Fee Assistance Program FAQs

To calculate your family size, add ‘1’ for yourself, ‘1’ for your spouse (if applicable), and ‘1’ for each dependent you listed on your IRS 1040 Federal tax return for last year. If you do not have a spouse, or any dependents, you should list your family size as 1.

No, unless your parents are listed as dependents on your IRS 1040 Federal Tax return for last year, you should not include them in your family size. If you are single, with no dependents or spouse, you should enter a family size of 1.

Yes, our financial information will be required regardless of dependent or independent status.

You can enter an estimated amount in this field. Fee Assistance Program staff will be able to enter the correct amount when they review your application and supporting documentation.

You can enter an estimated amount of income in this field. Fee Assistance Program staff will be able to enter the correct amount when they review your application and supporting documentation.

You can report this income by answering “Yes” to the question “Did you and/or your spouse receive income from work or other sources while residing in a country outside the United States?” After selecting “Yes”, you will be able to enter the income in the data entry field labeled “Enter total Foreign Income received converted to US Dollars.” You will need to convert the income you earned into US dollars and enter it in this line.

You will not be able to submit a Fee Assistance Program application with no income reported. If you did not work, there may be other sources of income that you can provide:

• Financial Gifts of $200 or more
• Financial Aid provided above the cost of tuition, books and fees (example, the amount provided for room and board)
• Housing and food assistance provided by a friend or family member.  For example, if you lived in your parent(s) house without contributing to the mortgage or rent, your potential share of the mortgage or rent could be considered income.
• Income earned while residing in another country may not be reported to the IRS, but can be entered in the application.
• Social security benefits
• Federal, State and Local Welfare
• Child support
• Alimony or spousal support
• Income or Financial support from other sources not listed in the application.

No, all financial information reported must be from the previous tax year.

No, it is fine to put in an estimate of the income received. Fee Assistance Program staff will make any corrections necessary when the supporting documentation is reviewed. However, it is important that you report income from all sources and that you do not enter an income that is significantly different than what you actually received.

No, housing and food assistance should not be confused with any welfare program, or room and board provided through financial aid. Housing and food assistance is provided when a family member, or friend, provides free housing and groceries. For example, if a friend allowed you to stay in a spare room in their apartment, without requiring rent, then your friend provided you with housing assistance.

To determine the value of the housing assistance, you would determine the amount you would have paid in rent and multiply it by the number of months you stayed with your friend or family member. For example, your friend provides you with housing assistance by allowing you to stay in their apartment rent free. Your friend pays $800 a month for rent.If you paid your share of that rent, you would owe $400 each month. You stayed in the apartment for 6 months. As this is the case, your housing assistance would be the amount of the rent you would have paid ($400) X the number of months you stayed in the apartment (6).In this example, your overall housing assistance is $2400 ($400 x 6 Months = $2400).

You will be required to report any form of income from the previous tax year. This requirement is built into the Fee Assistance Program application and you will not be permitted to move on to the next section until an amount is entered for one or more of the income categories listed.

If you did not work, there may be other sources of income you can provide:

• Financial Gifts of $200 or more
• Financial Aid provided above the cost of tuition, books and fees (example, the amount provided for room and board)
• Housing and food assistance provided by a friend or family member.  For example, if you lived in your parent(s) house without contributing to the mortgage or rent, your potential share of the mortgage or rent could be considered income.
• Income earned while residing in another country may not be reported to the IRS, but can be entered in the application.
• Social security benefits
• Federal, State and Local Welfare
• Child support
• Alimony or spousal support
• Income or Financial support from other sources not listed in the application.

Please report any technical issues and/or errors to the AAMC Support Center (ASC) at (202) 828-0600, or by email at feeassistance@aamc.org.