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Osteopathic Medical schools in Georgia like pcom georgia were established to provide a learning field for students that wants to study Osteopathy, which is one of the most noble profession. What is Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic medicine is a field within the larger field of medicine in the United States. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes the interrelated unity of all systems in the body, each working with the other to heal in times of illness. Doctors of osteopathy (DOs) provide holistic and personalized healthcare to patients who do not have access to doctors. One trend is that a lot of doctors don’t want to see patients directly. Following that trend, more than 50% of doctors who are active today have chosen to become family practitioners, internists or pediatricians.

Get more information regarding Osteopathic Medical Schools In Georgia, does Georgia state have a medical school, does uga have a medical school, is university of georgia a good medical school, average gpa for osteopathic medical schools, what schools offer osteopathic medicine & how much is medical school in georgia

what schools offer osteopathic medicine

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, are fully licensed physicians who practice their unique whole-person approach in every medical specialty. DOs look beyond your symptoms to understand how lifestyle and environmental factors impact your wellbeing, and complete extensive postgraduate and clinical training before becoming fully licensed physicians.ย Compare physician trainingย requirements to those required for other types of clinicians. Instead of looking only at your symptoms, DOs take a wholistic approach to health and examine how different aspects of your life impact your overall well-being. They review their findings with you and use modern medical techniques to treat you.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM Georgia) is dedicated to educating osteopathic medical students and serving the health care needs of the people in Georgia and the Southeast by providing a program of medical study guided by osteopathic medical tradition, concept, and practice. Graduates are encouraged to remain in the South and practice among underserved populations where they will have the most impact. PCOM Georgia campus graduated its inaugural class of 78 students in May 2009.

osteopathic medical schools requirements

General Admission Requirements

Congratulations on deciding to apply to osteopathic medical school! There are several things that admissions committees look for in a prospective student.

Mean Grade Point Averages (GPA) for Entering Students


Science
Non-Science
Overall GPA
2014
3.39
3.60
3.51
2015
3.43
3.63
3.53
2016
3.50
3.65
3.56
2017
3.43
3.64
3.53
2018
3.43
3.65
3.54

Mean Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Scores for Entering Students (Pre-2015 MCAT)


Biological Science
Physical Science
Verbal Reasoning
Total MCAT
2015
9.62
8.87
8.84
27.33
2016
9.39
8.73
8.60
25.84

2017
9.00
8.37
8.25
25.62
2018
8.62
8.13
7.99
24.75

Mean Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Scores for Entering Students (New MCAT)


Psychological, Social, & Bio.
Bio. & Biochemical
Chemical & Physical
Critical Analysis & Reasoning
TOTAL MCAT
2017
126.2
126.0
125.7
125.2
503.1
2018
126.5
126.2
125.8
125.4
503.8
The decrease in MCAT scores may be the result of fewer pre-2015 MCAT scores being reported as many matriculants are submitting new MCAT scores in their application.

For more applicant and matriculant information, view AACOM’s “2017 Applicant and Matriculant Profile” report.

Personal qualities are just as important. Osteopathic medical schools are looking for students who:

  • Are well-rounded
  • Demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills
  • Have a record of community service
  • Have a record of leadership
  • Have some clinical experience
  • Have participated in a variety of extracurricular activities
  • Come from diverse backgrounds
  • Are motivated to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine
  • Possess knowledge of osteopathic medicine
  • Have shadowed an osteopathic physician

Nearly all students who apply to osteopathic medical school have a bachelorโ€™s degree. There are a few exceptions for students in special programs that have prior arrangements with osteopathic medical schools. Many applicants have earned a masterโ€™s degree or doctorate before applying to osteopathic medical school.

Many public osteopathic medical schools are mandated by state regulation to admit a certain percentage of in-state residents to each entering class. Contact the colleges in which you are interested for more information.

Criminal Background Checks

Some states require criminal background checks for all medical students. Additionally, affiliated hospitals and clinical institutions of many medical schools have policies requiring criminal background checks for medical students completing clinical rotations at their facilities. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs mandates that all medical students involved in patient care at its hospitals undergo criminal background checks.

The movement toward criminal background checks across the health professions is based in large part on strengthening the publicโ€™s trust in the medical profession. Criminal background checks also enhance the safety and well-being of patients, aid in the applicantsโ€™ and enrolled medical studentsโ€™ ability to eventually become licensed as physicians, and minimize the liability of medical schools and their affiliated clinical facilities.

Although a criminal background check is not part of the AACOMAS application for the 2018-19 cycle, all osteopathic medical schools require criminal background checks for all matriculating students and prior to the start of clinical rotations, or at some other specified time. It is your responsibility to become aware and informed of what will be required of you during the application process. Many colleges and clinical rotation sites require drug testing, either as a condition of matriculation or at some other specified time.

When an individual applies through AACOMAS, the applicant will be asked to disclose information regarding prior criminal offenses. Failure to accurately and truthfully disclose such offenses on the AACOMAS application may result in an offer of admission being rescinded or, if the omission is discovered after enrollment in medical school, in dismissal.

how to apply to osteopathic medical schools

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) is the centralized online application service for the U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine.
AACOMAS Apps Now Open โ€“ MCB Advising Program's Blog

AACOMAS simplifies the process of applying to osteopathic medical school. Complete one application and send it with required information to their centralized service. They verify your application for accuracy, process it and send it with your materials to those osteopathic medical schools you designate.

Part 1: Introduction

In todayโ€™s article, weโ€™ll be walking you through the application process for the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. From here on out, weโ€™ll refer to this as AACOMAS. 

We understand how stressful it can be to fill out a long application with multiple parts. Thatโ€™s why, in this definitive guide, weโ€™re going to walk you through each section, step by step. We hope that, by doing so, youโ€™ll feel ready to fill out the application. In addition to this guide, we also offer consulting services on our website. So, if youโ€™d like someone to review your application before you submit it, weโ€™d be happy to do so.

Part 2: The Definitive Guide

Start Early

The #1 piece of advice we can give you is to start your application process as early as possible. AACOMAS recommends the following timeline, which also provides a quick glimpse into what the application process is like. More details will be provided on each section later. 

Before you start your applicationโ€ฆ

  • Determine which schools you want to apply to and find out what their application deadlines are.
  • Take note of each schoolโ€™s application fee and their grade requirements. 
  • Learn the requirements for your evaluators, and contact qualified individuals to request them to fill that role. (Your evaluators are the ones who will write your letters of recommendation.)
  • Request your transcripts. Note that some schools might require your transcripts to be sent directly to them from the Registrarโ€™s office. 
  • Start writing your personal statement.
  • Create your account. You canโ€™t use AACOMAS without having one. Click here for a helpful guide to create your account. If youโ€™ve applied with AACOMAS in the past, you can use the account youโ€™ve already set up. There is an option to reset your password if you donโ€™t remember it.

When you beginโ€ฆ

  • Begin going through the application process. Youโ€™ll fill out the Colleges Attended and Evaluations sections.
  • Request all transcripts to be sent to AACOMAS.
  • Type in your coursework in the appropriate sections.
  • Pay for the Professional Transcript Entry Service if you choose to use it.
  • Make sure that your evaluators have received the necessary information to fill out the evaluations for you.
  • Submit your application two months before itโ€™s due. Become familiar with the verification process. Keep an eye on your application. If anything comes up, resolve it immediately.

By following these steps, youโ€™ll ensure that your application process goes as smoothly as possible.

Participating Programs

While AACOMAS is comprehensive, not every osteopathic medical school participates in the program. Here are the schools accepting applications through AACOMAS for the current application cycle. 

  • Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
  • Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • A.T. Still University โ€“ Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (MO)
  • A.T. Still University โ€“ School of Osteopathic Medicine (AZ)
  • Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University
  • California Health Sciences University โ€“ College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
  • Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine โ€“ Auburn
  • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine โ€“ Carolinas
  • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine โ€“ Louisiana
  • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine โ€“ Virginia
  • Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine โ€“ Bradenton Campus
  • Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM)
  • NYITCOM at Arkansas State University (Jonesboro, AR)
  • Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • PCOM South Georgia
  • Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Rocky Vista University School of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine โ€“ New York
  • Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine โ€“ California
  • Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • University of Pikeville โ€“ Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Western University of Health Sciences / College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
  • Western University of Health Sciences / College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest
  • West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
  • William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

If any of the schools that you want to apply to arenโ€™t listed here, check that schoolโ€™s website for their application process.

School Application Deadlines

While AACOMAS provides the platform to submit your application, they do not set deadlines for the schools. Itโ€™s imperative that you submit your AACOMAS application before the first application is due. Check each schoolโ€™s website for their application deadline.

Application Fees

As an application service in and of itself, AACOMAS charges you per program you apply to. The first program costs $196 and each program after that costs $46. So, if you apply to ten different programs, youโ€™re looking at $610 in AACOMAS fees. And that only covers AACOMAS fees. There will be fees for submitting your secondary applications to each individual osteopathic college. 

If you canโ€™t afford the fees, AACOMAS has a fee waiver program. Unfortunately, all their waivers have been given out for the current application cycle. But, should you apply for future cycles, you can apply for the waiver if you meet certain income requirements. If you live by yourself and your income is below $25,520, youโ€™re eligible. Add $8,960 for each additional person who lives with you. If you fall below that income level, youโ€™re eligible for the waiver. 

When youโ€™re filling out your application, youโ€™ll see the option for the Fee Assistance Program. Fill out the details, and submit the form. Youโ€™ll know if you got the waiver within 10 business days. If you receive the waiver, you have 14 days to submit your application. So, while you wait for your waiver request to be processed, make sure all parts of the application have been filled out. Please note that applying for the Fee Assistant Program does not guarantee that you will receive the waiver. But it does guarantee that you will be considered for the waiver. Without submitting an application for the waiver, you wonโ€™t be considered for it at all.

Entering Your Coursework

An important part of the AACOMAS application is entering your coursework. Colleges need your transcripts to determine if youโ€™ve taken all the prerequisite courses necessary for admission into their programs. The following types of classes should be entered.

  • Study Abroad Courses
  • Honors Courses
  • Other Test Credits
  • Advanced Placement (AP) Credits
  • Repeated Classes
  • Primary College

A comprehensive guide on how to submit your coursework is available here

Letters of Evaluation

Letters of evaluation are a critical part of your application. Itโ€™s where mentors in your academic career testify of your goodness and worth. They affirm why you should be accepted into the program to which youโ€™re applying. Because these letters are so important, there are strict rules regulating what will and wonโ€™t be accepted. 

  1. Letters must be sent directly from the evaluator to AACOMAS. If you write your own letter, donโ€™t submit it yourself. Send it back to your evaluator for them to submit.
  2. Electronic submissions are the most popular format via Letters by Liaison.
  3. Brief each of your evaluators on the program requirements so they can personalize and tailor the letter for you.
  4. Provide your evaluators with aacomasinfo@liaisoncas.com and ask them to add the email to their address books. That will prevent the Letter of Evaluation request from going to their spam folder.

When you reach the evaluation section, youโ€™ll enter the names and emails of your evaluators, and theyโ€™ll be sent the requests. You can send six letters to AACOMAS. If you have more than six evaluators (good for you!), send each additional letter directly to the individual programs. 

Professional Transcript Entry Service (PTE)

If you donโ€™t want to type in all your information yourself, there are people who are paid to do it for you. The costs are as follows.

  • $69 for 1-3 transcripts
  • $95 for 4-6 transcripts
  • $145 for 7+ transcripts

PTE can take over a week, so fill out your application and submit it to PTE at least two weeks before itโ€™s due. Also, keep in mind that PTE only types in what is on your official transcripts. They will not include courses you are currently taking or courses taken at unlisted schools.  

They are not responsible for errors. If something needs to be fixed, that will be your responsibility when you verify your application before your final submission.

Personal Statement

Hereโ€™s the essay part. You have 5,300 characters to write your personal statement. Having characters instead of words means that spaces and punctuation count as characters. Youโ€™ll have a text box where youโ€™ll write or paste your personal statement. In the bottom, right-hand corner, youโ€™ll see how many characters you have left. Keep an eye on that as you write. It will help you determine how much space you have left to write about what is most important to you. 

Your personal statement should be about you as an individual and why you want to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine. Because your interests might change over time, AACOMAS highly recommends writing a generalized letter. That means not going into the specifics of what kind of medicine you want to practice, but rather why you want to practice medicine in general. 

Altogether, you have about a page and a half to share why you want to be a doctor of osteopathic medicine. Hereโ€™s an example of a generalized personal statement.

My mom broke her back doing yoga when I was about nine years old. While her injuries could have been worse, she was crippled and has been in a wheelchair ever since. As her son and oldest child, I was responsible for helping my younger siblings. Mom was pretty independent, but there were some things I did for her. She was a single mother, widowed when my father was killed in a car crash, and she lacked the funds necessary to make our house wheelchair-friendly. She slept downstairs, but my siblings and I slept upstairs. It became my responsibility to get them ready for school in the mornings and to get them to bed at night. I had two sisters and a brother. It was an exhausting responsibility, but until Michael was old enough to help more, I was the man of the house. I took that responsibility seriously. I would not let my mother down. 

Momโ€™s pain was the hardest part of her paralysis. While Mom couldnโ€™t feel her legs, she could feel the rest of her body. When she broke her back, she herniated a disc and frequently dealt with nerve pain from it. She wasnโ€™t able to stretch her body the way she needed to, so she needed physical therapy. Sometimes it took a while to get her there because the PT office got booked far out. She had regular appointments, but she couldnโ€™t predict when the worst of the pain would hit. I remember more than one occasion when she fought back tears as she cared for me and my siblings. 

This problem didnโ€™t get resolved until my mom had been paralyzed for several years. I was about 13 years old when we found Dr. Gutsmann. The kind, German doctor was a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. She had been practicing medicine for over 20 years and had multiple patients who were paralyzed. Meeting some of her other patients in the waiting room helped me understand that, while my responsibilities felt like a lot, they could be far worse. I remember meeting one patient who was paralyzed from her shoulders down. I could not imagine my mother being that paralyzed. If Mom couldnโ€™t use her hands, I would have to do all the cooking for our family.

Itโ€™s safe to say that Dr. Gutsmann changed Momโ€™s life. Now that Iโ€™m a 21-year-old college student, Iโ€™m able to look back on my childhood with a sense of gratitude for the responsibility that I shouldered. Mom remarried when I was seventeen. That allowed me to focus on school and participate in sports during my senior year of high school. But while that year was great, I missed spending time with my mom.

Iโ€™ve discussed Momโ€™s health with her on many occasions, and Dr. Gutsmann almost always comes up. We believe that Dr. Gutsmann helped Mom as much as she did because she always listened. When Mom needed a physical examination, I lifted her onto the exam table, and Dr. Gutsmann paid attention to what we showed her. She didnโ€™t just spend five minutes with us, either. She spent 30 minutes with each patient. She got to know us. She firmly believed that being a doctor meant spending time with her patients so she could truly understand what they were going through. It reached the point where she felt more like our friend than our doctor. 

Dr. Gutsmannโ€™s practice became a regular destination. Whenever Mom had nerve pain, she was able to get in to see Dr. Gutsmannโ€™s physical therapist within a day. When she did cry from her pain, it lasted for hours instead of days, which was a great relief for our whole family. 

Iโ€™m unable to tell you the exact moment when I knew I wanted to be a doctor. Iโ€™ve loved science since I was in middle school. Even though my responsibilities were taxing, I loved my mom very much and wanted to help her as much as I could. When my step-dad came into the picture, a great deal of that responsibility was lifted off my shoulders. I got to be a kid for a while. But the responsibility that I shouldered all those years taught me to be a man. Iโ€™m grateful that my childhood wasnโ€™t filled with video games, potato chips and yelling at my parents to go away. It was filled with meaningful moments that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. 

I want to be a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine so that I can change other peopleโ€™s lives the way Dr. Gutsmann changed Momโ€™s life. I donโ€™t want to enter a treatment room, take one look at a patient, type on a computer and then leave. I want to sit down with my patient, pay attention to them and learn about them. What brings them into my office matters to me. My inspiration to practice osteopathic medicine comes from seeing the care Dr. Gutsmann had for my mom and seeing how that care made a positive difference in my momโ€™s life. You never know how your words, attitude and actions will affect other people. Because of that, I want to use mine, paired with extensive medical knowledge, to make a positive impact on as many lives as I can.

This personal statement came in at 4,782 characters. It meets all the requirements. It shares a personal story of how medicine affected this studentโ€™s life, and why he wants to be a doctor. Specifically, it explains why he wants to be a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Gutsmann made an impact on him, and he wants to make that impact on others. While he mentions how badly his mother needed physical therapy, he doesnโ€™t narrow his desires down to a specialty. His focus point is on practicing medicine to help his patients. 

Verification

One of the last steps your application will go through is Verification. As the name suggests, this step is all about verifying all of the information on your application. If anything is amiss, it will show up here. If multiple issues are found, your application will be sent back to you as Undelivered. You will have the rest of the application cycle to fix your application and resubmit it. Thatโ€™s why itโ€™s very important to start your application as early as you can. You never know when something unexpected will come up. 

During the Verification process, the following will happen.

  • Your courses will be categorized according to subject.
  • Your grades and GPA will be converted to an AACOMAS grade value.
  • If you have an associateโ€™s degree or bachelorโ€™s degree, these will be confirmed.

If youโ€™re curious about how your grades and GPA will be calculated, AACOMAS provides you with this tool

Once your application has been verified, youโ€™ll be done. You can submit it to as many programs as youโ€™d like. 

International Medical Aid

International Medical Aid | Medical Internships Abroad | Pre-Med Volunteer

Applying to medical school is a long and tiring process. International Medical Aid is here to make that process a little less exhausting. Thatโ€™s why we offer services to help make your experience easier. Weโ€™re here for you if youโ€™re a first-generation medical student with a ton of questions. Weโ€™re happy to help if you need someone to go over your application before you submit it. We also conduct mock interviews to prepare you for the real deal. You can easily schedule an appointment with us on our website. We look forward to the opportunity to help you. 

International Medical Aid also has overseas experiences to bolster your applications and provide you with valuable experience. We take students to East Africa, South America and Haiti, where they have the opportunity to serve patients who live in remote areas and who have difficulty accessing medical care. Our efforts have continued, even while the world has been in commotion from COVID-19. Visit our website for more information on our internships. 

Finally, check out our blog if youโ€™re considering which medical schools you want to apply to. We offer comprehensive guides on how to get into Ivy League medical schools and colleges of osteopathic medicine. We regularly update our blog, too, so check back often to see which schools weโ€™ve covered. 

  • St. Georgeโ€™s University School of Medicine
  • Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • George Washington University School of Medicine
  • Sidney Kimmel Medical College
  • Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in PA
  • Western University of Health Sciences in CA
  • Wake Forest University School of Medicine
  • Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago
  • Drexel University College of Medicine
  • Georgetown University School of Medicine
  • Yale School of Medicine
  • Perelman School of Medicine
  • UCLA Medical School
  • NYU Medical School
  • Washington University School of Medicine
  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
  • Brown Medical School

DOCTOR OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE (DO DEGREE) 
PCOM GEORGIA

Since 2005, PCOM Georgia has trained Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) students from Georgia and the surrounding states. PCOM currently operates the only osteopathic medical schools in Georgia.

The Suwanee campus is located just 27 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia. It features a state-of-the-art learning environment with instruction delivered by expert and accomplished faculty.

Our goal is to prepare students for excellence in the practice of osteopathic medicine. As a PCOM Georgia student, you will learn to gain insight into your patient’s healthcare needs by looking beyond the person and discovering the social and economic factors that impact him or her. We encourage our students to adopt a “Doctor from Day One” mindset as they work to meet their professional and educational goals. VIEW APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Osteopathic Medical Program Learning Objectives

During the four-year osteopathic medical school program, students will develop knowledge and skills in: Osteopathic principles and practice. Compassionate, appropriate and effective patient care. Established and evolving biomedical, clinical and cognate sciences.

  1. Osteopathic Principles and Practice: The student will understand and apply osteopathic principles to patient care.
  2. Patient Care: The student will have the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to provide compassionate, appropriate and effective patient care.
  3. Medical Knowledge: The student will demonstrate knowledge of established biomedical, epidemiological, social, and behavioral sciences and their application to patient care.
  4. Practiceยญ-Based Learning and Improvement: The student will demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate patient care practices using scientific evidence and apply these to patient care.
  5. Interpersonal and Communication Skills: The student will demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in respectful and effective interactions with patients, families, and colleagues.
  6. Professionalism: The student will demonstrate a commitment to conducting themselves in an ethical and sensitive manner.
  7.  Systems-ยญBased Practice: The student will demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and systems of health care, to provide care of optimal value.

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Program Data

Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid

What Is Cost of Attendance (COA)?

Cost of attendance (COA) is a college’s total estimated expenses for one year including tuition, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and miscellaneous expenses. A school’s cost of attendance is used to determine each student’s eligibility for financial aid such as grants and loans.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Cost of attendance (COA) is the average annual cost to attend a particular college or university.
  • It includes tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses.
  • Cost of attendance is used to calculate how much financial aid a student is eligible for, based on the Expected Family Contribution from their FAFSA.
  • Very few students pay the full cost of attendance because most receive some type of financial aid.

Understanding Cost of Attendance

Federal law defines the expenses that colleges must include in calculating cost of attendance. Most colleges publish those costs on their websites and elsewhere. That makes it relatively easy for students and parents to compare schools side by side.

Bear in mind that cost of attendance represents the “sticker price” of the college, and many students ultimately pay less.

Many schools calculate and publish more than one cost of attendance, based on the circumstances of their students. For undergraduate students, there may be different COAs for those who live on campus or off campus, or commute from home. State colleges and universities list different COAs for in-state and out-of-state students. Graduate and professional students may have different COAs.

Some colleges also break their COAs down into billable, or direct, charges (such as tuition and room and board) and indirect expenses that a student would pay for separately (such as transportation or meals off campus).

Do Medical Schools Accept AP Credit in 2021? Best Answers

What’s the difference between cost of attendance and tuition?

While tuition is what one pays for classroom instructions, COA also includes room and board, books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and miscellaneous expenses. A school’s cost of attendance is used to determine each student’s eligibility for financial aid such as grants and loans.

Why is COA important to know?

A school’s cost of attendance is used to determine each student’s eligibility for financial aid such as grants and loans. It represents the “sticker price” of the college, and many students ultimately pay less. Cost of attendance is a critical number for students and parents who use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Is COA a confusing number to determine?

It can be, because many schools publish more than one cost of attendance. For undergraduate students, there may be different COAs for those who live on campus or off campus, or commute from home. State colleges and universities list different COAs for in-state and out-of-state students. Graduate and professional students may have different COAs. Some colleges also break their COAs down into billable, or direct, charges (such as tuition and room and board) and indirect expenses that a student would pay for separately (such as transportation or meals off campus).

The Bottom Line

A college’s official cost of attendance can be useful in comparing schools and formulating a budget. But don’t let the big numbers scare you. Most students pay less than the full cost of attendance, once financial aid is figured into the equation. In fact, the 2020 NACUBO Tuition Discounting Study, conducted by the National Association of College and University Business Officers, reported that most students received grant aid in 2020-2021 and were awarded larger grants than in previous yearsโ€”covering an average of 60.3% of listed tuition and fees for first-time undergraduates and 54.3% for all undergraduates. Nearly 90% of first-year students and approximately 83% of all undergraduates received some form of institutional grant aid.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Graduate School Search |  U.S. and Canada | GraduateGuide.com

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