During review of your documentation, Fee Assistance Program staff may determine that additional supporting documentation is required. The status of your application will be Submitted and On Hold if you appear to be eligible for the Fee Assistance Program based on the information you submitted in your application, but additional information is needed.
If this occurs, you will receive an email listing the required documents. Follow the steps provided by the Fee Assistance Program team in this email. Failure to follow the steps in this email could result in your application remaining on hold. A list of your required documents also appears in the Document Gathering and Upload component of your application.
You will receive details about the supporting documentation the AAMC requires to continue to process your application in the Next Steps component of the application. The status of your application will remain Submitted and On Hold until all required documents are received.
Next Steps
The Next Steps component of the Fee Assistance Program application provides information about required documents and allows you to upload your documents directly to your application. Upon approval, you may also have the option to claim your MCAT Official Prep benefits and to release information to your academic advisor.
Step 1: Would you like to receive MCAT Official Prep product benefits upon approval?
Select “Yes” only if you wish to receive MCAT Official Prep product benefits.
Select “No” if you do not plan to prepare for the MCAT exam within this application award period. You will be able to log into your account and change your response to “Yes” when you are ready to receive your MCAT Official Prep product benefits.
Step 2: Advisor Release
Answer “Yes” if you authorize the AAMC to release your Fee Assistance Program award status to the school-designated advisor(s) at institutions you have attended. The AAMC provides only your award status; detailed financial information is not released. Advisors can view your award status only if you also release your MCAT scores, your AMCAS application information, or both. If you select “No,” you can change your response to “Yes” any time before and after approval.
Step 3: Consent and Certification Forms
The Consent and Certification Form is required for all applicants and their parents (if applicable). A form will be generated for each household listed in your application. Each form must be signed by all parties, including spouses. The form must be signed with either a handwritten signature or a digital signature that includes an audit trail, such as a DocuSign or Adobe signature.
Step 4: Document Gathering and Upload
Use this component to upload required documentation for yourself and your parents (if applicable). All required documents are listed in this section, and you can also upload supplemental documents. To upload a document, browse and select the appropriate file for the correct listing. Select “Upload” under the corresponding listing. For details on required documentation, visit the What You Need to Apply page of the Fee Assistance Program website.
Note: The following are the supported file types:
- Image files (GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, XPNG, X-PNG, TIFF)
- Text file (TXT)
- PDF file (PDF)
The maximum file size for documents you wish to upload is 5MB. If you cannot upload your required documents, you can mail or fax the documents to the address or fax number listed in the Contact Us section of this document.
Note: The Fee Assistance Program does not accept typed signatures. All signatures must be handwritten signatures or digital signatures that include an audit trail, such as a DocuSign or Adobe signature.
Error Explanation Letter
If an error is discovered in your Fee Assistance Program application by you or program staff, you may be required to complete an Error Explanation Letter to document the error and provide revised information.
Note: The Error Explanation Letter may be considered only when your application is actively being reviewed by the AAMC.
If you noticed an error after you submitted your Fee Assistance Program application, the program staff asks that you indicate where the error occurred.
Example 1: Incorrect Amount for a Known Income or Support
If you entered the wrong amount for a household’s income or financial support that you or your parents received:
- Upload the supporting document showing the correct amount to the Document Gathering and Upload section for that household.
- An Error Explanation Letter is not required in this case.
For instance: If your parents received Social Security benefits and you entered the wrong total, upload the document detailing the correct amount. The Fee Assistance Program team will adjust the figure during verification.
Example 2: Missing Income or Financial Support
If you forgot to list a source of income or financial support that you or your parents received:
- You do not need to submit an Error Explanation Letter.
- Contact the AAMC Support Center at feeassistance@aamc.org or 202-828-0600 so your application can be updated and the appropriate document-upload field can be enabled.
- Upload supporting documentation to the relevant field.
For instance: If housing and food assistance was received but not indicated on the application, notify the AAMC Support Center so they can help you upload a signed Housing/Food Assistance Letter to the appropriate field.
Example 3: Incorrect Source of Income or Financial Support
If you listed the wrong type of income or aid (e.g., reporting welfare benefits instead of housing and food assistance):
- You must submit a signed Error Explanation Letter explaining the correction.
- Include documentation showing the correct type and amount of income or support.
For instance: If you reported that your parents received $500 in welfare benefits, but it was actually housing and food assistance, upload a signed Error Explanation Letter under the “Error Explanation Letter” field for your parents’ household, explaining the correction. In the same field, upload the signed Housing/Food Assistance Letter (or other supporting documentation).
As noted above, if you are unsure how to proceed or cannot upload the correct document type, please contact the AAMC Support Center for assistance at feeassistance@aamc.org or 202-828-0600.
Do not submit an Error Explanation Letter for income or aid that was already correctly listed.
Note: An Error Explanation Letter cannot be used to change your submitted response to the threshold question, “Do you have any living parents?” on your Fee Assistance Program application.
Submitting an Error Explanation letter does not guarantee the application data will be changed, nor does it prevent an investigation if the application contains incomplete, incorrect, or inaccurate information. Refer to the Violations and Investigations section for details.