Constitution Day

September 17th is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Constitution Day). This day commemorates the September 17, 1787 signing of the United States Constitution.

Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government. Its first three words — “We the People” — affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. For over two centuries, the Constitution has remained in force because its framers wisely separated and balanced governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality, and of the federal and state governments. Since 1789, the Constitution has evolved through amendments to meet the changing needs of a nation now profoundly different from the eighteenth-century world in which its creators lived.

To encourage all Americans to learn more about the Constitution, Congress established in 1956, Constitution Week, to begin each year on September 17th, the date in 1787 when delegates to the Convention signed the Constitution.

The Constitution

Invest in Knowledge

Alternative (Private) Loans

Alternative (private) loans are borrowed funds that must be repaid.

Alternative loans are private, credit-based loans, and each lender has its own credit criteria. These funds are not in addition to borrowing federal student loans. Awarded funding can’t exceed the student’s cost of attendance. 

Meharry Medical College provides FastChoice as a service, to assist students with private lender and loan options. We aren’t responsible for the information presented on the lender websites. Meharry Medical College does not receive an incentive from any lender in exchange for displaying lender and loan options.

You are not limited to the lender choices on FastChoice. If a lender is not listed, contact them directly for detailed information. You must reapply each year when you need funding for an academic year. Check your free credit report at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.

Meharry Medical College or the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Management cannot guarantee the approval of these funds.

Title VII – Health Professional Loans

At Meharry, low-interest health professions loans may be offered to qualifying students with exceptional financial needs. To be eligible, you must complete your FAFSA and enroll full-time in the School of Medicine or School of Dentistry.  The Health Professions Loans we offer are:

Health Professions Student Loan Loans (HPSL) https://bhw.hrsa.gov/funding/schools-apply-loan-program
Loans for Disadvantaged Students (LDS) https://bhw.hrsa.gov/funding/schools-apply-loan-program
You will need to complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN): Required each year when you accept a Health Professions loan.
- Go to heartland.com. 
- Enter your SSN, Last Name, First Name, and Date of Birth.
- Once you have been authenticated, electronically sign your MPN.  
You will need to complete Entrance Counseling (EC) Rights and Responsibilities: Required each year when you accept a Health Professions loan.
- Go to heartland.com 
- Enter your SSN, Last Name, First Name, and Date of Birth
- Complete the 10-Question Quiz
- Complete the Reference Sheet
- Once you have been authenticated, electronically sign your EC.

A Health Professions loan is a campus-based loan and is administered through Meharry Medical College. Funding is determined each year during the application process and based on availability. There are no origination fees; the interest rate is a fixed 5% and does not accrue while in school. You will have 9-months after leaving Meharry or dropping below half-time to begin repayments. Payments are submitted to Meharry’s Student Financial Services department, not to the federal government.