What do med schools do with your social security number?

[kitkattwix]

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Many of my secondaries as for my SSN, and I'm just wondering why. Is it for background checks? Or for financial aid? What can they actually see with someone's SSN?

Thanks!

 

[Donald Juan]

They sell them online to the highest bidder.


Of course, as a secondary purpose, background checks, financial aid, personal identification, all are reasons why they would ask.

 

[deleted407021]

What can they actually see with someone's SSN?

EVERYTHING. That's how SSNs work.

 

[Dr.Wink]

screen you based upon how cool it looks/sounds.

 

[SouthernGent]

I'd be more curious about how they are stored and secured. Kind of paranoid after all the OPM notifications I got this past year and a half.

 

[kitkattwix]

For financial aid, do they see my bank account balance? Or also my parents? I want to apply and I'm paying for all my med school fees but my parents definitely wouldn't qualify.

 

[deleted407021]

For financial aid, do they see my bank account balance? Or also my parents? I want to apply and I'm paying for all my med school fees but my parents definitely wouldn't qualify.

When you fill out FAFSA as a professional or grad student, you're not required to provide parents' income or tax information because you're technically independent. It's optional. Since I haven't files taxes, I put their tax information into FAFSA. I know other people who did and didn't.

Cash balances are -- to my knowledge -- elective. I don't think the federal government nor any schools that calculate your aid have access to that info. Obviously various income data will be available through the IRS.