Even if independent will schools require parental tax info?

[13132]

I did some digging, and it looks like I will be able to declare myself an independent on FAFSA due to the provisions that an independent is someone who is "24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year". I also will file my own taxes because I took a gap year and made money to support myself.

My question is this: Even if I am a dependent on FAFSA and my own taxes will med school still requires my parental tax returns?

Thanks in advance.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[sazerac]

I did some digging, and it looks like I will be able to declare myself an independent on FAFSA due to the provisions that an independent is someone who is "24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year". I also will file my own taxes because I took a gap year and made money to support myself.

My question is this: Even if I am a dependent on FAFSA and my own taxes will med school still requires my parental tax returns?

Thanks in advance.

You will not need parental info to fill out the federal forms and get stafford / grad plus loans up to the full COA of your school.

But yes you WILL almost certainly need your parental tax returns to qualify for school-based scholarships (aka "free money").

As a 40 year old it was damn awkward asking mommy and daddy for their 1040 forms. My father even declared it "an invasion of privacy". Then again, I did receive a substantial scholarship for my efforts. Thankfully my scholarship was guaranteed for all 4 years, so I don't need to get their tax info for the other three years of med school.