FAFSA question: Degree and Grade Level

[Omegadramon]

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I'm a junior working on my biology degree and if I get accepted for Fall '08 I won't complete it. If I don't get accepted, I'll complete it.

The dilemma, what should I put down on FAFSA? Should I put down that I am guaranteed to be a senior working on my 1st degree or that I'm entering as a 1st year professional degree seeker.

I don't want to wait it out, because I might miss out on the juicy financial aid.


Thanks.

 

[cycloketocaine]

I'm a junior working on my biology degree and if I get accepted for Fall '08 I won't complete it. If I don't get accepted, I'll complete it.

The dilemma, what should I put down on FAFSA? Should I put down that I am guaranteed to be a senior working on my 1st degree or that I'm entering as a 1st year professional degree seeker.

I don't want to wait it out, because I might miss out on the juicy financial aid.


Thanks.

I was in the same situation last year, and put that I was a graduate/professional student.

 

[LoKoTe]

I was told to put graduate when starting pharmacy school because we would be give more federal loans opportunities.

 

[steveysmith54]

I was told to put graduate when starting pharmacy school because we would be give more federal loans opportunities.

Isn't true that it's possible to get some financial aid (free money) if you're not a graduate student? Like Cal Grant etc

 

[yazzman]

I'm a junior working on my biology degree and if I get accepted for Fall '08 I won't complete it. If I don't get accepted, I'll complete it.

The dilemma, what should I put down on FAFSA? Should I put down that I am guaranteed to be a senior working on my 1st degree or that I'm entering as a 1st year professional degree seeker.

I don't want to wait it out, because I might miss out on the juicy financial aid.


Thanks.

You are working on your first degree...That is what you put down.

 

[cycloketocaine]

You are workidng on your first degree...That is what you put down.

That's wrong. They consider a first degree something below the masters level. So, a student starting a DOCTORAL program, you would enter the 1st year graduate/ professional student option.

 

[LoKoTe]

That's wrong. They consider a first degree something below the masters level. So, a student starting a DOCTORAL program, you would enter the 1st year graduate/ professional student option.

Exactly, that's what we were told regarding FAFSA in one of my interviews by the Financial Aid Counselor.

 

[Omegadramon]

Ah, thanks for the input.

I'll go on a limb and put down that I'm a first year professional student. If I don't get in, I'll just try to work it out at my current uni's financial aid department (this seems like an easier option).

I hope my confidence isn't getting the best of me, lol.

 

[mou1279]

Which gets more grants….undergrad or grad students?

 

[cycloketocaine]

Which gets more grants….undergrad or grad students?

In Oklahoma, grad students don't get grants. They get loans. Lots and lots of loans.

 

[ageldred]

Ah, thanks for the input.

I'll go on a limb and put down that I'm a first year professional student. If I don't get in, I'll just try to work it out at my current uni's financial aid department (this seems like an easier option).

I hope my confidence isn't getting the best of me, lol.

and once you get in, confirm with the finaid of your pharm school what you need to be classified as. you CAN edit the fafsa. at my school in the first year if you dont have a bachelors degree you are considered an undergrad, however if you do you are considered a 1st year prof student. it's a very strange system and they made sure everyone was aware of it once we were admitted.

 

[rXcmoney]

If we are not a dependent, do we still need to enter our parents' info? It says we don't have to but is recommended for students going into medical professions. What'd you guys do?

 

[TheRxQueen]

If we are not a dependent, do we still need to enter our parents' info? It says we don't have to but is recommended for students going into medical professions. What'd you guys do?

I've been trying to find the answer to this myself. I'm in my mid-30's and haven't had any financial ties to my RETIRED parents for many, many years. FAFSA says they highly recommend including parental information for professional schools and the school I applied to said the applicant MUST include parental information if they want to be considered for campus-based aid.
It doesn't make sense to me for us non-traditional students to have to consider asking our parents to fund our education.

 

[cycloketocaine]

I've been trying to find the answer to this myself. I'm in my mid-30's and haven't had any financial ties to my RETIRED parents for many, many years. FAFSA says they highly recommend including parental information for professional schools and the school I applied to said the applicant MUST include parental information if they want to be considered for campus-based aid.
It doesn't make sense to me for us non-traditional students to have to consider asking our parents to fund our education.

Here's the deal. There's a loan for pharmacy students, the name of it escapes me at the moment, that requires your parents info. Even if you are 60. However, I do not fill out that part, and you have the option to do so afterwards, if need be.

 

[yazzman]

That's wrong. They consider a first degree something below the masters level. So, a student starting a DOCTORAL program, you would enter the 1st year graduate/ professional student option.

I was told something else..I was told if you dont have a degree then it would be considered working on your first degree...I am not sure

 

[cycloketocaine]

I was told something else..I was told if you dont have a degree then it would be considered working on your first degree...I am not sure

If you choose that option, the FAFSA people do not consider you a grad student.

 

[NDGirl]

My advice: talk to some one in the Financial Aid department at your school.

For most pharamcy schools, you do put that you are a "graduate/professional" student (because that is what you are). However, for some schools (mine for example) they require you to put undergraduate for the first 1 or 2 years. Their reasoning for this is that you will qualify for grants then. The problem with that is that some of us already have an undergraduate degree and therefore don't qualify for grants at all and now don't get hardly anything for government loans. Luckily for me my HUGE Wells Fargo loan has 6% intrest right now!

Sorry about my rant, I'm still a little bitter.

Oh and to further answer the posters question, I would go ahead and put whatever you need for Pharmacy school. If you don't get in then you can always change it later and they still only look at the date you first submitted it.