FAFSA and Parents Info

[DBC03]

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I'm over 35 and filling out my FAFSA. I've been married for over 10 years and my parents hardly supported me during college, much less in the years after. I know most of the schools I have been accepted to do not require parental information given my circumstances, but I wasn't sure if I should add their info just in case I am accepted to a school in the future that requires it. I feel slightly (extremely) uncomfortable getting their personal info for it. Can anyone shed some light on how to proceed? Thanks!

 

[DBC03]

Yes include it: in the past few years some schools that had a cut-off for having listing parent’s income, such as age or dependency status, have removed them in order to safeguard against any possible basis for financial aid discrimination lawsuit

When I️ do this, I️ can’t include my or my husbands income. I️ think that is what bothers me about the process. Has anyone else had a similar issue?


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[21Rush12]

I didn’t provide any parental info...my understanding is that schools may ask for it for their own use in aid calculation though. Not really well versed enough, LizzyM may be your go to on this.

 

[Piglet2020]

for federal loans, all medical students are independent and do not needto inclde parental income
For school-based aid, it is school-specidic policy. since some schools will use parental income and will use FAFSA to determine eligibility for institutional aid, it is recommended to include this info on FAFSA.

If you know you cant get financial aid due to parental income (middle class), should you still include their information on FAFSA? My understanding is that you said we generally don’t need to for the federal loans, but does that include federal grants too?

I may be qualified for financial aid based on my own income, just not under my parents’ earnings.

 

[begoood95]

1) For federal loans, parental income is not taken into account as all medical students are considered independent
2) for school-based aid, that is money granted to you directly from the school, you may be required to include parental income for any consideration
3) for federal grants outside of perkins and grad plus, you may be required to have parental information in order to qualify
4) if you leave information off in an attempt to subvert the system and it is later discovered, your loan and/grant status could be administratively revoked, have civil court action taken against you by the government, and, in very, very rare instances, get criminally charged by the feds
5) and any of these could used by a medical school in evaluating you ethical and professional behavior and could get you thrown out, and requiring immediate payback of all loans and grants above

You seem to know a lot about this; I know nothing of the financial side of medical school, so, on a related note...

Does timing matter when filling out FAFSA for medical school? In other words, for undergrad, the earlier you submitted the FAFSA, the more aid that was available and thus the more likely you were able to obtain greater loans/grants/etc. However, are we in the same predicament as students applying for medical school? I've hear both: that timing matter (ie., get it in early) and that it does not. So which is it?

Also, I could fill out my FAFSA right now—problem is, there are only two schools to which I've been accepted (neither of them are my top choice). And because of that, I can't get past a certain page, because you have to select (up to 10) which schools that you're asking the aid for. So...I can't really submit at this point, anyways, even if it might be in my best financial interest.

I can't find a clear answer online. Halp.

 

[DBC03]

You seem to know a lot about this; I know nothing of the financial side of medical school, so, on a related note...

Does timing matter when filling out FAFSA for medical school? In other words, for undergrad, the earlier you submitted the FAFSA, the more aid that was available and thus the more likely you were able to obtain greater loans/grants/etc. However, are we in the same predicament as students applying for medical school? I've hear both: that timing matter (ie., get it in early) and that it does not. So which is it?

Also, I could fill out my FAFSA right now—problem is, there are only two schools to which I've been accepted (neither of them are my top choice). And because of that, I can't get past a certain page, because you have to select (up to 10) which schools that you're asking the aid for. So...I can't really submit at this point, anyways, even if it might be in my best financial interest.

I can't find a clear answer online. Halp.

I️ don’t know the answer to your first few questions, but I️ have heard you can edit or add schools later, so I️ just put one down for now. I️ am doing more reading and I️t looks like scholarships require parent info, so I’m adding mine. Unfortunate they had serious issues with identity theft this year and I️ can’t auto fill their tax info. My parents are thrilled to have to fill I️t all out by hand. Let me tell you...


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[PreMedMissteps]

understanding is that you said we generally don’t need to for the federal loans, but does that include federal grants too?

I don't believe that there are any federal grants for med school.

 

[Mr Max]

1) For federal loans, parental income is not taken into account as all medical students are considered independent
2) for school-based aid, that is money granted to you directly from the school, you may be required to include parental income for any consideration
3) for federal grants outside of perkins and grad plus, you may be required to have parental information in order to qualify
4) if you leave information off in an attempt to subvert the system and it is later discovered, your loan and/grant status could be administratively revoked, have civil court action taken against you by the government, and, in very, very rare instances, get criminally charged by the feds
5) and any of these could used by a medical school in evaluating you ethical and professional behavior and could get you thrown out, and requiring immediate payback of all loans and grants above

What would you recommend in my situation:
>25 years in age, married w/ a child, parents never married, one makes significantly more than the other. In answering FAFSA questions, the question on parental income is put together in a way that asks for the information on whomever supported you the most in the last year that you received support. This would be my parent of much lower income (~minimum wage) rather than my high income parent (~6 figures) because of specific family dynamics that aren't important here.
I do not want to appear to be hiding the income of my higher income parent, but in answering FAFSA correctly and honestly I would not use their information (And I believe so in both spirit and technicality of the question). If a school were to ask for both incomes, I would be happy to oblige, but is doing anything more than this necessary to remain transparent?
Thank you

 

[DizziG]

If your parents make good income, would including their information on the FAFSA be a bad idea? Would including that info prevent you from certain scholarships/loans/financial opportunities?

I mean aside from the fact that you wouldn't get need-based aid from the school

 

[ciestar]

If your parents make good income, would including their information on the FAFSA be a bad idea? Would including that info prevent you from certain scholarships/loans/financial opportunities?

I mean aside from the fact that you wouldn't get need-based aid from the school

You will never have an issue getting loans.