How PA Students Should Prepare Financially Before Starting School?
Historically, many PA students relied on federal loans to cover nearly the full cost of attendance. Starting in July 2026, that becomes more complicated.
Juno Team
May 11, 2026
For most PA students, borrowing for school is unavoidable.
The more important question is whether that borrowing is approached intentionally.
Historically, many graduate students relied on federal loans to cover nearly the full cost of attendance. Starting in July 2026, that becomes more complicated.
Graduate PLUS loans are being eliminated, borrowing limits are tightening, and some students may need to rely more heavily on private loans to close funding gaps. That shift makes financial preparation before school much more important than it used to be.
Organizations like AAPA have increasingly emphasized the importance of budgeting and loan awareness for PA students, particularly as total attendance costs continue to rise and borrowing becomes more complex under the new federal lending structure. Through financial planning resources designed specifically for PA students, AAPA encourages students to understand living expenses, borrowing needs, and repayment expectations before starting school.
One of the biggest mistakes students make is focusing only on tuition.
Living expenses, relocation costs, equipment, licensing fees, and clinical year expenses can meaningfully add to total borrowing. For many PA students, housing, transportation, groceries, and health insurance are financed through loans for more than two consecutive years while enrolled in full time training. Clinical rotations can add additional commuting, parking, and temporary housing costs that are often underestimated before school begins.
Credit profile also matters more than many students realize, particularly as private loans may play a larger role in graduate healthcare financing after 2026.
Private lenders evaluate borrowers differently than federal loan programs do. Credit history, existing debt, income history, and repayment behavior can all influence rates and loan terms.
That means having a credit card in your own name, building on time payment history, and understanding your credit before applying for loans can have a real impact on the rates and terms available.
Shopping around also matters.
Interest rates, repayment flexibility, deferment during school, cosigner requirements, and borrower protections vary significantly across lenders. Two students borrowing the same amount can still face materially different monthly payments and long term repayment costs depending on interest rates and loan structure.
Juno’s PA student loan group takes a different approach. Instead of shopping lenders one at a time, it pools students together and lets lenders bid for the group's business. Students who've gone through the process typically come out with lower rates than they would have negotiated on their own.
Repayment planning should also start earlier than many students expect, especially for students who may ultimately borrow well into six figures between undergraduate and graduate education.
Beginning in July 2026, federal repayment options are becoming more limited, reducing some of the flexibility borrowers previously relied on after graduation.
PA school still pencils out for most graduates. The math just requires more attention upfront than it did a few years ago.
Students who understand borrowing, credit, repayment structures, and total attendance costs early often have more financial flexibility after graduation and may feel less pressure when making early career decisions.
Written By
Juno Team
Juno came into existence to help students save money on student loans and other financial products through group buying power by negotiating with lenders. The Juno Team has worked with 200,000+ students and families to help them save money.
