What actually goes into "cost of attendance"
Cost of attendance for a Caribbean MD program has five main components:
- Tuition and academic fees - the largest bucket, typically $150,000–$260,000 across the program.
- Living costs on-island - usually $900–$1,800 per month for 2 years, so $22,000–$45,000 total.
- Living costs during US clinical rotations - highly variable; rent in New York City or Los Angeles is much higher than in smaller teaching-hospital cities.
- Exam fees - USMLE Step 1 (~$1,000), Step 2 CK (~$1,100), ECFMG certification, ERAS, NRMP. Retakes add cost.
- Travel - flights between the island and home, plus travel for audition rotations and residency interviews.
Our per-school profiles publish tuition ranges verified against the school's own fee schedule, plus estimated total tuition and monthly living cost bands where the school publishes them.
Federal loans (US Direct Loans / Title IV)
Only a small number of Caribbean medical schools have been approved by the US Department of Education to participate in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. In practice, the schools most commonly cited as Title IV participants are:
- St. George's University (SGU) - Grenada
- Ross University School of Medicine - Barbados
- American University of the Caribbean (AUC) - Sint Maarten
- Saba University School of Medicine - Saba
Federal loans require FAFSA and the school's certification. Unsubsidized Direct Loans and Grad PLUS Loans are the main products used. Interest accrues from disbursement, and rates are set annually by Congress.
Because participation can change, always confirm Title IV status directly with the school's financial aid office before enrolling.
Private student loans (Sallie Mae and others)
Most Caribbean medical schools work with Sallie Mae, which offers a Medical School Loan product designated for foreign medical schools on Sallie Mae's approved list. Practically:
- A US citizen or permanent resident cosigner with strong credit is normally required.
- You can defer principal payments during school and often for a short residency period.
- Rates are variable and typically higher than federal loan rates.
- Some schools have negotiated no-cosigner options for later-year students in good academic standing.
Canadian students typically use Canadian bank lines of credit or Scotiabank / RBC professional student lines of credit for medical school abroad, backed by a parent or spouse cosigner.
Scholarships
Scholarship structures vary but the common categories are:
- Entrance / merit scholarships - awarded on GPA, MCAT (where applicable), and interview. Ranges from $5,000 to $25,000 per year at most schools, more at a few.
- MCAT-based scholarships - some schools set explicit MCAT-based scholarship bands.
- Regional scholarships - US, Canadian, UK, and Middle East pathway scholarships offered by larger schools.
- Continuation scholarships - merit awards renewed each semester based on GPA and pass rates in basic sciences.
Scholarship terms change frequently. Always confirm the current published terms on the school's financial aid page before including scholarships in your budget.
Total cost worked example
A realistic mid-range four-year budget for a US student at a mid-sized Caribbean MD program:
- Tuition (4 years, 10 semesters): ~$180,000
- Living on-island (2 years, $1,300/mo): ~$31,000
- Living during US rotations (2 years, $1,800/mo): ~$43,000
- USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK + ECFMG + ERAS + NRMP: ~$5,000
- Travel and moving costs: ~$8,000
Total: about $267,000. This is before interest accrual on any student loans, which for a 6-year loan life (school + first residency years) can add tens of thousands.
Use our cost-of-attendance calculator to build a school-specific estimate.