Whoa, haven’t had to ask a financial question on this board for years!
D2 is applying to grad school to start 2019. Hoping to get a professional degree (Occupational Therapy, likely a 3 year grad program) She will turn 22 in May 2019 after graduating undergrad April 2019.
At this point she is dependent on H and I for more than 50% of her financial needs. Her only income has been her summer jobs and 10-15 hours of paid work during the school year.
Does she file FAFSA as dependent or independent? What do we need to think about?
So when she is filling out the FAFSA this month as a senior in college and “dependent” she will fill it out independent for the 2019 FAFSA (which will be based on 2017 income? Of which she did not file because her income wasn’t high enough to be required to report?)
Correct @abasket I actually called son’s school to verify because it didn’t sound correct to me but they assured me that was how it works. Graduate students are automatically considered independent regardless if parents are paying rent etc (there is a line to put how much you contribute to them).
At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate, etc.)?
A “Yes” answer generally makes the student automatically independent for FAFSA purposes. However, FAFSA provides this caveat:
Health professions and law school students: Your college may require you to complete Step Four even if you answered “Yes” to any Step Three question.
Your grad school kiddo will be independent for FAFSA purposes. As noted, some grad programs do require parent financial information anyway. Your daughter would need to see if this is a requirement of her grad OT programs.
Keep in mind…many college seniors have very little income and savings. Many have $0 EFC per FAFSA. However, this does not mean your daughter will get significant need based aid. Grad school funding is most,y merit based. Students receive merit funding based on the strength of their applications, and the schools desire to have the student as a member of the grad school cohort. There are no things like Pell Grants, for example.
Grad school funding comes in the form of grants, scholarships, fellowships, stipends, teaching or research assistantships, sometimes work study, and …loans loans loans.
Of the OT students I know (or past OT students who are now OTs), many were very strong applicants and attended excellent programs. None got a dime of funding for their OT programs.
But there might be some OT programs out there might have some limited funding.
I guess what I’m trying to say is…the FAFSA EFC means absolutely nothing in terms of funding for OT programs on the grad school level.
^^Thanks @thumper1 (and all!) - yes, we are aware that the $$ for OT grad school is few and far between - she’s my first to go to grad school and is not married or “independent” - I just want to make sure I do it right!
Since she is applying to several schools I’ll assume that they may individually request we (actually SHE) complete the “step 4” if they want it.
Very much appreciate this info for this old-time FAFSA parent but first time grad school applicant!
^^ @thumper1 yes, I have seen these - but it’s so different than what we are used to I wanted to get confirmation. I think my point was she wasn’t “independent” in the way we might think of independent! Basically she just needs to answer “yes” to one of the above.
I understand…even though she will be supported by you (it sounds), she will be considered independent for financial aid purposes.
She can even still be a dependent on your taxes (this very often is the case for the year kids graduate undergrad and start grad in the fall) and still be independent for financial aid purposes as a grad student.