<p>so I'm about to start my senior year in college and am planning on going to grad school. I'll be filing the FAFSA for myself as an independent. However, I am still under my parents' health insurance coverage. If I file as an independent will I have to drop it and purchase my own? Or is it okay to still receive benefits from my parents via health insurance coverage? (the company that my dad works for pays for health insurance for me until I turn 25).</p>
<p>Yes, it’s OK to remain on your parents’ health insurance.</p>
<p>Yes, you can stay on your dad’s insurance.</p>
<p>keep in mind that filling out FAFSA as an independent for grad school often just mean getting loans even with an EFC 0. Grad school aid is typically merit based and irrelevant to FAFSA.</p>
<p>There can be need-based graduate work-study awards as well - they’re awarded by merit through individual departments, but you have to have significant need to be eligible in the first place.</p>
<p>Just had a thought as I was following this thread…are parent’s assets and/or income used at all in an IM assessment of financial need of a graduate student, like a graduate school Profile type assessment? Or, is a student considered totally an independent for all financial aid/loans given in grad school? I can’t seem to find a complete answer for this, as just about everything I find applies to UG financial aid. Does it depend on the graduate school major and/or whether the student attends a public or private university’s/school’s graduate program? Thanks -</p>
<p>Some law schools and medical schools will ask for parent assets. In most other cases, the grad student is independent for financial aid purposes and parent info is not used or provided.</p>
<p>However, grad school aid is almost always merit based, based on the strength of your application. It comes in the form of scholarships, grants, assistantships, sometimes work study, and loans.</p>
<p>Thanks, Thumper!</p>
<p>Depends on the grad program, it is more likely for a student to get funding for a PhD program than it is for a student to get $$ outside of merit $$ for a masters program (many which are all loans). Also, an independent student, who is credit worthy can borrow the entire cost of attendance for grad school through Federal Gradplus loan.</p>
<p>At many med/law schools, unless the student is 27 years old (some school’s 30) they will need the income/assets of their parents to get need based financial aid. If the student is married, then it will be the income assets of 4 to 6 people (student, spouse and parents/stepparents)</p>