Help on FAFSA!

[Brandie28]

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I am considered an independent student and its asking me if I want answer questions about my parents. I don't want to cause I am afraid it will lower my chances of getting aid but it says you may want to if you are a health profession student...why does it say that?

 

[Brandie28]

Ummm one more question...I can't find LECOM Bradenton on the list of schools do we have to use the one in PA??

 

[tootoo30]

To qualify for the Disadvantage Health Professions scholarship, you must submit your parents' information. This scholarship is awarded to students that have parents with very low income. If your not worried about being considered for the scholarship, (like me) then don't put your parents' information on the FASFA, it's not required.

HTH

 

[Brandie28]

Thank you!!

 

[kismet]

You can check with the school you're going to or applying to as well.. UOP told us they will disregard our parent info for anything but the HPSL. It's just another chance for some low-interest money. I believe it's just called the "Health Professions Student Loan", nothing about "disadvantaged", although it is need-based; I've looked around the web but can't find actual criteria for it.

 

[rainsplash]

You can check with the school you're going to or applying to as well.. UOP told us they will disregard our parent info for anything but the HPSL. It's just another chance for some low-interest money. I believe it's just called the "Health Professions Student Loan", nothing about "disadvantaged", although it is need-based; I've looked around the web but can't find actual criteria for it.

can upper level freshman apply for this student loan? what is the loan rate?

 

[tootoo30]

It's not a loan it is a scholarship. Here is some information
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/DSA/sds.htm

Every pharmacy school has this scholarship program but it is based on your parents' income.

HTH

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Yeah, I was told the parent info was just for the HPSL also. I never heard anything about the HRSA scholarship, but maybe they just give it automatically to the people who need it. You have to apply to the HPSL, so we went over it during our loan session at orientation. They didn't give us much info about it, but it sounded like both you and your parents have to be really poor to qualify. It doesn't say that on their website, but we were told there's a limited amount of loan money so it goes to the people who really need it. The interest rate for HPSL is higher than for the other federal student loans. And for the person who asked, you cannot be an undergrad to be eligible for loan. It's restricted to professional students in only certain health professions.

I would contact your school and ask if they want your parents info or not. They might want it for other scholarships or they might tell you just to skip it. Best to find out from the source! They could also tell you what their FAFSA code is.

 

[thephoenician88]

so i heard back from fafsa...and i'm not eligible for a pell grant.....WHYYYY lol

 

[kismet]

I hadn't heard of the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students, but your parent info is requested for the Health Professions Student LOAN and has nothing to do with your background.. only financial need. Again, the website doesn't give criteria, but your school could help.

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/hpsl.htm

My college (UOP) gives the following directions for the FAFSA:

"Parent Information

To be considered for aid from the Health Professions Student Loan Program ( HPSL), fill out the purple section of the FAFSA and have one of your parents sign the form.

By regulation, parent information must be considered in evaluating eligibility for HPSL. Providing parent information on your FAFSA will allow us to determine whether a Health Professions Student Loan can be added to your financial aid package. (If you do not qualify for HPSL, we will disregard the parent data and your award will include only the funds you qualify for on the basis of student information, alone.)

HPSL awards cannot be disbursed until we have received and reviewed a complete, signed copy of the parent's 2007 U.S. income tax return."

 

[thephoenician88]

I hadn't heard of the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students, but your parent info is requested for the Health Professions Student LOAN and has nothing to do with your background.. only financial need. Again, the website doesn't give criteria, but your school could help.

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/hpsl.htm

My college (UOP) gives the following directions for the FAFSA:

"Parent Information

To be considered for aid from the Health Professions Student Loan Program ( HPSL), fill out the purple section of the FAFSA and have one of your parents sign the form.

By regulation, parent information must be considered in evaluating eligibility for HPSL. Providing parent information on your FAFSA will allow us to determine whether a Health Professions Student Loan can be added to your financial aid package. (If you do not qualify for HPSL, we will disregard the parent data and your award will include only the funds you qualify for on the basis of student information, alone.)

HPSL awards cannot be disbursed until we have received and reviewed a complete, signed copy of the parent's 2007 U.S. income tax return."

wow...hmm, if i've already submitted it, can i still change it and add parents data?

 

[LongPigeon]

Here is what I found after digging up the faq from fafsa website. Totally did not know it was a requirement?

"Health profession students must provide parents' information on the FAFSA. Although your parents' information is required on your application, your parents' signature is not required."

 

[Sneels]

so i heard back from fafsa...and i'm not eligible for a pell grant.....WHYYYY lol

I don't know much about the Pell Grant, just read a little bit about it- did you file as independent? Does anyone know how you actually apply for this or have more information on it?

 

[Illinigirl09]

So maybe you all can give me some input...I haven't decided on where I will be attending (although I've been accepted somewhere and am still waiting to hear from others), but a lot of the school financial aid deadlines are before I will hear back from the rest of my schools. How should I go about filling out FAFSA? Should I wait until I know where I will be attending or start now? Thanks!

 

[tootoo30]

So maybe you all can give me some input...I haven't decided on where I will be attending (although I've been accepted somewhere and am still waiting to hear from others), but a lot of the school financial aid deadlines are before I will hear back from the rest of my schools. How should I go about filling out FAFSA? Should I wait until I know where I will be attending or start now? Thanks!

That's kind of tricky because some schools classify you as an undergrad and some classify you as a graduate student, but FAFSA only allows you to classify as one of the above. If I was in your position, I would apply as a graduate student and put down all of the schools that you applied too just in case.

HTH

 

[confettiflyer]

i was always under the impression that if you file as an independent student, parent info is strictly optional and is forwarded to the school for internal grant/scholarship considerations.

Technically speaking, there's virtually no distinction between an independent student in his/her 20's (most of you), a married student in their 30's, and a crochety old man in his 60's. At least, I don't think there is (age/income/net worth considerations aside). What ends up mattering is your AGI. So for the fafsa to require parents' income when you're in one of the latter 2 groups doesn't make much sense.

 

[confettiflyer]

Straight up copy/pasted from FAFSA for independent students:

Do you want to answer questions about your parents?

Note: You may want to answer the parental questions if:

* You are a health profession student (such as a medical or nursing student), or
* Your school requires parental information from all students


*bold is my emphasis

 

[ufdlim]

If my parents are claiming me as dependent, would I be required to fill out parental information? Should they even be claiming me at this point, or should I be filing my own taxes? I will have a bachelors by the next school year.

 

[tootoo30]

If my parents are claiming me as dependent, would I be required to fill out parental information? Should they even be claiming me at this point, or should I be filing my own taxes? I will have a bachelors by the next school year.

If your parents are claiming you on their taxes as a dependent, then you have to file your FAFSA as a dependent student. If your working, but still living with your parents, then your still dependent unless your able to use a different address when you file your taxes.

HTH

 

[kismet]

If my parents are claiming me as dependent, would I be required to fill out parental information? Should they even be claiming me at this point, or should I be filing my own taxes? I will have a bachelors by the next school year.

Remember that the FAFSA and taxes are two separate things... and I am not a tax accountant, but my mom is a bookkeeper, and this is what she tells me about taxes..

On taxes, your parents can claim you if they are providing support for you for at least half the year and you are a full-time student (for at least five months of the year) under the age of 24. There is also something that says the child must have "lived with" the parent for at least half the year but as my parents helped me pay for rent, my mother considered that fulfilled (not sure what the final verdict would be if she got audited, but I think it's meant to keep divorced parents from both claiming the same child). So, in 2008, I earned my Bachelors (was a full-time student) and turned 23 (under the age of 24) and my parents provided over half of my support.. my parents are claiming me on their taxes.

We actually discussed whether my parents could continue to claim me for 2009 if they were still providing over half of my support (I'm living at home until I start pharm school in the fall) but determined that 1) I'll turn 24 and be too old, and 2) the $30k tuition for fall semester which will be paid by loans is going to far outshadow any support they provided for the beginning of the year. So for 2009 I'll file my taxes as an independent.

On the FAFSA, if you enter a masters/doctoral program, you are an independent, no matter your actual tax status (note: your SCHOOL will determine this... some schools don't classify you as a graduate student until your P2 or P3 year). In this case your parents' info is not required (has nothing to do with taxes; even if you are 20 and living at home, you are an independent student). However, health students are encouraged to enter their parents' info to be considered for the Health Professions Student Loan. Some students have indicated their school says they won't use the parent info for anything BUT the HPSL or other scholarships.. but as always, it's best to check with your own school. This link: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/before015.htm will help you determine what you are classified as on the FAFSA.

If your parents are claiming you on their taxes as a dependent, then you have to file your FAFSA as a dependent student. If your working, but still living with your parents, then your still dependent unless your able to use a different address when you file your taxes.

I'm not sure if this is true, because the FAFSA dependency worksheet (linked above) doesn't say anything about "are you claimed on anyone's taxes?". I don't even see how they correlate, because you're filing taxes for last year (2008) but a FAFSA for next year (2009-2010). My parents are claiming me for 2008 and my school told me to file my FAFSA as an independent. But, I don't work for the government, so if someone is really concerned, they should check with their school.

 

[tootoo30]

I'm not sure if this is true, because the FAFSA dependency worksheet (linked above) doesn't say anything about "are you claimed on anyone's taxes?". I don't even see how they correlate, because you're filing taxes for last year (2008) but a FAFSA for next year (2009-2010). My parents are claiming me for 2008 and my school told me to file my FAFSA as an independent. But, I don't work for the government, so if someone is really concerned, they should check with their school.

Okay stop and read what you just wrote....every time you file your FAFSA your always going to use the prior year taxes. So for 2009-2010 you have to use your 2008 income. As I stated before in a previous post, if your filing as a graduate student then it does not matter. This only applies for schools that consider the first two years of pharmacy school as undergraduate. I guarantee you, if your parents are still claiming you on their taxes and your an undergrad student that files independent, you will get audited!

P.S. I also do taxes part time!

 

[kismet]

As I stated before in a previous post, if your filing as a graduate student then it does not matter. This only applies for schools that consider the first two years of pharmacy school as undergraduate.

I don't read the entire board over every day, only newest posts, so that explains why I was confused by your post. So students in either situation should be able to find plenty of info in this thread to help them! 👍

 

[speciald]

Tootoo, kismet is correct about dependency for taxes and dependency for FAFSA being two separate things. You can be a dependent for IRS purposes but independent for FAFSA - this is quite common among grad students who are under 24. Since the school is actually making the determination of when you are considered independent for FAFSA without regard to support or age issues, which are key to IRS classifications, this does make sense. By answering "yes" on question 50 of the FAFSA, you will be classified as an independent student, even if all the requirements for IRS dependent status are met. Everyone needs to read and apply the dependency tests for IRS and FAFSA purposes to their own situation/school.

These links can help:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2009_2010/ques.html
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p501/ar02.html#en_US_publink100041829

 

[ufdlim]

After a bit of reading and discussion with my financial aid advisers, you can be claimed as dependent of your parents while filing your FAFSA as an independent. As others have said, your taxes have little bearing on your FAFSA status.

Independent status on your FAFSA is determined by your school. In general, if you are not 24 years of age, do not have a bachelors, or have not completed a specific number of hours (I believe it's 120 at UF), you are still considered an undergrad regardless of entering a graduate pharmacy program. After you have completed two years of your pharmacy program, you become eligible for graduate level loans and earn your independent status.

On the other hand, if you are over the age of 24, have a bachelors, or have completed a specific number of credit hours, you are independent regardless of how your taxes are filed.

We actually discussed whether my parents could continue to claim me for 2009 if they were still providing over half of my support (I'm living at home until I start pharm school in the fall) but determined that 1) I'll turn 24 and be too old, and 2) the $30k tuition for fall semester which will be paid by loans is going to far outshadow any support they provided for the beginning of the year. So for 2009 I'll file my taxes as an independent.

I am actually in a similar situation, I will be filing as independent for my 2009 taxes. Yay, I will get to do my own taxes!

 

[hondagirl86]

Ummm one more question...I can't find LECOM Bradenton on the list of schools do we have to use the one in PA??

Hey, yesterday at the interview they told us to use federal school code G30908 and that it will say Erie but still use it...