Vet School Debt Swamps the Degree's Earning Power

“Im not sure if this is the right sub but please help me. So im about to go into my sophomore year, probably heading to graduate in my junior if i play my cards right. I live in alabama just near Huntsville and everyone keeps asking what im going to do with my life. All i have ever wanted is to be an entomologist. Its the only thing i have ever really been interested in long term. Entomology seems very hard to get into where i live because there seems to not be a lot of majors not focused on agri”

“Go to med school or become an engineer or a certified nurse anesthetist or physicians assistant.”

“If anyone would like to share their college journey/plan so far or has any advice, please do!! Some of my story is below. I can’t afford any private college without federal student loans. My total federal student loans for my first year were capped at $5500. My parents saved zero college money for me, but all three of us paid for 5,000 each my first year. I just took out a 10,000 SOFI loan for one semester not including the federal loans for the semester. I worked and saved over 7,000 and put 10”

“I’m F17 CO ‘27 and I’m wanting to get my undergrad then my J.D. But, I’m not getting a lot of aid from schools/government because my family is in that weird grey area of middle class where they think we make enough to pay for college but we’re living about paycheck to paycheck. But gov and schools don’t care about that. I’m wanting to go to some pretty big name schools that have a hefty price that my family can’t afford. So to take the stress off my families shoulders I’m wanting to join either”

“graduated in may and was set on going to this school but have finally came to terms that it’s way too expensive for how much i can offer. it hurts a lot but i know this is the smartest choice. im not sure what to say to my roomate because we’ve gotten really close and have already planned everything, so i just feel really horrible doing this to her. its a two person room so im hoping she just gets it all to herself. also just came back from orientation where i made a lot of friends so might have”

“I’m an FAP recipient, work full time, saved as much as I could for applications, moved to save money on rent and STILL barely getting through with the massive costs of applying to medical school. its insane, idk how ppl do it:((( submitted by /u/prissska [link] [comments]”

“I completed 3 semesters in college before dropping out. I left school for personal reasons and left with good academic standing. However I need to complete my payments to the school to get my credits. Once I acquire my credits how do I go about returning to school I’m 22 and feel stuck in the blue collar lifestyle and want to return to academia and finish my major. submitted by /u/Alternative-Can-4234 [link] [comments]”

“Hi, im about to enter my second year undergrad. basically i applied for a science ambassador position and got accepted. I had initially applied because I thought it was a paid position and I needed some income, now I'm finding out its a volunteer position and you only work like 1-2x a month. And its a one year position too, id need to apply again to get it next year. Im not sure how many hours id be working per month, it depends on whether id be touring new students, doing a shadow day, or o”

“I'm debating between two schools. the first one is offering me a fully funded scholarship but this year will be their first year launching a compter science and ai department even tho the university itself is very old and established. the second one is considered one of the top two in Egypt for the tech field but all studying years will cost me around 9-11k dollar, and i'm from Sudan so that is a big amount for my family. My biggest concern is the money i'm gonna pay my tuition with”

“Edited--- Hi everyone. I'm a 23-year-old international student living in Saudi Arabia, and I'm looking for advice on how I can study abroad with financial aid or scholarships. I'm open to any country, not just the USA or Canada. I have a medical condition that requires me to wear diapers, and because of that I've struggled a lot socially. I've been bullied, judged, and isolated for years, which affected my education and mental health. I wasn't able to complete high school”

“hello all. im a first gen college student that has a pretty weird academic trajectory, and I’d like to hear your thoughts on me taking up the pre-med journey. firstly, I went to a community college and i was undeclared for two years, then was a humanities major for two years. I never transferred because I really had no clear idea of what I wanted to do academically or professionally. My GPA there was a 2.3. 😵‍💫 however, about a year ago my grandfather succumbed to COPD, and I was in my home co”

“I am an incoming Junior and I recently got accepted into a really great program called the Undergraduate Scholarship Program. The program gives students $20,000 in scholarship money, but for every $20,000 taken you are obligated to 1 year postbac at the NIH and 1 Summer within the same lab. I am debating on whether or not to take 1 or 2 years. The only reason I’m not clawing at another year is that I already have a lot of research in my application with virtually no clinical. With the at least 1”

“So I applied for FAP last year and didn’t get it because my family made a little higher than the AAMC threshold apparently. But the thing is, we live in a HCOL city and are considered “very low income” in our city for our household size and live in federal low income housing. I tried to appeal and called FAP to explain my situation to them but they didn’t budge. I want to apply again this year but idk what to do differently this time (if anything). Studying for the mcat rn and hoping to apply to”

“Yes I know people go into it with nothing but with these new laws im very worried bout taking on loans. Going into medical school with nothing is better than your position. They are not giving up a 160k/year salary to be there for 7-10+ years. As it is, you are already making almost as much as a PCP. If you wanted to make more, traveling nurses and NPs make even more and would be easier to do. I feel like I would personally only plan your physician path if you were planning to get pregnant in re”

“There are some federal loan school and workforce loan forgiveness programs: https://bhw.hrsa.gov/funding/apply-loan-repayment And as some else said state forgiveness grants for health workforce”

“I was supposed to receive benefits as a dependent of a my mother, a disabled veteran, but unfortunately it no longer seems certain I will receive these benefits. I owe about 13k out of pocket for the year, and I plan on working through all through college. I'm thinking if I just take a loan and work my butt off, I can make just enough money so I won't have to take out any more throughout my college career. Does this seem like a bad idea? As I get closer to the deadline to pay, my move-in”

“Growing up without money, working in college and high school, no physicians in the family, dysfunctional family unit, or other things out of your control, do schools make note of any of that? Or are you compared to a person who has physician parents, never had to work through school, and wasn’t given the same opportunities growing up? It just upsets me because it seems like they don’t but how else can students who don’t grow up like that become doctors? submitted by /u/Inevitable-Log”

“About to be a high school senior in america here. I have United States and United Kingdom dual citizenship. I come from a very bad financial background, my mom cant work because she is disabled and my dad has been in and out of jobs my whole life. He was unemployed for the entirety of my sophmore year and as of now has been out of a job since december of 2025. Bascially, I expect to get a lot from FAFSA and financial aid if I go to college in america, but I dont know how the financial aid aspect”

“Does anyone have a list of full rides or full financial aid universities in Europe/ Asia? I come from Egypt, and y family can only afford to pay a 1,000$ a year but they likely won't agree to pay it because my sister is also going to college in the same year as I am. I know most european schools demand AP tests from american diploma holders, but I would hope there are some universities that don't require it. My stats are as follows: 4.0 GPA SAT: (hopefully above 1400) ECs: Research paper”

“So my fiancé of one year is officially starting at University this August, and he’s going into MIS. Unfortunately he won’t get much of anything from FASFA and has begun looking into private student loans since the university has finally presented him with his bill. The bill itself is a little under $2k before books for this semester. All private student loans he can get require a co signer. His mother is unable to cosign because of her file for bankruptcy late last year. His grandmother and gran”

“Hello all! I am starting a specialist program next month and I’ve been very stressed about what I’m going to do to pay for school. I know I will have to get a loan to pay for school because currently I am living paycheck to paycheck paying off a car, house, and utility bills. My fiance and I co-signed on a house last August and he pays the mortgage and I just pay utilities and groceries but with my current employment, that alone takes my entire check with maybe $50-$100 left every 2 weeks. With”

“I’ve got about $30K principal from my undergraduate years, and then I managed to not take any more loans out for my first year of grad school. I want to get my PhD, but I don’t want to go further into debt. So I just need someone to be honest with me: if you’re getting your PhD with a TAship, is it realistic to think you won’t have to take out more loans? Or what am I in for😭 submitted by /u/Certain_Memory4046 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone, I was recently accepted into a cardiovascular perfusion program that starts in August. The program is about two years long. I completed the FAFSA, but I was only approved for $20,500 in federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans for this academic year. Here’s my current situation: • Tuition for my first year will be covered by a family member. • My biggest expenses will be living expenses, rent, transportation, and other school costs. • I’ll likely need additional funding beyond the federal”

“im 30 years old and American. in my first go at college I had a Pell grant and a generous scholarship from an okay school. I graduated with a degree I actively hated because it was practical. It’s also unemployable Because it was a degree I hated and did very poorly in with no activities or internships. Since then my Alma mater utterly collapsed into the ground and totally lost all respect its name held nationally. Since then I haven’t been able to do anything. i don’t bother listing the degree”

“This depends heavily on the school. I went to a fairly prestigious school (top 100 US) which gave us 4-6 hours of homework per night, with extra weekend work. We were basically told upfront that if you needed to work you would have to take a prep period instead of electives just to have time to do enough homework to get Cs.”

“Hi everyone, I’m 20 years old and i plan on attending university as a business major transfer coming from a community college this upcoming Fall. I need some help as i’m stuck between taking a gap year or attending university as my parents heavily insist on taking out a private loan for about $17k from Sallie Mae or Abe to help cover my housing. I am currently not eligible for FAFSA grants and i’m only eligible for $7500 from them. I expect to be on my feet my 4th year of university and I should”

“Be careful that your mom doesn't have access to your finances.. would she steal from you? Please be sure to take honors courses and apply to lots of scholarships to save money on tuition.”

“You have to pay more on top of $65k tuition? Incredible. This is like the omega tip screen.”

“They ask. You don’t need to answer. It’s just social pressures that people feel and get obligated to perform on.”

“Graduated from top private college with a social science degree on scholarship and was premed. Worked as a medical assistant for couple years now while applying for med schools. Got into med school but now can’t afford to go due to the big beautiful bill. What is the ideal career path from here? Really don’t want to do PA, nurse or any clinical role route in healthcare as not only it’ll take me more time to take those additional classes and apply plus worry about long term over saturation.”

“Every decision season I watch high schoolers get talked into an expensive dream school by peers who either have family money or haven't run the numbers. Before you sign, here's what $200k in debt actually looks like. In most cases in-state is the smarter play, but let's use real figures instead of vibes. First, a reality check on loan types, because it changes everything. You almost certainly can't borrow $200k in your own federal loans for undergrad. Federal limits cap a depende”

“I did it in part time which I wanted to keep the flexibility to change up my schedule each semester (management was more or less willing to work with me). Capped it at 35 hours a week and supplemented with landscaping, retail, or restaurant jobs mainly on weekends but sometimes my schedules lined up where I’d do a half day at the bank, go to a class, then wait tables a couple hours. As well as what the GI bill kicked in. The weekend jobs were “disposable”. If I ask off these two weekends for exa”

“So I'm new to this. Very new. My situation is ~ I'm from India. I'm in 12th standard. And not financially able to pursue in a good college. And also I know nothing about GPA ~ ILETS .... I know they are exams that can get me addmission easier... Well I will take those exams after studying and exploring... But I don't think so I can make it... Because the time isn't supporting, I'll have to get addmission into a college after like 10 months... And I have to prepare for the”

“Hi everyone, I'm an 18-year-old first-year college student from the Philippines. I'm fortunate to be a full scholar at Far Eastern University (FEU), which covers my tuition. However, my scholarship doesn't cover my living expenses, and that's where I'm struggling. I moved to Manila to study, and I'm responsible for paying for my dorm, food, transportation, and other daily necessities. Unfortunately, I don't have family who can financially support me, so I've been”

“Or spend too little. If you have a choice between Stanford and in-state tuition/full ride scholarship StateU, you're screwing yourself if you pick StateU. It's the schools that aren't the best of the best but charge huge tuitions that are not worth it.”

“The people in this thread saying "well just let your parents pay for it!" have no idea your relationship with your parents. I was in the exact same boat as you. Had no idea that my college cost as much as it did because 70% of it was in parent plus loans. my dad set it up and did not explain what all was happening. he assumed he was doing me a favor. I am still paying them off to this day. Sure I could say "well they're yours technically!" and stop paying, but then my par”

What kind of degree did you get?

“Yes. There was 15 years where people who couldn't get jobs just kept going to school, so now we look for that. Almost no jobs require multiple degrees so it's a red flag. If they're not relevant to the job you're applying to take them off your resume”

“Hi everyone, I’m a rising senior in high school from NYC, and I’m trying to figure out how to approach college finances. I’m a little confused about what my realistic options are. My family’s financial situation looks complicated on paper. My dad earns around $332k/year, and my mom earns around $68k/year , so our household income is roughly $400k before taxes . Because of that, I assume I probably won’t qualify for much need-based financial aid. However, my parents are divorced, and my dad has s”

“Silly question. I didn’t need to take out loans for undergrad thanks to scholarships and my job, but I might need to now. In short, I have a full tuition waiver, plus a stipend for my upcoming master’s progam, which will total roughly $20k per year. I was originally going to have some financial assistance to cover some of my rent from a parent but that is completely off the table now due to some medical issues. I was trying to do everything to avoid taking out loans hence why I was so grateful f”

“Have you had any update on this? I just had the same issue but I’m a student so maybe student loans don’t count as income? But I had some that was scholarship and some loans so now I wait and see”

“Yep, I'm kinda on the same boat. Got into student debt to go to university for graphic design and animation (which was really fun, to be fair. I don't regret it at all), just to graduate right on time for AI to take over everything. Had to settle for a cybersecurity job that a friend gave me, which was really cool the first two years, as I had the midnight shift (which was fantastic since I'm a night owl), was completely alone, and I didn't have to do much (basically got paid to”

“Do any of the technical colleges offer free tuition/ state grants if you choose a particular degree?”

“I have already spent over 3000 on applications, and the secondaries are just rolling in. I can afford it, but it's a large chunk of my savings and it's just upsetting knowing it all might be in vain. I am ORM, 509, 3.88gpa. I have 3000 clinical in an oncology clinic, 3000 oncology research, 3000 service roughly. I am just concerned I feel like I dont specifically fit these programs and I am just worried I am wasting a lot of money. Any to narrow down or any words of encouragement? Alice”

“I’m a rising senior in high school. I’m worried about my future and about leaving my family without support. I come from poverty but in recent years, we’ve gotten to a point where we are still living paycheck to paycheck but the paycheck is enough to cover rent and food. Not really emergencies. We have an old used car and if it totals, we’re screwed. We live in a rural area where a car is necessary. Recently, my parents have had unexpected medical bills. I’m working as much as I can over the sum”

“To international and domestic students who need full ride scholarships, it will be even more difficult. Brace yourself guys, the world is going to be very different and difficult for us Gen Z and Alpha. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/7/11/fas-layoffs-next-week/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/11/5/harvard-fas-financial-weakness/ submitted by /u/Harrietmathteacher [link] [comments]”

“Just feels like a scam. 30k in student loan debt and I can’t even find a job in my field. This past year I’ve made it to the final round of interviews and they always pick another candidate. Little brother never even went to college and he’s getting married, has a down payment for a home and is buying a home at the end of the year. I can’t afford a studio apartment without roommates. I’m just tired of feeling like I always made the wrong decision in life. submitted by /u/Cartographer”

“Hello. This is kind of a niche situation, but I am a bogle head who is leaving my career to go to medical school at the age of 36 I received a partial scholarship to go to my in state MD school and the tuition will be 25k/year in a LCOL area. I sold my house and will be moving to a townhouse to rent for 800/month. From my house sale, I will make 70k after closing costs. I took out 40k of loans when I got my financial aid offer in the spring, so will have around 15k from that as well as 5-6k from”

“I’ve decided to go back to school this fall to earn a degree. It doesn’t matter to me which kind. I’ve figured that earning an associates first then a bachelors (or just simply acquiring a bachelors) would help me to make more money and feel more fulfilled. The problem is that I suck at college. I’ve gone twice before. While I think I’m more capable and motivated to finish this time because I’ve learned through career experience what I want to do long term, I have a really hard time feeling like”

submitted by /u/BigCartographer3496 [link] [comments]

“Lolz. College after high school IS a scam. Got my BA in Management after I spent years in the Marine Corps. The degree ultimately helped me get into flying for the Army and EMS after the fact (and will continue to be a differentiator for any job I apply for in the future), but the degree on its own?? Beyond worthless. Absolutely NOT worth the price of admission without work experience.”

“I think my main worry is I see how much elitist careers like quant make at such a young age and I get worried that I’m like out of that money and lifestyle because I chose a free but non-elite school. Did/Do you ever feel that way? Like because the best offers and lifestyles are out of your reach then why even bother?”

“Hey I’m a rising senior in North Carolina wanting to get out. I have some unis in mind but I doubt they would give me a good scholarship. Any affordable universities outside of North Carolina good for a biology major (that will also save me money 🙏) I appreciate it thank you. Also good luck everyone when common app opens class of ‘27 we got this submitted by /u/purrliciousx [link] [comments]”

“Hi i honstly just need some advice. im 21 and just got accepted into univercity and im really excited as i worked hard to get there, but reality of what that means has also just hit and im terrified. I have autism, social and general anxiety disorder, and also suspected ADHD. Due to distance i will be living in halls on campus but ive never been away from home before and im prone to anxiety and panic attacks. Im really worried i wont manage at univercity due to my mental health, my family have a”

“Okay so my family completely denied the idea of sending me to college away from my city only because they are extremely worried about my security and saying that she can't live alone, now I am left with nothing i really wants to do psychology and there's no way I can do a online psychology degree and I only wants to do psychology nothing else but my family is not sending me anywhere and there no college where I live in as it's a tier 4 city . I wants to study neuroscience (neuropsych”

“I missed applying last cycle bc of life, but UChicago extended their MAPSS deadline until 6/30 so I applied. I do want to attend the program, and I took the application seriously, but I genuinely did not think I would get accepted. Well Friday I got the admission offer. I've been unsuccessful so far at securing funds, what's some good resources and how do I go about this whole process? I've got 1 week, so I know that almost certainly this won't happen in time, but I have to try.”

“I'm now homeless. And there's nothing I can do to go to another field for decent pay with no experience outside of computer science. I'm already forced to abandon my student loans. Is anyone else in this situation? submitted by /u/AmbassadorAlone1241 [link] [comments]”

“This girl literally handed down her entire legacy to me—like 60kg of material, books, and notes. Basically, the entire medical school curriculum from 1st to 3rd year. I have millions and millions of Argentine pesos worth of material right here lmao. I love her so much in a purely platonic way. Without even knowing me, she gifted me all of this, and I admire her immensely. ​I don't think she realizes the impact she’s had on my life; she literally changed it, and I cannot let her down. Thank y”

“Hello all. In February, I started attending grad school online in an accelerated program. It is a benefit through my employer--in which all I have to pay for is books and tech fees. The tuition is covered. Since starting, I've been struggling. I'll admit that I wasn't the best student; although I have tried. 27 years ago, I graduated from undergrad with a 2.48 GPA, and my hope is, through pursuing my masters, I can be a better student and with the degree, go higher career-wise within”