Note: If you are under age 26 on the day you submit your application and you do not qualify for an exception (noted below), you must include your parents’ financial information on your Fee Assistance Program application. You must agree to provide your parents’ financial information to continue with your application. Refer to the Are You Eligible? section of this document for more details on this requirement.
Double check your profile to be sure that your date of birth is accurate. If your birthdate is incorrect, or you falsely state you were age 26 or older, when you were, in fact, under the age of 26 at the time of application, you are at risk for an investigation. In addition, the inaccurate date, indicating you were age 26 or older, may result in your not being prompted to provide your parents’ financial information, which is required for applicants under age 26. Refer to the Violations and Investigations section of this guide for more information.
Applicants under age 26 may not be required to provide their parents’ financial information if they qualify for any of the following exceptions. If you are under age 26 and one of the following circumstances applies that prevents you from obtaining a parent’s financial information, contact program staff before submitting your application:
- You were legally emancipated.
- You do not know if a parent is living.
- You do not have a relationship with a parent and do not communicate with each other.
- You have a parent who is incarcerated or institutionalized or is permanently incapacitated or hospitalized.
- You were in foster care or in the care of a legal guardian at the time you reached the age of majority.
- You have another circumstance that prohibits you from obtaining a parent’s financial information.
If you think you might fall under one of these exceptions, contact the Fee Assistance Program outreach team at fap@aamc.org or 202-828-0600 for instructions on how to complete the parental requirement before submitting the Fee Assistance Program application.
If you are under age 26 on the day you submit your application and you do not qualify for an exception, you must agree to provide your parents’ financial information to continue with your application.
Note: The Fee Assistance Program application contains a threshold question for parental information for applicants under age 26: “Do you have any living parents?” Answering “No” to this question indicates that your parents are deceased and therefore no other information about your parents will be asked. Failure to respond to this question accurately may result in an investigation. Refer to the Violations and Investigations section of this guide for more information.
The AAMC defines “parents” as biological parents, adoptive parents, and stepparents. If you were adopted, you do not have to report your biological parents’ information. In addition, you are required to submit information about a stepparent only if they were married to one of your biological or adoptive parents as of Dec. 31, 2023.
Grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, aunts, uncles, and other relatives are not considered parents for the purposes of this application.
The program staff understands that some parents may be unwilling to provide their financial information; however, you must submit this information to be considered for the Fee Assistance Program unless an extenuating circumstance prohibits you from obtaining that information (see exceptions listed above).
Marital Status
If you have living parents, you are required to indicate their marital status as of Dec. 31, 2023. Your parents’ marital status determines what other information is required for this component. If you and your parents are uncertain of your parents’ marital status, review the Parental Information: Marital Status Definitions table on the next page. Note: You are the “Applicant.”
Parental Information: Marital Status Definitions
| Parental Marital Status | Definition | One Household Income Required | Two Household Incomes Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Married | If the applicant’s living parents were legally married to one another as of Dec. 31, 2023, the applicant should select “Married,” regardless of whether the parents were residing together or separately. Tip: Applicants who have one deceased parent and whose surviving parent was remarried as of Dec. 31, 2023, should select “Married.” |
X | |
| Not Married, Living Together | If the applicant’s living parents shared a residence and were never legally married as of Dec. 31, 2023, the applicant should select “Not Married, Living Together.” Tip: If the applicant’s parents were married to one another for any amount of time before Dec. 31, 2023, refer to the “Divorced” marital statuses. |
X | |
| Not Married, Living Separately | If the applicant’s living parents were never legally married to one another and did not share a residence as of Dec. 31, 2023, the applicant should select “Not Married, Living Separately.” Tip: If the applicant’s parents were married to one another for any amount of time before Dec. 31, 2023, refer to the “Divorced” marital statuses. |
X | |
| Divorced, One or Both Remarried |
Applicants should select this status if their living parents were issued a legal divorce from one another and either one or both parents were legally remarried to someone else as of Dec. 31, 2023. Stepparent income will be required for remarried parents. Tip: If the applicant’s parents were never legally married to one another, refer to the “Not Married” marital statuses. |
X | |
| Divorced, Neither Remarried |
If the applicant’s living parents were issued a legal divorce from one another and were not legally remarried to someone else before Dec. 31, 2023, the applicant should select “Divorced, Neither Remarried.” Tip: If the applicant’s parents did not share a residence but were legally married to one another as of Dec. 31, 2023, the applicant should select “Married.” |
X | |
| Separated | This is a legal status. Select “Separated” if the applicant’s parents have received a court order for legal separation from one another. Tip: If the applicant’s parents were not legally separated from each other as of Dec. 31, 2023, regardless of where they reside, the applicant should select “Married.” |
X | |
| Widowed | If one of the applicant’s parents has passed away and the other is still living, regardless of whether the parents ever were legally married to or divorced from one another, the applicant should select “Widowed.” Tip: If the surviving parent was legally remarried as of Dec. 31, 2023, the applicant should select “Married.” |
X | |
| Single | If the applicant has only one parent and has never met the other parent, select “Single.” Tip: If you have met only one parent in your life because one is deceased, refer to the other marital statuses and select the status that most reflects the surviving parent’s circumstance as of Dec. 31, 2023. |
X |
Enter the full name and state of legal residence of each parent. You can update the information on this page before submission. After submission, you will be unable to edit these fields.
If your parents’ marital status is “Married,” enter both parents’ names and state of legal residence. When you get to the Parent Financial section, you will report income for one parental household.
If your parents’ marital status is “Divorced, One or Both Remarried,” “Divorced, Neither Remarried,” “Not Married, Living Separately,” “Not Married, Living Together,” or “Separated,” enter both parents’ names and states of legal residence. When you get to the Parent Financial section, you will report income for both parental households.
If your parent is “Widowed” or “Single,” enter your parent’s name and state of legal residence. When you get to the Parent Financial section, you will report income for one parental household.