Spartan is now approved for Stafford loans

[currentstudent]

As of Five minutes ago, Spartan Health Sciences University School of Medicine was approved for Stafford Loans. Also this means that the University is now approved by the United Stated Dept. of Education. This is great news for spartan! And for all those people who said Spartan will never be approved.......in ur face!

[louloo]

Hey,

Wow that would be great if Spartan had these loan programs. Is there anyone esle that could verify this, or would you mind telling me how you found out the information? I am really not trying to be rude, just want to make sure that you heard it from a reliable source and it was not just a rumor going around.

Thanks :lol:

[Kirst]

Stafford loans... Sorry, would you please enlighten me on it? I'm not sure if it's a good news for Canadian prospects as well.

[louloo]

Hi,

Its not really directly good for Canadians, I too am Canadian and realize these loans are just for Americans. But, from the research that I have done it seems that the only schools that have been approved for these loans are often thought of as the top three SGU, Ross, and AUC. Now Spartan does, so I was just thinking along the lines that it now might be easier for Spartan grads when they finish. Does this make sense? Or does anyone know what the steps are too get this, and why is it that some schools get them and others don't? I just assumed it was based on quality, but I might be wrong.

Laura :)

[ahsan]

Hi,
It is great that spartan is been approved for the stafford loans.
But where did you find this info from.I checked the spartan website it is not there.
did you get this info from the dept of education website or what.please verify.
thanks,
ahsan

[spartangrad01]

Hey that is awesome! I remember when I started there in august of 1997, the stafford loans got pulled about a week before the fall semester began. so i am pretty happy that they got their loans back. and for everyone who hears crap about spartan, all of my buddies from spartan are residents now. just get past step one and step two, and it will all work out.

[Dr2B]

Yes.

The dean confirmed that Spartan has been approved for Stafford Loans. You can call up and find out for a definite confirmation. It was announced last Friday. :o

The website has not been updated though.

[ash1251]

That's wonderful news. Spartan with new infrastructure and American loans is starting to get its act together. And let's not forget that Spartan has Drs. in 45 different states.

[atraktm]

Hi
If the stafford loans is back that is good news,As I stated in my previous messages that the older 3 carribean schools had the Stafford/California advantage,if stafford is back then California approval is the only difference however one should ask him/herself is it worth that huge difference in the tuition to go to the big three?and As I said based on personal experiences that the competitivness and high cost of living of that state made it unattractive to me in addition that I want to practice in States that welcome IMG's.
I believe that Spartan now will be a very good choice for many applicants considering the "big picture"of low tuition,stafford loans,small classes,and old established school with hundreds of US board certified physicians.

Senior Alumni

[zebramaster]

As of Five minutes ago, Spartan Health Sciences University School of Medicine was approved for Stafford Loans. Also this means that the University is now approved by the United Stated Dept. of Education. This is great news for spartan! And for all those people who said Spartan will never be approved.......in ur face!

The date of this post is June 6th, check this report issued by the USDOE for the past three weeks reporting all newly approved schools. I don't see spartan on any of them, why is that? The most recent one is all the way up to June 16th.

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/PEPS/downloadfiles/statusreports/weeklystats.html

scroll to the bottom.

[emerson24]

I scrolled down and went thru all of the headings that could possible pertain, from one week, two weeks, and those approved or reinstated 3 weeks ago. I didn't find spartans name yet either. It is a bit concerning, but it won't take wind out of my sails. I called the school and they said they were "approved" but it needs to be processed etc. So according to the school it won't be till January. If memory serves me correct, I thought I also heard November. Regardless, its not going to be any time in the next coming months. Someone emailed the disperser of the Loan, when I find out what they found out, I will post again. Obviously the best thing to do with anything is call the source, AKA the horses mouth ;-)

[Kirst]

I emailed WHO, ECFMG, Stafford, Teri, and Government of St. Lucia for status of Spartan. I'll post the replies as soon as I receive them.

[dt]

I emailed WHO, ECFMG, Stafford, Teri, and Government of St. Lucia for status of Spartan. I'll post the replies as soon as I receive them.


Kirst, do you have any decent replies worth posting? dt.

[Kirst]

I haven't been posting in awhile, was occupied digging!

Well I posted a thread that may be of some use to you:
http://www.valuemd.com/viewtopic.php?p=16851#16851

Hope it helps,
Kirsten

[rxmaan]

I just called the US office in reference to the Stafford loans...
and a lady there told my they are still in the process of doing a lot
of 'paper work' .... she said the loan probably would not be
available for this trimester and possibly even the next!
I am a little confused as to how long does it take after the approval ... or if there was an approval?
I hope the school is not misleading us because I am relying on
the Stafford loan probably my 3rd and 4th year.
anyone with info ... reply
thanks :?

[rxmaan]

I just called the US office in reference to the Stafford loans...
and a lady there told my they are still in the process of doing a lot
of 'paper work' .... she said the loan probably would not be
available for this trimester and possibly even the next!
I am a little confused as to how long does it take after the approval ... or if there was an approval?
I hope the school is not misleading us because I am relying on
the Stafford loan probably my 3rd and 4th year.
anyone with info ... reply
thanks :?

[emerson24]

Hey,

Yah, I understand your concern. I guess the good thing is this, you called for yourself to find out and the rumors about them never getting them is just that, a rumor. It appears that they DID get approved and it is just being processed, as both Shelia and Dr. ******h had told me.

I called the Department for myself. Hey, after reading the things you do, you have to. This is an important issue. I guess we now have more than one source of conformation and we should (prospective students) not call anymore because as shelia pointed out, it may irritate them! I guess we wait and there's not a whole lot more to do. The staff has been upfront and honest with me the whole time and until they are not, I have no reason to belive otherwise.

It seems as though it should definately be ready by the time your concerns come around, 3rd and 4th year. If it's in the process, then it sounds good to go. I believe the approval is done, its just the process now were waiting on.

Cheers!

[currentstudent]

I just wish you all would have believed me when I told you.....remember that I do CURRENTLY attend Spartan so I DO know what is going on! :roll:

[emerson24]

Hey Future,

No, we believe you, or I do anyhow. I was just merely pointing out that I had called myself weeks ago while doing my homework on other schools as well. I think that the other rumors about the Stafford were just that, rumors - that we would never see them.

I spoke with the school myself, and they clarified and put to rest any rumors or other. I was frank with them, and they I believe were honest with me. Until they are not honest, I have no reason not to trust them.

So, I don't think it's a matter on not believing, its just will the department get it done on time, and keep to THEIR word ?

Hope all is going well with you !

[rxmaan]

I do believe you guys when you state the loans have been approved.... I havent received the same assurance as you have from the front office....but I understand they are probably getting sick and tired of the same questions being asked...so I am the one they decide to brush off. its ok though...i'll just be patient and believe...after all I am relying on it. 8)

[mindprobe]

I called the US Department of Education today and was told that Spartan has NOT been approved for the Stafford FFLE Loan as has been stated here in this forum. :x I spoke to two people in the office who told me the same information. They were both definitive about this. I thought I had called the wrong office, so I asked the gentleman to list the schools that WERE approved, and he said: Ross, Saba, St. George's, and AUC along with other schools in the Caribbean that I have not heard of. So I DID call the right office.

Further, I was told that they have not even APPLIED recently, and that they did apply in the past but were denied. I did not get specifics on what "recently" and "in the past" meant.

This contradicts what is being proclaimed as an "approval" for Spartan. Can anyone explain?

Thanks.

[Doc]

I called the US Department of Education today......

.....so I asked the gentleman to list the schools that WERE approved, and he said: Ross, Saba, St. George's, and AUC along with other schools in the Caribbean that I have not heard of. So I DID call the right office.



mindprobe:

I'm not sure who you spoke to or whether Spartan will or will not be re-approved for Federal Stafford Loans in the near future (all the posts that I've read on here state that Spartan 'will be available again next year', which means not yet officially approved, but in the process). But I can tell you this with some degree of certainty (someone please correct me if I'm wrong)....SABA is NOT approved for Federal Stafford Loans. So either your source is not very reliable, or maybe you misunderstood. I guess everyone will just need to follow the school's advice and just wait and see :roll: . Best of luck....

[dt]

Sigh! I realize I dont know enough and should not comment.

[mindprobe]

For information on which foreign medical schools are eligible to participate in the FFEL Program, contact the Foreign Schools Team at the U.S. Department of Education. The Team's phone number is (202) 377-3168 and fax number is (202) 275-3486.

I called the number above that I got from the website. I spoke directly to two people in that office. Actually, to be fair, the gentleman only listed the ISLANDS and not the schools. I assumed that when he mentioned "St. Kitts" and "Nevis" that he meant Saba; maybe that is my mistake. :roll:

[emerson24]

Well, I called the office myself, they told me that they were approved. There reason for them not being listed is that they are in the actuall process of getting approved. I guess they were granted approval which is different than the ACTUAL approval. Supposedly they need to pick the bank still and set up the "legalities" with them etc.

So, when I myself called the dept (as I did when checking on other schools as well), the guy said no, not approved. However, if he is just a phone operator, he probably isn't going to know about them "being in theh process", he is just going to have a list of who's approved and who isn't. He was looking in the computer system, i could tell because he was typing in their school name and code. So of course they would say no, unless you talked to a person "high up" who would KNOW otherwise. And that I didn't.

So giving them the benefit of the doubt, it is very possible they aren't lying. Being devils advocate, the posting of them telling people it's in the process for years is true then. Who knows...have to wait and see.


To add to the next post, I would agree, who knows what's going on, but obviously continuing to call isn't going to yield any different results. The only thing I can say is they have been nice to me and seemingly honest. We'll be there in January, so we'll let you know if I'm getting the stafford :lol:

[Kirst]

Until Spartan is formally listed as an approved institution by US Department of Education, Spartan is unapproved whether or not it's in the "process". There you have it, current and new students starting this fall trimester won't get this Stafford loan.

That's all we need to know, it's pointless to waste time thinking about who's lying, what could be the case, or just when this supposed "process" will be complete. My 2cents.

[Dr2B]

As far as I know this is the true story about the Stafford Loans. Spartan has been APPROVED to participate in the Stafford Loan Program. They have had site visits in St. Lucia and in their clinical spots and the people who have done the site visits had gone up to Washington D.C.

Now that Spartan is APPROVED to participate in Stafford LP, it is in the process of a lot of "paper work" as in working with BANKS for loan disbursement and setting everything in place between Spartan, banks, and SLP. This is supposed to take a few more months and that is why the school has not officially stated on the website that it has Stafford Loans.

Dr. ******* himself said they EXPECT to have the loans ready for January but they will not announce it until everything is settled and it is ready to be used. If I was him I wouldnt announce it either because I'm sure people would go nuts and say YOU PROMISED :evil: :evil: :evil: if something delayed it.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I guess we will all have to be patient and wait until the loans are available.

As far as Saba or St. Kitts or Nevis I do not know. Maybe they applied for approval as well but that's really not a concern of mine other than the more IMG schools and IMG doctors are recognized in the U.S. the better for us all. :)

I should specify "APPROVED to PARTICIPATE" :wink:

[DermGirlMD]

Hello,
I would like to clarify and agree with Doc that Saba is not approved for Stafford loans. (**before another rumor begins) :lol:
I had called Spartan in St. Lucia and asked whether they will be approved for Stafford loans in the near future, they have told me "YES" in January 2004. So, I guess we just wait ansd see.

[emerson24]

I called about applying for a student line of credit today through my bank. After being referred to a different couple of numbers and people, I was told that they had to connect me to the stafford department. I said "STAFFORD? :? " She said, yes, that's the type of loan you are asking about. I said, well I thought they weren't approved. She said no, they are approved. I confirmed it was SPARTAN, she said, yeah, I know.

So, take it for whatever you want. I was suprised and still am. I really don't understand, this wasn't supposed to happen until December. Although I am 100% sure I didn't hear imaginary voices, I still question whether I did :lol:

[dt]

emerson24,

I dont understand your post. Are you saying that Spartan is approved for Stafford loan at your bank?

"She said no" -- does that mean "no, you are wrong; Spartan is approved"?


dt

[emerson24]

emerson24,

I dont understand your post. Are you saying that Spartan is approved for Stafford loan at your bank? "She said no" -- does that mean "no, you are wrong; Spartan is approved"?
dt

Hey DT!

Yeah....I knew I should have gotten the number before I wrote that to be more specific :lol: I went back and corrected the "she said no, they are approved. I called Washington Mutual first. They gave me two numbers, was was to a Suntrust and another number to ?. I called both number and to be honest, I can't recall which one it was that eventually put me through to the stafford people. I will call tomorrow and redo what I did so I can be certain.

I will post on this topic tomorrow, hopefully by noon. But yes, apparently the stafford went through, I confirmed I was going to spartan. I still don't believe it myself. :?

[anotherstudent]

As of Five minutes ago, Spartan Health Sciences University School of Medicine was approved for Stafford Loans. Also this means that the University is now approved by the United Stated Dept. of Education. This is great news for spartan! And for all those people who said Spartan will never be approved.......in ur face!

well currentstudent....it is now Feb 2004, not a loan in site, not a promissary note on the horizon, not a bank in town with ready to sign papers. whoose face....what's that?...who...who? that's what i thought.



there's a sucker born everyday

[emerson24]

This topic of debate is STILL going on ? LOL, I was just reading the "spartan IS approved for loans" bit back in JULY of 2003.....by the same person who says in your face. Quite frankly chief, i don't think you have a clue as to what your talking about.