Dartmouth Medical School Financial Aid Policy

Dartmouth Medical School recognizes that medical education is becoming more costly each year, both for the school and the student. In the face of these rising costs, the Medical School is doing everything possible to increase available financial aid and to provide assistance to as many students as possible who have demonstrated need. However, the available resources require that each aid recipient assume a sizeable base loan and may limit the number of scholarship recipients. The Financial Aid Office provides counseling to those students denied institutional need-based aid and may suggest alternative loans. Since the Medical School makes decisions about financial aid in the Spring, and when possible, shortly after a decision is reached on admission, it is important to apply promptly for assistance.

Students and their parents have the primary responsibility for financing a medical education. Although students may wish to declare independence from their parents, Dartmouth Medical School, as with most U.S. medical schools, requires parental income statements from all applicants, regardless of age, marital status or family status, if students wish to be considered for institutional need-based loans and scholarships. Financial aid is awarded, within the limit of the School's resources, to those students who would be unable to enroll without such aid.

Graduate school financial aid policy and procedure is especially complicated due to the varied school and federal regulations. The Dartmouth Medical School Financial Aid Office is ready to assist you in any way possible. If you have questions or concerns regarding policy, procedure, or programs, we encourage you to visit, write or telephone the Financial Aid Office at (603) 650-1919. The Financial Aid Office is staffed by: Sally C. Kelley, Acting Director of Financial Aid; Pat Santner, Assistant Director of Financial Aid; and Betty L. Fulton, Financial Aid Assistant.

Student Expense Budgets

Please note the 2008-2009 Student Expense Budget. The budget is reviewed annually by the Financial Aid Committee and is revised appropriately based upon data collected through a survey of enrolled students. The 2009-2010 Student Expense Budget will be available in April 2009.

Determining Financial Need for Institutional Aid

Financial need is defined as the difference between the Medical School's educational costs and the resources that are available from the student/spouse and his/her family to meet these expenses. Dartmouth Medical School encourages financial aid applicants to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Need Access application, and the free Dartmouth Medical School application to be considered for institutional need-based aid. Based upon the information provided by the FAFSA, the Need Access and DMS application and including, but not limited to, supporting documentation such as student and parent income tax returns and verification, the Financial Aid Office can inform you of your eligibility for need-based aid, and if your financial need is great enough, the amount of scholarship you can expect to receive from Dartmouth Medical School.

Financial Aid Packages

Financial aid packages consist of loans and, where financial need exists, Dartmouth Medical School scholarship. The first portion of financial need is met with a base loan, which is composed of various loans with different interest rates and terms. During the 2008-2009 academic year, the base loan is $20,500. Dartmouth Medical School scholarship is awarded when the financial need exceeds the base loan.

The first portion of any financial aid award is the Federal Stafford Loan. When students and applicants receive their award letter, they will receive information from our office about Stafford lenders and the Stafford loan application process.

The second portion of the base loan is met with a limited quantity of need-based loans such as the Federal Perkins Loan, the Dartmouth Medical School Loan and the Dartmouth Education Association Loan. The remainder of the base loan is met with an Unsubsidized Stafford loan.

Independent Students

Many students wish to declare independence from their parents. Some have been independent for several years. While we are sensitive to the desire of these students to become independent of their families, we are not in a position to have students transfer financial dependence from their parents to the School. For determining students' financial aid packages, independent students are those who can support themselves, including medical school expenses. Therefore, statements of parental income are required of all applicants who wish to apply for institutional need-based loans and scholarships. This policy helps to insure that, when possible, students are able to study medicine at Dartmouth Medical School regardless of their social and economic background. Individuals who have been independent of their family, but whose family resources are sizeable, may find a formal borrowing program from parents, with scheduled repayment at a later date, a viable method of financing.

Married Students

The financial aid packages of married students are arranged in such a way that the net earnings of the spouse may help to reduce the loan obligation of the student. The spouse's income, less taxes and child care allowance, where applicable, is considered a resource in determining the overall size of the loan portion of the financial aid package. Scholarship eligibility for married students is determined as if the student were single.

International Students

Federal regulations governing Title IV and Title VII Programs require United States Citizenship or Permanent Resident status. Therefore, in funding the medical education of foreign students who are not also permanent residents of the United States, DMS will consider only its limited institutional need-based resources and the private loans from outside sources for which students may apply. Please contact our Office for a listing of alternative education loans. We suggest you search the web for options. A couple of sites you might begin with are: www.iefa.org and www.iefc.com.

Outside Awards

Students are expected to notify the Financial Aid Office at Dartmouth Medical School when an outside award is received. Federal regulations and School policy require that the Dartmouth Medical School financial aid award be adjusted when a student receives outside aid. Dartmouth Medical School has set the following policy for revisions caused by the receipt of outside awards:

1. Armed Forces Scholarships/National Health Service Corps Scholarships/Indian Health Scholarships: These scholarships provide substantial financial support in return for a service commitment. Once such an award is accepted, all DMS scholarship to the student is rescinded. Loans may be obtained only for the difference between the award and the school budget, less the recipient's expected resources.

2. Outside Loan Awards: When a student receives a loan award from an outside source, an equivalent deduction is made from the loan portion of the DMS aid package

Dartmouth Medical School
Office of Financial Aid
7021 Remsen, Room 305A
Hanover, NH 03755-3833

Contact the DMS Financial Aid Office

Return to Financial Aid Office