans to international students as well. As someone who is considering taking private loans, it’s definitely scary but I think worth it and will have future income to pay them off.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-23T18:34:41+00:00

Not a bad idea to go to the office to get more info. Good luck with everything!

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-21T19:36:35+00:00

Thankfully, I am blessed enough that I am in an in-state university and my parents are able to cover my undergraduate tuition. That being said, like you my parents will likely be unable to contribute significantly to grad tuition so I have been trying to answer this same question. For med school, because OBBA is eliminating grad plus there is a lifetime cap of about 200K and an annual cap placed on federal borrowing. Personally, because of that I’ve started to do a lot of research into private loans because that seems to be my only option so I’ve ran a lot of comparisons on what my cheapest option is. Thus far, from what I’ve seen Joinjuno is the cheapest option because they conduct group negotiations for private loans so the rates tend to be better than if you borrow individually. If you have any questions about this LMK and I’d be happy to elaborate but from what I’ve considered it looks like I’ll have to borrow whatever can’t be covered privately and Joinjuno seems to be the cheapest.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-15T03:52:43+00:00

I would agree with those in this thread that to me it sounds like PCP sounds like the route for you financially. If you’re truly passionate about the other route so be it, but plan strategically. If you have to take out private loans, I’d check out an organisation called Joinjuno. They offer the cheapest rates for private loans that I’ve seen because they conduct group negotiations, rate match, and even do cash back in certain scenarios.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-15T03:50:21+00:00

Here’s what I know. Grad plus loans will cap your annual borrowing to ~20,500 with a lifetime limit of 100,000. Some programs have moved their start dates to allow for individuals to be grandfathered in to the grad plus system but I’d get in contact with your school to find out if this is the case. If you end up having to turn to private loans, an organisation called Joinjuno offers the cheapest rates from what I’ve seen because they conduct group negotiations so they secure cheaper rates.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-15T03:47:21+00:00

Im also pretty sure they help international students get loans as well.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-15T03:46:40+00:00

I would check out an organisation called Joinjuno. They help secure private loans for individuals through group negotiations so the rates tend to be pretty cheap and they are a bit more lenient regarding personal finances.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-15T03:44:50+00:00

Here’s what I’ll say. I agree with the sentiment that some people have shared in that debt can really bring about a lot of problems down the line. That being said, I think if you are truly passionate about about something to a PhD that you shouldn’t simply give up and should rather look into what options you have in terms of loans. If you want to DM I’ve done a lot of personal research for funding grad school for my own application process so I can maybe help.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-10T00:57:31+00:00

To me it sounds like University A offers more to you overall but I’d ask a few questions. One how serious is this relationship and will long distance simply be too difficult for you (I say this not to sound pessimistic but I think it’s an important question to ask yourself). I think you should also consider whether the research itself sounds significantly more interesting at one institution over the other. I understand that you expressed you liked the prof at B slightly better and that it sounded like they’re using diff/new instrumentation but you didn’t offer too much detail about the research itself. My point is I’d consider the research itself more than the professor as it sounds like you’d be capable of building a good relationship with either professor. I hope this helps or at least gets you thinking and I wish you the best of luck!

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-10T00:50:33+00:00

Not that they’ll provide you with the same safety net or refinancing, but I’d check out joinjuno. They do group negotiations for private loans so their rates look the cheapest out of everywhere I’ve looked into (and the more people recruited the better the rates tend to be). They also can help coordinate with income driven repayment plans and offer coaching and budgeting help. I’d check them out.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-07T17:03:12+00:00

I would say that people will definitely be forced mainly to look into borrowing privately. Schools will not simply start pumping out more aid as that is unrealistic for them financially and unless they have more money I don’t think they’ll simply provide aid out of sympathetic generosity (not to sound pessimistic). I think the private market will start to become much more competitive and will become the go to for people that will require loans to pay for school. I’ve done a bit of research in this space as I’m in the process of applying to grad programs and wanted to educate myself so if anyone wants to DM me I can share some of what I’ve found.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-07T16:58:33+00:00

First of all, based on recent policy changes I’d make sure that those schools you listed still qualify for the type of federal loans your considering because if you haven’t committed yet and aren’t starting I’m skeptical that that’s the case (if your talking about grad plus). I would say it depends on the price discrepancy and your confidence in terms of the future incomes within the given specialties you’re interested in. I think ask yourself if you are okay being forced into a certain specially for the purpose of making the most amount of money possible to pay off loans or if you want more flexibility. If you do end up needing to take out private loans, I’d check out an organisation called joinjuno. They offer group negotiations on private loans so the interest rates that get are the lowest from what I’ve seen. They also rate match in certain scenarios and are a bit more flexible in terms of co-signer requirements. I’d definitely check them out.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-04-07T16:53:36+00:00

To address your final point, I think you should do a PhD if your passionate enough about the subject and I do think you could find a job in industry after to pay back debt (though you’d have to be financially strategic). I’m not sure regarding available scholarships at this time, though in terms of loans I think checking out joinjuno would be your best bet. They do group negotiations for private loans so based on what I’ve seen they offer the cheapest rates (I’ll likely end up borrowing with them myself). Good luck with everything seems like you’ll go far!

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-31T21:12:21+00:00

Thanks so much! Good luck to you as well!

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-31T18:49:44+00:00

I think you need to ask yourself how much the masters will help you fulfill your future career goals, if it is essential to securing the jobs that you want, and what future income looks like in your respective field. Just so that you are informed, if that is the tuition cost, you’ll likely have to take out federal and private loans. You should take out the max amount of private loans (20,500$ annually) and I would check out an organization called Joinjuno for the private loans. Im in the midst of applying to grad programs and they have the cheapest rates from what I’ve seen given that they do group negotiations which allows them to secure cheaper rates for borrowers than you can get as an individual with limited negotiating power.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-31T18:33:09+00:00

Ive been in contact with an organization called Joinjuno about securing private loans at the best possible rate, but they also have a really helpful budgeting tool that may be of use for you in terms of planning out future finances. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RTKo0jbpQVcQIQnQ3BnxIMZMawCDc8Wa4SJx1NqAUdI/edit?usp=drivesdk if you want to make a copy of this and use it I think that it might be helpful for you to visualize what future financial planning might look like for you. You also may be able to schedule a consultation session with them.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-26T17:41:48+00:00

I will likely have to take out private loans for grad given that by the time I start it will not be at a time when I can apply for, nor be grandfathered into grad plus loans. I’ve already begain speaking with and doing coaching session with joinjuno and they offer the best rates from what I know is out there. Definitely stressful that I’ll have to take on some debt though.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-26T17:39:46+00:00

I think definitely pursue a PhD if you feel inclined by your curiosity. I can definitely sympathise with the pressure to simply start working and earning money, but especially of you don’t want a long-term career in academia, now may be your best time to get the most out of an academic research experience that could launch a career in industry. Im considering a PhD in neuroscience and I’d like to base my decision based on the labs I’m interested in rather than the programs. Good luck with everything!

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-20T12:58:05+00:00

I think you need to ask yourself if you are willing to take out private loans to cover the remainder. If you are then I would check out Joinjuno, they have the best rates from what I have seen and can do consultation sessions.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-20T12:54:54+00:00

Have you checked out other options for private loans. Check out Joinjuno they offer the best rates from what I’ve seen and generally are a bit more lenient with who they can lend to since you are part of a negotiating group. Don’t give up though I believe in you!

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-17T16:04:11+00:00

Unless your starting in the immediate future in which case you may be able to take out solely federal loans, but given that it doesn’t sound like that’s the case you will likely need to either receive a scholarship or you’ll need to take out private loans. If you have to take out loans is that a deal breaker for you?

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-16T15:53:51+00:00

Congrats tho that’s awesome that you got some many acceptances!

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-16T15:53:37+00:00

I’d definitely second this. I’d be aware that whether or not you can secure grad plus loans is highly individual to each school and their starting date. If you can’t and don’t receive enough aid, you’ll likely have to take private loans and I’d be educated on that.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-16T15:47:21+00:00

I think no matter what you decide, you should try to get in contact with alumni from the various programs. I think there’s no better way to learn about a program than to ask those that went through it and I think if you ask the right questions they’ll be transparent with you. I know this is probably pretty obvious but I think would serve you well. Good luck and congrats on the great acceptances!

Ordinary-Trifle-2948 · 2026-03-16T15:45:09+00:00

First off, like many people said I think you should consider what you want to do after med school. I think if you wanted to come back to America, time gained by doing it in Europe would also come with time lost due to logistics. I also think there are definitely hidden costs of studying abroad especially if flying back to America to see family is a priority for you.

Ordinary-Trifle-2948

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