2025-2026 FAFSA for accelerated BS/MD program

[retire2020]

My son is in accelerated BS/MD(7 years) program at UF. He is currently in 3rd year and will start Med School in fall 2025. However, he will only be awarded BS degree after he finishes first year of Med School so in Summer of 2026 - Basically his M1 year will be counted towards both BS and Med school.

How should we file his FAFSA - as undergrad or grad student? He is eligible for pell, fseog, aotc and florida orange/blue but if we have to file him as 'graduate/doctorate' student then we will lose all of them as they are only for undergraduate studies - about a loss of $15K.

Now if we are asked to file him as undergrad then I assume we will get all of the above scholarship but then stafford loan would be max of $7500(being 4th year undergrad student) but he will have to pay actual Med School tuition($42K) - so a shortage of $35K in Med School stafford loan.

I would prefer to get all the scholarships/grants as undergrad even though limited stafford($7.5K vs $42K) loan will be offered.

Any ideas or suggestions how should we prepare to file his FAFSA which opens on Oct 1st/Dec 1st for the 2025-2026 school year?

 

[Texas Proud]

Well, congrats to your son...

I have no idea on this but what is his future going to include? I have a nephew who is a Dr and just this year got his HUGE loans forgiven as he has been working in an under served area where he qualified for forgiveness.... IIRC it was 10 years... he knew before hand this was his plan so it worked like he intended..

IF your DS plans this I would go the loan route... but it is hard to pass on $15K 'free' money...

 

[Koolau]

Too long since we helped fill out a FAFSA but don't they have a web site (probably with a chat feature?)

 

[retire2020]

Thanks Texas Proud! PSLF is a long shot and who knows what will govt do by the time son graduates. There is a huge opportunity cost for this profession as it takes almost 10-12 years after 4 years of college(bs degree) to make any decent money and start saving some after making loan payments. My daughter just finished Med school, was on SAVE plan to pay her loan back but now in a bigger mess with SAVE in limbo.

I will reach out to his FA office later this month to get an actual guidance if there is any.

 

[cxr133]

Now if we are asked to file him as undergrad then I assume we will get all of the above scholarship but then stafford loan would be max of $7500(being 4th year undergrad student) but he will have to pay actual Med School tuition($42K) - so a shortage of $35K in Med School stafford loan.


my son finished med school, in 2019. If remember correctly since they cannot work he will get offered a cost of living loan to make up the difference ( if they dont qualify for any grants or scholarships.)

it was also my understanding by that time they become independant and you (as the parents ) dont have to fill out FAFSA anymore or have expected parent contribution you had in undergrad

 

[retire2020]

"it was also my understanding by that time they become independant and you (as the parents ) dont have to fill out FAFSA anymore or have expected parent contribution you had in undergrad"

I know starting his M2 year, he will be considered independent and us parents wont have to fill any information on FAFSA but only help he will get will be in some form of loans - pell/fseog/orange-blue/aotc all tied to ug studies and he wont qualify for them.