Top Law Schools

I noticed that Penn asks for both the FAFSA and the Need Access forms...

Does anyone know if any other schools require both?

Yes: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Chicago, GULC, UCLA (I'm sure there's more)

No: Duke, UVa (more here too I'm sure)

These are the ones that I looked at.

Thanks! Anyone know why they require both? Is it to get parents' info?

I believe the Need Access considers you a dependent (and therefore you have to provide your parents info) unless you are turning 30 or older during your first year of law school, you are a veteran, or a couple other things.

The FASFA considers you independent at a much younger age. I think its at like 24.

So basically yes, those schools that require both are going to look at your parents info unless you fit one of the criteria for the Need Access to make you an independent.

Sucks for me because I am going to be turning 29, I'm married and my parents wouldn't even pay for undergrad! But, according to the Need Access, I still have to provide my parents financial information.

Hey for the need access, should you wait until you get your W-2's and stuff this year before filling it out? Or is ok to use the info from last year like in the FAFSA and just update it as you begin to file your taxes and other stuff??

Also, some schools say they only need parental info from needaccess if you're under 25, others (northwestern) want parental info no matter what your age. How does that work if you fill out needaccess with multiple schools listed? You're going to be compelled to enter parental $$$ info if even one school requires it, then the other schools get to see it anyway.

I believe that as long as you are financing a graduate degree, the FAFSA considers you an independent anyway. Am I completely wrong on this?

FromRussiaWithLove wrote:I believe that as long as you are financing a graduate degree, the FAFSA considers you an independent anyway. Am I completely wrong on this?

That's correct. However, some schools also require what's called a needaccess form. The needaccess considers pretty much everyone under 30 to be a dependent of their parents for financial purposes. Some schools allow you to skip the parental section on the needaccess form if you're 25 or older; others do not. So what I'm asking is: how does it help that some schools don't ask for parental info on the needaccess form for 25+ yrs old candidates, if other schools do? I'm compelled to enter parental info to satisfy requirments for Northwestern Law, so now all of the other schools get my parents info to consider anyway

I don't wear boat shoes and polos if you get my meaning, but still my parents obviously earn a lot more than I do, and they have not supported me financially in any way since age 18. I hope the needaccess age issue doesn't hurt me.

poprox wrote:Also, some schools say they only need parental info from needaccess if you're under 25, others (northwestern) want parental info no matter what your age. How does that work if you fill out needaccess with multiple schools listed? You're going to be compelled to enter parental $$$ info if even one school requires it, then the other schools get to see it anyway.

Michigan specifically says they ignore that section if you've filled it out for another school.

Anyway, every school requires the FAFSA for loans since you can't qualify for federal loans without it. Any school that also requires Need Access by default requires both.

Edit: I was under the impression that most schools don't use FAFSA for anything other than loans, too. At least, the ones that I've applied to and looked at the financial aid info for either require NeedAccess or have their own form (like Duke).

I'm not 100% sure on this but I don't think every school sees every answer you put into Need Access, just the questions they are interested in. So if you put in your parents info for one school, that doesn't mean everyone else sees it.

Also, I don't think they can consider info like parental income if they don't ask for it from all students or at least a specific group of students like all who are < 30.