Working on FAFSA, benefit of answering parental questions

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Hello,

I am filling out the FAFSA and was perplexed by the questions about parents portion. I am an independent as I am 28. On the application, there is the option to answer questions about my parents, totally optional. The form says that medical professionals (nursing students included) couldbenefit from answering these.

I saw somewhere on the internets that it is for a special, lower interest rate loan. That sounds great, but if they make too much, could it also potentially disqualify me for other types of aid, such as scholarships and school funding? Or, would not answering reduce my chances of getting assistance from the school, University of Washington?

One parent is retired, and the other will be retiring this year.

I plan on contacting the school of nursing's financial advisor to obtain custom tailored guidance, but I am still wondering what your experiences are with this process.

Thank you for any help!

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I'm sure the UW financial aid office will be very happy to help you get the best package all around, and they know who's a reputable lender and who's sorta too good to be true.

Enjoy your time at Pacific and Montlake!

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I have run into this question before as well. I was told the benefit would be if your parents have a low income, you may get more assistance. I do not know this to be fact but I was told verbally by someone in a financial aid office.

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Thanks for the replies! I assume that a low income would be most beneficial, but I wonder if a moderate parental income would hurt me more. Not sure. I suppose I should just wait to complete this until the beginning of the week when I can talk to someone here. Thanks!

If anyone has any other input about this, it'd be great!

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