I’m not sure whether to put this here or in the Grad school section. My D is a senior in college and will graduate in May. She has applied to DPT programs and they usually begin in May. Should she go ahead and file her FAFSA application now not knowing if or where she will be attending or wait until she has the acceptance? I know we no longer have to provide our information but is there other information that is important to know in this process.
Check and make sure you don’t need to provide your information. I don’t think DPT programs require this…but some might.
Yes, she can file her FAFSA now. Just keep in mind, financial aid for grad programs is different than for undergrad. There are no Pell grants, for example.
Aid for graduate school is largely merit based, and is awarded based on the strength of the student application and the schools desire to have the student as part of the class cohort. Aid comes in the form of grants, scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, sometimes work study, and loans loans loans.
There are no subsidized federal loans for grad school. Students can take a Direct Loan annually, and can also take the Grad Plus Loan which can be up to the cost of attendance.
Anyway…to your question…yes…send the FAFSA now. Since she is starting in May, or even June, find out what academic year that term is. It might be 2019-2020 (part of the current academic year) and it might be 2020-2021.
She may have to submit both if the May term is part of the current academic year, and the rest are part of 2020-2021.
ETA…check the start dates of the DPT programs. May seems early. There are some undergrad programs that don’t even end until June.
Her first choice school is where she attending undergrad. Her graduation is May 2nd and the DPT summer term starts May 18. I’ll tell her to get on her FAFSA. She will be so thrilled. She works in the Physical Therapy Dept. as an office assistant. I’ll have her check with them as well. I was wondering about the summer. If because it’s grad school it is handled separately (for loan purposes) or will they consider the summer the end of her undergrad financial aid. The schools she has applied to don’t require the parents financial aid information, whew! Thank you.
She needs to ask her current school about that May start term and aid. It will not be part of undergrad because it isn’t undergrad.
She needs to find out how to access grad school aid there. Your info is on her 2019-2020 fafsa and won’t need to be for grad school. Ask the financial aid department there.
And find out if she needs to submit the 2019/2020 fafsa anywhere too
Thanks. After your last reply I told her to do everything but the last. I hadn’t thought about submitting the 19/20 FAFSA to other schools.