FAFSA and Medical School loan availability (Fall 2026)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to say the obvious, if wealthy parents aren't expected to pay then who exactly does pay?

And don't get started on a 500k income and 5 mil net worth isn't wealthy.

I guess parents can also make loans themselves.

Those parents are saving that money for their OWN retirement. A 22+ adult is an adult and you cannot expect or force a parent to pay for that.

I get undergrad but after that an adult is an adult

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ My DD worked for two years after college and was not claimed as a dependent on our taxes. FAFSA still requires parental income information in order to qualify for aid. Our income was too high for her to qualify for aid, despite us believing that it’s crazy that our income mattered since she was a self-supporting adult.

Our income only counted until my son reached age 24.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ My DD worked for two years after college and was not claimed as a dependent on our taxes. FAFSA still requires parental income information in order to qualify for aid. Our income was too high for her to qualify for aid, despite us believing that it’s crazy that our income mattered since she was a self-supporting adult.

Our income only counted until my son reached age 24.

Really it should NOT count past 22 (or completion of undergrad). Sure if you have the money, help your kids with grad school. But they are ADULTS and financial aid should be based on THEIR OWN finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ My DD worked for two years after college and was not claimed as a dependent on our taxes. FAFSA still requires parental income information in order to qualify for aid. Our income was too high for her to qualify for aid, despite us believing that it’s crazy that our income mattered since she was a self-supporting adult.

Our income only counted until my son reached age 24.

Really it should NOT count past 22 (or completion of undergrad). Sure if you have the money, help your kids with grad school. But they are ADULTS and financial aid should be based on THEIR OWN finances.

+1 because people whose parents are paying everything do no fill out FAFSA or the grad school equivalent, they just pay the bills

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the PPs have said. Think of med and law the same. Your parents have money? You pay-- Especially after BBB. The school should have an aid advisor but the days of 250k+ student loans for med/law school are gone.

Why should the PARENTS pay?!?!? A 22yo is no longer my responsibility. They are a full fledged adult.

This is ridiculous

Poor kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ My DD worked for two years after college and was not claimed as a dependent on our taxes. FAFSA still requires parental income information in order to qualify for aid. Our income was too high for her to qualify for aid, despite us believing that it’s crazy that our income mattered since she was a self-supporting adult.

Our income only counted until my son reached age 24.

Not for grad/law school. My kid is going to Harvard Law at 27 and it still looks to us to file and pay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ My DD worked for two years after college and was not claimed as a dependent on our taxes. FAFSA still requires parental income information in order to qualify for aid. Our income was too high for her to qualify for aid, despite us believing that it’s crazy that our income mattered since she was a self-supporting adult.

Our income only counted until my son reached age 24.

Not for grad/law school. My kid is going to Harvard Law at 27 and it still looks to us to file and pay

And that is ridiculous. Your kid is 27! Most parents do not pay for graduate/professional school.

[Anonymous]

The school is not saying the parents have to pay..it's saying no financial aid so the student has to figure it out themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, OP, but all professional schools look at parents' income. My kid is going to Harvard Law at $120K a year, and we are on the hook and file the FAFSA even though DS is 27. No one has mentioned it, but there is a total lifetime cap, too, of $200K, which includes previously taken undergrad loans:

Starting July 1, 2026: Professional students (for example, those in medicine, law, or similar licensure-based programs) may borrow up to $50,000 per year, with a lifetime limit of $200,000 in federal Unsubsidized Loans. Other graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per year, with a lifetime limit of $100,000.

I'm confused. I thought on the FAFSA if you were over 24 years old, you were considered to be an independent student and no longer needed a parent's information for FAFSA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ My DD worked for two years after college and was not claimed as a dependent on our taxes. FAFSA still requires parental income information in order to qualify for aid. Our income was too high for her to qualify for aid, despite us believing that it’s crazy that our income mattered since she was a self-supporting adult.

Our income only counted until my son reached age 24.

Not for grad/law school. My kid is going to Harvard Law at 27 and it still looks to us to file and pay

Surely that is for institutional, need-based aid, however? Not federal loans?

[Anonymous]

Why not offer more help if you can?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to say the obvious, if wealthy parents aren't expected to pay then who exactly does pay?

And don't get started on a 500k income and 5 mil net worth isn't wealthy.

I guess parents can also make loans themselves.

Those parents are saving that money for their OWN retirement. A 22+ adult is an adult and you cannot expect or force a parent to pay for that.

I get undergrad but after that an adult is an adult

If you have 500K and 5 million you can afford to pay out of pocket for medical school. You cannot force a parent to pay but its very selfish not to. I don't understand parents like that. We make $200K, and would do our best to pay for grad school, even if it means working till 70, which will happen as older parents and living in a small, not update house to pay. 5 million is very wealty. If you live in a million dollar house, you are wealthy. Be real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, OP, but all professional schools look at parents' income. My kid is going to Harvard Law at $120K a year, and we are on the hook and file the FAFSA even though DS is 27. No one has mentioned it, but there is a total lifetime cap, too, of $200K, which includes previously taken undergrad loans:

Starting July 1, 2026: Professional students (for example, those in medicine, law, or similar licensure-based programs) may borrow up to $50,000 per year, with a lifetime limit of $200,000 in federal Unsubsidized Loans. Other graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per year, with a lifetime limit of $100,000.

You aren't on the hook. You say no and your child go to a school they can afford within the loans. $200K in government loans is far more than reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

it's not crazy – every single family who could pay would say their 24-year-old cannot possibly attend without scholarships and loans if that was the case.


This. I worked at a top private law school. All the rich kids want to claim their parents aren’t helping. Doesn’t matter, their income is taken into account.

Even if it’s true that families who can afford to pay would claim that - why shouldn’t they do that? If you support your kid through college and they are a self-sufficient adult, 25 years old with no financial connection to their parents, why do we assume the parents should pay for medical school (or law school, etc.)? At what point is it ok for parents to bear no financial obligation for their kids, so that financial aid is an option? I think if a kid has been financially independent for years, there should be no attribution of parental ability to pay.

We aren’t expecting you to pay, but your kid isn’t getting need based aid either. Don’t worry - there is way less need-based aid in grad programs. It’s not like undergrad because the assumption is that the post schooling job will cover the debt. And kids of rich families are still privileged - they usually have no undergrad debt, a car is just given to them, free vacations, they often receive large monetary gifts, rent deposits, cell phones, insurance payments, etc. So just because you aren’t helping them with grad school doesn’t mean they aren’t coming from a place of privilege over a poor kid.

Why shouldn't a 24 yo get need based aid based upon their own adult financial situation? They literally are an adult and don't have access to their parents money. It's not theirs to do with whatever they want.

Because at 24, they are making choices they cannot afford. OP had her child work a year or two to declare independent to get out of helping, which is fine but then don't complain and expect the government or school to fund your child's education. Going to medical school is a want vs. need. They can defer for a few more years and save up to pay for it. Most reponsible parents who can will pay and if not they are selfish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the PPs have said. Think of med and law the same. Your parents have money? You pay-- Especially after BBB. The school should have an aid advisor but the days of 250k+ student loans for med/law school are gone.

Why should the PARENTS pay?!?!? A 22yo is no longer my responsibility. They are a full fledged adult.

This is ridiculous

Then, they don't go to graduate school. You choose to have this child. You need to be responsible for their education and not expect the government or school to provide when you can. Of course, they are your responsibility. Simple solution is you don't want to pay, so they will not be going.