Thread: Financial Aid and Loans

It may not be possible to get loans from Romanian banks, especially unsecured loans such as for education. Both Banca Transilvania and Credit Europe in the past had been willing to discuss credit (in general) with me, but I don't know about education loans. Raiffeisen had told me they do not offer loans to foreigners. I think you will find that student loans are different from America- they are all private loans and the government is not involved, to my knowledge. There is no "FAFSA".

I think you could probably get an unsecured loan from a bank or credit union in the US, if you live there currently. Do you wish to stay in Romania? I've heard the salaries are low unless you get a job in one of the private clinics... so paying the loan back may be difficult. I am waiting until 2010 so that I won't have to take out any loans.. hopefully

No, I'm not planning on staying in Romania following medical studies. I am merely investigating what it might be like to go there, study medicine, take all the tests to come back to the U.S. and get a residency here. The one sticking point is how to pay for it.

The Romanian schools are not approved by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in Title IV aid programs, such as Stafford Loans. None of the banks are lending any money right now; at least not to poor saps like me. And no one from any of the Romanian schools will answer email. So, it's hard to say where all my effort is going, if anywhere.

I can always go to Poland or Hungary (and I've traveled to them, as well as Romania, and really enjoyed myself). But they cost a whole bunch more than Romania.

I'm just checking into options...

Thanx for your reply!

Michael