Medical student financial assistance, 1996-1997

Loans account for the major portion of financial aid available to medical students. In the academic year 1996-1997, 80.1% of all available financial aid came from loans, and medical students borrowed more than $1.11 billion. Of the 1997 medical school graduating class, 83.2% had educational debt, 46% of whom had mean educational debt levels higher than $75000.