<prompt> Human: I was recently accepted to a PA program that Im psyched about but the reality of paying for it is beginning to set in. I checked the wiki but was left with a few questions. The gist of it is that the program costs roughly 100k for the two year program. I have savings from my past professional life but much of it was invested in my career switch. I dont need to make a tuition payment until December 2017 and its roughly 15k per semester.What Im working with: Currently working 4 days a week in a hospital making roughly 2,500 a month after tax. I can pick up more shifts if necessary and will likely try to work more before school starts so I can save some cash 21.5k in a traditional 401k - Can I withdraw this money without penalty if for tuition? 12k in a mutual fund - Im expecting to put all of this toward my first semester tuition 12k cash savings - Id like to hang on to this for living expenses Not only would it be difficult to hold down a job once the program starts it is not allowed Single without dependentsThe cost of living where I will be attending school is very low so I expect to spend 20k per year. I live in an expensive urban area now so I am really not sure how much to expect my yearly expenses to decrease. Does withdrawing money make the most sense? Should I be holding on to my mutual fund and retirement savings rather than reducing the amount of student debt I take on?  <response>: Take out student loans, you will have a good ROI from PA school.Keep the 401k invested. Keep your mutual fund and cash for emergency use, testlicensing fees, travel for interviews, etc.Congratulations and good luck! 