Parents info on Fafsa

[katatak79]

I am currently filling out my fafsa info and am considered an independant. When filling it out, I dont have to include any of my parents info, however, the form said if I am applying for a health profession degree (nursing or medicine) it may be advantageous. Does anyone know what the benefit of including parental info might be? (I havent gotten any response from the fafsa help people).

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[Pianoboe01]

Some med schools look at parental info in awarding scholarships, especially need-based scholarships. Yes, all med students are needy since you're not working, but they use parental info to distinguish the most needy from everyone else. The parental info you supply in the fafsa will not hurt you in getting the loans you need, it can only help you.

 

[davedavedave]

Some med schools look at parental info in awarding scholarships, especially need-based scholarships. Yes, all med students are needy since you're not working, but they use parental info to distinguish the most needy from everyone else. The parental info you supply in the fafsa will not hurt you in getting the loans you need, it can only help you.

i would think that supplying this info would actually hurt if your parents are very welloff

 

[brucecat]

i contacted someone in financial aid with this exact same question. some schools require you to include parental info if you want to be considered for instituitonal aid and scholarships. also, some federal programs require parental info i think (like the public health program, or armed services programs). however, the fin aid officer told me that the parental info would not be used to determine federal eligibility and federal loans. even if you include it, as a graduate student you're considered independent, and thus federal aid will only be determined on your own income.

 

[Tigger27]

I am currently filling out my fafsa info and am considered an independant. When filling it out, I dont have to include any of my parents info, however, the form said if I am applying for a health profession degree (nursing or medicine) it may be advantageous. Does anyone know what the benefit of including parental info might be? (I havent gotten any response from the fafsa help people).

It all depends where you apply. As someone mentioned, some schools require parental info (ie Emory) regardless of your age, whereas others (ie Yale) only require it if you are under 30 yrs. old and others don't require it at all. As an older and non-traditional applicant who has been financially independent in the "real world" for several years now, I was taken aback that my parents' income should figure in at all. But I have been assured by several med schools that the info can only help and won't be used against you. If your parents are wealthy and you are not, it is not supposed to work against you - that doesn't make too much sense to me but it's what I've been told.

 

[tommerbommer]

...whereas others (ie Yale) only require it if you are under 30 yrs. old and ...

I am older as well and have applied to Yale. Just a minor correction for anyone who has applied to Yale: I believe their cut-off is actually 29. I've been led to believe that this is the youngest age that any medical school uses as a cut-off for requiring parental info.

UPitt is apparently 30, as are some other schools.

 

[Blade28]

I never included any of my parents' information. I always got the maximum amount of loan money...I did always fill out the FAFSA during the first week of January, however.