How to pay for PA school?

[WisPAC]

I am looking for advice on how to pay for PA school!

I have saved some money over the years from working. I know the interest rate on loans is extremely high, so paying off what I can without loans would be great. However, I know there are different types of loan forgiveness, such as PSLF and NHSC. From what I've seen, some companies also forgive loans up to a certain amount, from $20k to even $200k (at the VA). Knowing where one would work post-graduation is difficult to predict, though. With that being said, what is the best way to go about paying for PA school? 

Is it best to pay it immediately? Or is it better to take out loans and take a chance at getting them paid off? (I am guessing that it is competitive process and have seen that NHSC sites in my area didn't have any PA openings as of right now.)

What is the chance that one is selected for any loan forgiveness opportunities? Is it smarter to take out some loans so that there is a possibility for at least some of it to be forgiven? 

Also, are there any scholarship opportunities? 

[SedRate]

Join the military or get a job that has loan payback in the contract (I've seen numbers anywhere from $5k-$20k per year). Alternatively, take out the bare minimum and pay them off as aggressively as you can. You can also work in school -- difficult but not impossible. 

I wouldn't rely on any loan forgiveness programs. They have specific requirements and commitments, and they can fall through. I have a couple friends who are over 10 years out and are still paying back these loans because they haven't met the requirements yet. Meanwhile I paid my own loans off in 4 years and have been debt-free and not tied to a certain job because of my debt situation. 

[WisPAC]

Would anyone recommend buying (slightly) used equipment to save money?

[SedRate]

1 hour ago, WisPAC said:

Would anyone recommend buying (slightly) used equipment to save money?

Yes, definitely. Some students sell off their stuff after graduation for a discount. I recommend keeping them in case you need them down the road. (I have used mine on many occasions.)

[MilitarytoPA]

I wouldn't hold for VA and the EDRP, there are only a few PA jobs listed right now and of those only one or two is open the public. The rest are internal hires only. If you are a Veteran you can apply for the VA HPSP and do two years with the VA for some repayment. 

[68WEMTto65DPAC]

Imo, the best financial plan for PA schools is either the NHSC scholarship/loan repayment or military/Public Health Corps HPSP/loan repayment programs. Outside of those, there are some loan repayment programs out there but none that would come close to paying for the whole thing.

The VA has a HPSP but it is only for veterans and specifically designed to fill the most difficult positions to recruit for (ie, locations where no one wants to go).

In terms of military, the reserve/Guard components are an excellent choice for loan repayment but joining the military solely for debt repayment is not always a good idea (although it could work out well).