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If you’re thinking about how to become a veterinarian, you probably have a compassion for animals and a calling to help animals through medical training. You know that you’ll need to attend veterinary school but are likely wondering how long is vet school? You might even be wondering how much vet school will cost and how you will pay for it.

The cost for a four-year veterinary school for in-state residents is over $200,000 while out-of-state students may pay more than $275,000, depending on the school, according to the VIN Foundation Student Debt center .

While that’s a lot of money, earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine (DVM) can lead to a salary that averages almost $100,000 a year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . A vet’s salary depends on what kind of practice they go into and where they are located.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Veterinarian?

The path to becoming a vet can vary, and the length of time it takes to become a vet can vary too. In general, most vet schools are four-year programs for a DVM but some have accelerated programs and semesters and get the work done in three years.

Those pursuing a veterinary career path might also want to factor in the duration of time it takes to complete the prerequisites. In general, that will require students to have a bachelor’s degree, which also takes around four years to complete.

Here are six steps on the road to becoming a veterinarian:

6 Steps to Become a Veterinarian

When deciding on a veterinary school, consider the location, costs, and the types of programs offered if you’re pursuing a specialty veterinary degree.

Step 1: Check Off The Prerequisites

The Veterinary Medical College Application service resource will show you the list of prerequisite college courses that are generally required for students applying for veterinary school. Required courses for most veterinary schools include biology, chemistry, animal sciences, and advanced math.

Students interested in pursuing vet school who are currently enrolled in undergrad may want to review their current course of study to be sure they are on track for vet school prerequisites.

Another tip is to volunteer or do part-time work with an animal hospital, local business, or charitable organization that helps animals. See if your college has a pre-vet extracurricular club that could broaden your experience and help you learn more about the field.

Getting a lot of hands-on animal experience can help build your resume and help you make sure that you’re pursuing a career path that appeals to you.

To file your vet school application, you’ll most likely be required to submit your undergraduate transcripts and provide a reference from a college professor or professional in the animal sciences.

Step 2: Determine How to Pay for School

Before you decide on which veterinary school you want to attend, consider evaluating what savings you have to put toward vet school and estimate what you may need to borrow in student loans or fund with grants and scholarships.

It’s important to think about veterinary school costs as you begin researching schools so you have a good idea of what your veterinary school debts may look like.

According to 2020 data from the American Veterinary Medical Association , the average educational debt for US veterinary college graduates was $157,146. Some good news from that survey was that 94% of graduates secured full-time employment or had accepted a position in advanced education by two weeks before graduation.

Working a part-time job while attending school might help offset some of the vet school costs or the amount you have to take out in loans in order to cover living expenses, but it might be challenging to balance work and school, especially as your schoolwork increases.

Recommended: How to Pay Off Veterinary School Loans

Step 3: Research Veterinary Schools

Once you have an idea of how much money you have to pay for vet school, research the veterinary schools in the country as part of the journey on how to become a veterinarian. As you read above, it may be more affordable to attend a vet school in your state.

Also, check that the vet school(s) you are applying to are suited to the type of vet medicine you want to practice. For example, if you’d like to pursue a career working with horses, research schools that offer equine programs.

If you plan to pursue a general DVM degree, find an accredited veterinary program that fits the criteria most important to you, such as your budget or where you want to live.

Step 4: Apply to Veterinary Schools

Check out the schools’ admissions website to determine the specific application requirements. Most vet schools require students to submit scores for either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Some schools may also require applicants to take the Biology GRE.

You also might need a letter of recommendation or two. Some applications may also require a personal essay. Once your application is received, there may also be an in-person interview.

Not only is the vet school application process involved and long, but it can get expensive too. Vet schools often charge a non-refundable application fee; many schools follow the fee structure set by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, which sets the first application fee at $220, and then each additional application fee is $120.

Step 5: Attend Veterinary School

A three- to four-year vet med school degree often involves a few semesters of coursework, followed by clinical training and intense clinical training to gain hands-on training at one of the college’s affiliates.

Students can apply for scholarships and grants to help alleviate some of the costs of a veterinary degree. Managing your budget and minimizing extraneous expenses may also help you limit the amount of student debt you end up borrowing.

In order to practice veterinary medicine, students will also need to study for and pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). Generally, vet students take the exam during their senior year.

Step 6: Begin The Job Search

The experiences you had during clinical rotations can help you determine which area of veterinary medicine you want to go in. Options include private veterinary practice, vet hospital, research, education, diagnostics, or even public health with a DVM degree.

In general, it can help to start looking for a job in veterinary medicine before graduating from vet school. After passing the NAVLE and graduating from school, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running if you have a job in place.

Having a job secured before you graduate may also provide peace of mind as you start thinking about student loan repayment.

The Takeaway

A career in veterinary medicine can be a rewarding one. You’re helping sick or injured animals heal, providing preventative care, and getting to interact with animals all day long. When it comes to discovering how to become a veterinarian, the process takes planning, dedication, and hard work.

Applying to vet school can be arduous and once you’re accepted into veterinary school, it’ll take years of schooling—and money—in order to pursue your dream of helping animals.

As rewarding as it is, becoming a vet can be an expensive journey and many future-vets lean on student loans to help them pay for their education.

After graduating, refinancing student loans may be an option that can lower the loan’s interest rate, and potentially reduce the cost of borrowing in the long term.

Refinancing federal student loans eliminates them from borrower protections, so it doesn’t always make sense.

Those interested in refinancing student loans with SoFi can apply online. Find out what SoFi’s lowest rates are today!

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Student Loan Refinancing
If you are a federal student loan borrower you should take time now to prepare for your payments to restart, including the opportunity to refinance your student loan debt at a lower APR or to extend your term to achieve a lower monthly payment. (You may pay more interest over the life of the loan if you refinance with an extended term.) Please note that once you refinance federal student loans, you will no longer be eligible for current or future flexible payment options available to federal loan borrowers, including but not limited to income-based repayment plans, such as the SAVE Plan, or extended repayment plans.

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Living in tiny houses is a growing trend across the country for people looking for affordable alternatives to traditional housing and ways to reduce their environmental impact. Financing for tiny homes may be different than securing a traditional mortgage, which may be limited to bigger spaces. As a result, other types of loans might need to be considered as financing for tiny homes. Here’s a guide to tiny houses and how to get them financed.

What Is A Tiny House?

A tiny house is often defined as a home that is between 100 and 400 square feet. In contrast, the median size of a single-family American home completed and sold in 2019 was around 2,300 square feet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau . That’s nearly six times bigger than the biggest tiny home.

Owners live in their tiny homes themselves, rent them out, use them as a small vacation home or even build them as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on the same lot as their primary residence. Tiny homes may be on wheels or they may sit on a fixed foundation.

Prefab homes can be delivered complete to the site, or there are kits that require some assembly. Those who would rather build their own house can hire an architect or draw up plans to their own specifications. Local zoning rules will determine whether or not a person can build or move into a tiny home. And building codes will determine things like ceiling height.

Tiny houses may not have good resale appeal since they are such a specific type of home and are often highly customized. Before buying a tiny house as an investment property, it might be wise to consult a real estate investment professional.

Recommended: Is Buying a House a Good Investment?

Tiny House Pricing

In 2019, the average sales price for a single-family home was about $380,000. Tiny homes cost quite a bit less, anywhere from about $30,000 to $100,000. That price can vary up and down depending on the size of the home, materials used, and amenities. The price of the building is not the only thing to consider.

Buyers of tiny homes must factor in the price of buying or leasing land on which to place the home if they don’t already own it, as well as the cost of hooking it up to utilities.

If the tiny home is on a foundation, there may be state and local property taxes to pay. If the tiny house is on wheels, though, there likely won’t be property tax assessed.

Financing the Land

If property needs to be purchased to have a place to put a tiny home, an option for financing is a land loan. There are three types of land loans: raw land loans, unimproved land loans, and improved loans.

•   Raw land loans are for land that’s completely undeveloped with no electricity, roads, or sewer access.
•   Unimproved land loans are for properties that have more access to amenities like utilities, but lack utility meters.
•   Improved land loans are for land with access to roads, water, and electricity.

The size of the down payment and the interest rate of the loan will depend on what type of loan is needed. For example, lenders may consider raw land to be a riskier option than improved land and require a bigger down payment and higher interest rates.

Mortgages for Tiny Homes

Qualifying for a home loan for a tiny home may be tricky. Some lenders may not be willing to offer first or second mortgages for tiny home financing. However, if a tiny home has a foundation and complies with local building codes, it may qualify for certain mortgages.

Tiny homes may also qualify for what is known as a “chattel mortgage,” a mortgage for moveable personal property. The tiny home acts as security for the loan, and the lender effectively becomes the owner of the tiny home until the loan is paid off and ownership is transferred back to the borrower.

This differs from traditional mortgages that are secured by a lien on the property. Because the size of the loans are typically small, chattel mortgages may have relatively short terms, though interest rates may be relatively high.

Personal Loans

A personal loan can allow individuals access to money that they can use for any personal, family, or household purpose, from paying off credit cards to an effective tiny house loan. Depending on the lender, loan amounts can range from $1,000 to $100,000. When the applicant is approved for a personal loan, they’ll receive the loan amount in a lump sum and pay it back in installments with interest.

Personal loans may be secured or unsecured. Unsecured loans are not backed with any collateral, and the interest rates can range from 5% to 36%, depending largely on the borrower’s credit score.

Secured loans are backed by collateral, such as personal savings, a car, or another home owned by the same borrower. They typically come with a lower interest rate than their unsecured counterparts, but if a personal loan is defaulted on, the borrower’s assets can be seized by the lender to repay the debt.

Home Equity Loans

The equity someone may have built up in a home they already own can be tapped to finance a tiny home for use as a vacation home, rental property, or ADU. A home equity loan is a fixed amount of money secured by a borrower’s home.

Usually, up to 85% of the equity accumulated in a home can be borrowed, though actual loan amounts will also depend on the applicant’s income and credit history. The home equity loan is repaid with monthly payments over a fixed term. And if the borrower fails to repay, the lender can foreclose on the house.

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) may be another option to finance a tiny home. HELOCs differ from home equity loans in that the borrower doesn’t receive a single lump-sum payment from the lender.

Rather, a HELOC gives the borrower access to a line of credit that can be drawn down, paid back, and drawn down again, if need be, within a certain time period. The HELOC is secured by the borrower’s home, so as with a home equity loan if the debt is not paid, the lender can use the home as collateral.

Loans From Tiny House Builders

A tiny house builder may be able to help secure financing through unsecured loans based on an applicant’s credit score, or secured loans backed by the value of the tiny home. These tiny-house loans may have longer terms and lower starting interest rates than personal loans, but they may require a downpayment.

RV Loans

If the tiny house has wheels and is certified as an RV by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, an RV loan may be another option for financing. Online lenders, banks, and credit unions may all offer RV loans. In many cases, the tiny house will serve as collateral for the loan, the same way a car would serve as collateral in an automobile loan.

Recommended: Guide to Buying, Selling, and Updating Your Home

The Takeaway

If you’re in the market for a tiny house, you may need to think beyond traditional mortgages. Personal loans, unlocking the equity in an existing home, and other forms of financing can set you on your way to owning the tiny house of your dreams.

To explore how personal loans can help you accomplish your real estate and other financial goals, learn more about SoFi personal loans, with competitive interest rates and no fees required.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Checking Your Rates: To check the rates and terms you may qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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According to the Synthetix white paper, Synthetix is a decentralized synthetic asset issuance protocol built on Ethereum. What this means is that the Synthetix network allows people to create synthetic assets, or “synths”.

Synthetic assets are the decentralized finance (DeFi) equivalent of derivatives in traditional finance. Synths take the form of ERC-20 smart contracts that track the returns of a real asset without requiring investors to own that asset. In effect, it can be said that an investor can gain “synthetic” exposure to regular assets in this fashion.

How Do Synths Work?

A synth is a virtual representation of another asset in the form of an ERC-20 smart contract. The smart contract serves to tie the price of the synth to the asset.

Synths can be traded on Kwenta, Synthetix’s decentralized exchange (DEX), and can represent cryptocurrencies, indexes, gold, and more.

Synths utilize decentralized “oracles”, which are price discovery protocols based on smart contracts. These oracles automatically track the price of the asset that a synth represents, allowing investors to hold a synth as if it were actually the underlying asset.

In this way, synths can give crypto investors exposure to assets they wouldn’t normally be able to access through the cryptocurrency ecosystem, such as gold and silver.

Synths are issued on Ethereum, which means users can deposit them on other decentralized finance platforms and earn interest. Some participants in this newly emerging financial system believe that synthetic assets and derivatives are important for the space to mature and become legitimized, as synths and derivatives can help hedge against volatility and facilitate price discovery.

Recommended: What is Ethereum and How Does it Work?

Synths vs Tokenized Commodities

Synths differ from tokenized commodities like Pax Gold (PAXG), created by Paxos, a cryptocurrency backed by physical gold bars. Holding PAXG is intended to give investors a piece of an actual gold bar—someone who holds PAXG has a claim on physical gold that Paxos is holding.

Synths, by contrast, only provide exposure to the price of the underlying asset. For example, a synth for gold would give investors a token they could hold that would mimic the price of gold.

How Does Synthetix Exchange Work?

Users can trade synths on Kwenta, the decentralized exchange (DEX) for Synthetix, as well as across a variety of different DeFi protocols. Unlike other exchanges, Kwenta has no order book that contains buy and sell orders. Instead, Kwenta uses peer-to-contract trading, meaning all trades get executed via smart contracts.

Proponents of Synthetix claim this type of exchange has a few key advantages.

Infinite liquidity: Traders don’t have to worry about “slippage,” or driving prices down when they place large sell orders, reducing their overall profits.
Censorship resistance: Since the system is decentralized and governed by smart contracts, it is free and open to everyone (and resistant to censorship). In fact, users don’t even have to create an account to start using Kwenta.

Oracles from another DeFi protocol called Chainlink (LINK) provide the price feeds that set exchange rates for each synthetic asset. This differs from traditional exchanges, where prices are determined by the point at which buyers and sellers are willing to meet. Trades come with fees of between 0.3% and 1%, and the proceeds get sent to a pool where SNX stakers claim them as rewards for staking tokens.

Is Synthetix a Good Investment?

As with all altcoins, trading SNX can be highly volatile and is widely considered to be a speculative investment.

There are thousands of altcoins, and over the years many of them have seen their values fall to zero or very close to it. These coins tend to make a few people large profits during the speculative mania phase, and may bring large losses to everyone else afterward, so investors should exercise caution before trading altcoins.

Some investors might believe that certain cryptocurrency projects like Synthetix have the potential to grow into something large and significant in the future. It’s possible that DeFi protocols like Synthetix could wind up becoming part of a new financial system, in which case the SNX token might perform well.

It’s also possible that some DeFi protocols could fail for various reasons, in which case SNX and other tokens like it could fail to be a good investment.

Recommended: 2021 Guide to Crypto Trading

How Do You Make Money on Synthetix?

There are a few ways to potentially profit from Synthetix.

Buy SNX, the Synthetix network token, on an exchange. If the price rises, then a profit will be realized.

Trade synthetic assets on Kwenta. If a trader holds synthetic gold or Bitcoin, for example, and the price of those assets rise, then the price of the synths should also rise.

Users can stake their SNX tokens and earn passive income rewards on a regular basis.

How Do You Trade On Synthetix?

There are two ways to start trading synths.

A user can purchase ETH on an exchange before exchanging that ETH for sUSD on Kwenta. The sUSD can then be exchanged for other synths.

A user can obtain SNX tokens on an exchange, then stake their SNX on a decentralized application created by Synthetix called Mintr. At this point, users can create synths and start trading them on Kwenta.

As of March 2021, Kwenta users have the option to trade 13 different cryptocurrencies and their inverse counterparts (inverse cryptocurrencies inversely track the price of cryptocurrencies, providing a way to short them), synthetic gold and silver, and several synthetic government-issued fiat currencies. The Synthetix website lists five categories of synths, including commodities, fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies, inverse cryptocurrencies, and cryptocurrency indexes.

There are also two synthetic cryptocurrency indexes offered by Synthetix: sDEFI, an index that tracks a basket of DeFi assets, and sCEX, which tracks a basket of exchange tokens (e.g., Binance coin).

The Takeaway

Synthetix enables cryptocurrency users to invest in certain assets via proxy mechanisms called synthetics or “synths” for short. Powered by the Synthetix network token (SNX), users can create their own synths and trade them on a decentralized exchange. To create synths, users must stake a certain amount of SNX to collateralize the new synthetic assets.

For some crypto investors, Synthetix might be a step too deep into cryptocurrency waters. Looking for a more straightforward way to invest in crypto? With SoFi Invest® crypto trading, members can buy and sell cryptocurrencies starting with just $10, right from the SoFi app.

Find out how to buy and sell cryptocurrency with SoFi Invest.

Photo credit: iStock/visualspace

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SoFi Invest®
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Also, past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals, and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below.
1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).
2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal. Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or prequalification for any loan product offered by SoFi Bank, N.A.

Crypto: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies aren’t endorsed or guaranteed by any government, are volatile, and involve a high degree of risk. Consumer protection and securities laws don’t regulate cryptocurrencies to the same degree as traditional brokerage and investment products. Research and knowledge are essential prerequisites before engaging with any cryptocurrency. US regulators, including FINRA , the SEC , and the CFPB , have issued public advisories concerning digital asset risk. Cryptocurrency purchases should not be made with funds drawn from financial products including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, savings, retirement funds or traditional investments. Limitations apply to trading certain crypto assets and may not be available to residents of all states.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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