Can Parental Information Be Included On the FAFSA For the Health Professions Student Aid Programs?

Only for a dependent student. Effective with the 2024-25 award year, an independent student will not be able to include parental information on the FAFSA because it is not necessary for the administration of the Title IV federal student aid programs. If the parent starts the FAFSA process before the independent student, the parental information still will not be used in the student aid index (SAI) calculation once the student completes their section.

NASFAA has been in discussions with the U.S. Department of Education (ED), and it is ED's understanding that the FAFSA Simplification Act prohibits questions on the FAFSA that are not required to administer the Title IV federal student aid programs. Unfortunately, this does not include the health professions student aid programs through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Any change to the FAFSA permitting parental information for independent students will require an act of Congress, so you can always reach out to your respective congressional representatives to lobby for that change. That said, you should plan an alternative way to collect the necessary parental information.

The requirement to collect parental information for some of the HRSA programs is a HRSA requirement, not a statutory one. However, HRSA has indicated that they do not plan to change their requirements at this time.