# Student loan question - degree-seeking status

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loan-question-degree-seeking-status/450203>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 22, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loan-question-degree-seeking-status/450203 "2008-05-22T03:10:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loan-question-degree-seeking-status/450203/1 "2008-05-22T03:10:38Z")

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I’m planning on trying to go back to school this fall to retake/take some classes to help my chances of getting to pharmacy school after having graduated this month. Financial aid says that I can’t get any kind of financial aid, including Stafford loans, unless I’m seeking a degree.

Now I know how college students can be total douchebags here, and I don’t really want to be one, but what would happen if I told them I was seeking a degree, and then a year later when I’m done with the few classes I want to take, just leave school? Am I responsible on-the-spot for those student loan funds?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loan-question-degree-seeking-status/450203/2 "2008-05-22T05:39:46Z")

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Only anecdotal, but my sister’s roommate had problems with this. The “working towards a degree” aside, she was told they will flat refuse to pay for classes you’ve already taken once. So you may be out of luck here. Hopefully someone else can give a more definitive answer.

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**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loan-question-degree-seeking-status/450203/3 "2008-05-22T12:51:21Z")

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If you take the classes as a “post-baccalaureate program” instead of just taking them one by one, you might have better luck with financial aid. I’d try that before declaring a degree-seeking status and then dropping out – of all the people in the world I’d want to piss off, student loan collectors are near the very bottom of the list.