The AAMC is pleased to announce a significant development in our commitment to reducing financial barriers for aspiring physicians.
In 2024, the AAMC will extend our AAMC Fee Assistance Program to residency applicants using the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®).
Beginning with the 2024-2025 ERAS application season, the program will expand to include residency applicants who were previously approved for the Fee Assistance Program benefits during their medical school application process. These qualifying applicants will automatically receive a 60% fee discount on up to 50 ERAS applications, significantly alleviating the financial burden associated with the application process.
In developing the expansion of this critical program, we have worked closely with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and actively sought input from medical students, residents, medical school leaders, student affairs deans, advisors, and the AAMC Board of Directors.
This expansion demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting our learners from premed through residency and beyond.
How will residency applicants know if they are eligible for AAMC Fee Assistance benefits to reduce the cost of their residency applications?
If you were previously approved for Fee Assistance Program benefits, you will automatically get this 60% discount in 2024 on your residency application during the 2024-2025 ERAS season. Current medical students are not eligible to apply for Fee Assistance Program benefits for use in the 2024-2025 ERAS season. We will be surveying the student affairs community after the 2024-2025 residency cycle to understand if and how we can expand to individuals who face unexpected financial challenges during medical school.
Will fellowship applicants be able to receive this ERAS discount if they qualified for AAMC Fee Assistance benefits in previous years?
No, in this first year, Fee Assistance will only be available as part of the residency application process.
If medical students were eligible for the Fee Assistance Program but didn’t apply, can they apply in 2024 before the ERAS application opens?
During this initial year, only medical students who were previously approved to receive Fee Assistance Program benefits when they applied to medical school will be eligible.
How did the AAMC decide how much the ERAS discount would be?
The AAMC worked with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ consulting arm to evaluate options and wanted to offer consistent benefits from premed to residency. This 60% discount is very similar to the MCAT exam discount. The selected number of applications is based on the diminishing returns research the AAMC did for many years.
Will the ERAS fee discount be applied as applicants check out?
Yes. The 60% discount (on up to 50 applications) will be applied automatically to all ERAS residency applicants who had been approved for AAMC Fee Assistance benefits in the past as part of registering for the MCAT exam and applying to medical school using the AMCAS application.
Will there be a Fee Assistance indicator in the ERAS system the same way there is in the AMCAS system?
Not at this time.
Will the AAMC give a refund to medical students who applied during the present 2023-2024 ERAS application cycle if they received Fee Assistance benefits before they applied to medical school?
This ERAS fee discount will only become available in 2024 for the 2024-2025 residency application cycle.
Why didn’t the AAMC offer discounts to ERAS fees sooner?
ERAS application fees are some of the lowest in the health professions sector. The greatest cost savings will come when applicants feel comfortable reducing the number of applications they submit. Based on early-season data, we are encouraged to see that applications per applicant are reducing this year.