| Filing the
Application
1. Why does NMF require so much detailed information
from applicants?
2. Does a student filing a renewal application
have to provide all of the information that was required with the first-time application?
3. Can I apply for a need-based scholarship more than once?
4. Do California residents who qualify for the California scholarships
have to submit any additional information other than the NMF application?
5. The college my sibling is attending will not release the "verification
of enrollment form" until my sibling registers for classes. Will my application
still be considered if I cannot get the information in by the June 30 deadline
date?
6. I have been wait-listed for admission to medical
school and will not know what my status is until some time in August. Can I still
apply for NMF need-based scholarship support?
7. I am enrolled
in a dual-degree [BA/MD, BS/MD] program: am I eligible for NMF support?
Questions
regarding the financial documentation
8. My parents are
divorced; do I have to provide income information for the non-custodial parent?
9. My parents are divorced and one/each has remarried. Whose income
information should I provide?
10. But both parents file
joint income tax returns with their current spouses; I don't think my stepparents'
incomes should affect my eligibility.
11. My parents did/will
not file taxes for the year 2000. How will this affect my chances of receiving
a scholarship?
12. What are the chances of receiving financial
support if my total family income exceeds $65,000? Questions
regarding race, ethnicity and citizenship
13. I was born
in the United States (or a US protectorate), as were my parents. Do I have to
provide proof of citizenship?
14. What does NMF consider
acceptable proof of United States citizenship?
15. I qualify
as an American Indian, but do not have "proof." How can I obtain proof?
16. I am (some number above ¼ quantum) American Indian;
do I qualify for NMF support? Questions regarding dependent/independent
status
17. I have been classified as independent by my
school and/or the federal government; why must I provide documentation of income
for my parents in order to qualify for NMF scholarship assistance?
18.
My parents have been separated for years, but have not divorced. Can I submit
a notarized letter stating such?
19. I was a ward of the
state until I became an emancipated adult. Though I know where my biological parents
are, I do not think I should have to provide verification of income.
20.
I am well over twenty-one years of age, have been employed full-time and living
on my own for [a period no less than 2] years. Must I still submit income information
for my parents?
21. I do not receive support from, nor
do I know the whereabouts of my mother/father; what do I submit as proof?
22. I live with my grandparents, who live on disability/social
security/retirement income; are they required to provide income information?
23. But, what if my parent(s) will not provide the necessary information? Questions
regarding the Financial Aid Transcipt
24. My undergraduate
college will not complete the Financial Aid Transcript. What should I do?
1. Why does NMF require so much detailed
information from applicants?
Without benefit of large endowment funds,
NMF must annually raise the money it distributes to students. We have a fiduciary
responsibility to make sure that the funds we receive are distributed equitably
and to the students with the greatest, documented financial need, taking into
consideration all of the applicant's resources-including parental and spousal
support, available assets, and grants and scholarships the applicant is receiving
through the medical school and other sources. NMF does not consider educational
loans when calculating financial need. 2. Does a student
filing a renewal application have to provide all of theinformation that was required
with the first-time application?
a. Those students who received NMF funding
in 2002-2003 and are reapplying for 2003-2004 need only provide the financial
information necessary to determine continuing financial need or eligibility, i.e.,
2002 tax returns (personal, parents' and spouse's) with appropriate schedules,
W-2 forms, or proof of non-taxable income, if applicable.
b. Students who
applied in 2002-2003 but were denied assistance for financial reasons, and are
petitioning for reconsideration, need to provide the same information as renewing
students (see "a").
c. Students who were denied assistance because
their applications were incomplete need to submit the information missing from
the original application as well as all the information required in "a."
d. Students who were denied assistance because they were not citizens at
the time of application must provide proof of citizenship as well as all the information
required in "a." 3. Can I apply for a need-based
scholarship more than once?
Yes, you can renew your need-based scholarship
as long as you do not advance beyond the second year in medical school. 4.
Do California residents who qualify for the California scholarships have to submit
any additional information other than the NMF application?
That depends
on the scholarship for which you are applying. Please refer to the program descriptions
in Need-based Scholarships for California Residents. 5.
The college my sibling is attending will not release the "verification of
enrollment form" until my sibling registers for classes. Will my application
still be considered if I cannot get the information in by the June 30 deadline
date?
Yes, as long as all of the other required application materials
are received by the June 30 deadline date, and the verification form is submitted
no later than September 1. 6. I have been wait-listed
for admission to medical school and will not know what my status is until some
time in August. Can I still apply for NMF need-based scholarship support?
Yes, you may still submit an application for assistance; however, you must include
a copy of the official communication from the school advising of your changed
status in order for your application to be given consideration. 7.
I am enrolled in a dual-degree [BA/MD, BS/MD] program: am I eligible for NMF support?
Yes, however, you will not be eligible to apply for this or other NMF awards until
you have entered the third year of your program. 8.
My parents are divorced; do I have to provide income information for the non-custodial
parent?
Yes 9. My parents are divorced and one/each
has remarried. Whose income information should I provide?
Provide the
income information for just your biological parents. 10.
But both parents file joint income tax returns with their current spouses; I don't
think my stepparents' incomes should affect my eligibility.
Be sure to
include the W-2 forms for each of your biological parents with the required tax
returns; NMF will make the necessary adjustments. 11.
My parents did/will not file taxes for the year 2002. How will this affect my
chances of receiving a scholarship?
NMF will waive this requirement on
a case by case basis, and only with acceptable documentation accompanied by your
parents' W-2 forms. 12. What are the chances of receiving
financial support if my total family income exceeds $65,000?
Like the
lottery, "you have to be in it to win it." 13.
I was born in the United States (or a US protectorate), as were my parents. Do
I have to provide proof of citizenship?
No: you are required to provide
citizenship only if you, or one of your parents were born outside of the United
States (or a US protectorate). 14. What does NMF consider
acceptable proof of United States citizenship?
A United States birth certificate;
a current, United States passport; a copy of your INS certificate of naturalization
(not a notice of intent to file); a voter's registration card. 15.
I qualify as an American Indian, but do not have "proof." How can I
obtain proof?
a. If you are descendent of a tribe "recognized"
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs you must apply through BIA for a number.
b. If you cannot obtain BIA certification then you can submit
1. A letter
from the tribal council (on official stationery)
2. Documentation of ancestry
(i.e. birth records or birth certificates for parents or grandparents) 16.
I am (some number above ¼ quantum) American Indian; do I qualify for NMF
support?
If you possess acceptable proof: see the answers to question
15. 17. I have been classified as independent by my
school and/or the federal government; why must I provide documentation of income
for my parents in order to qualify for NMF scholarship assistance?
NMF
is an independent agency that is not required to use the same methods to determine
need as the medical schools or the federal government. 18.
My parents have been separated for years, but have not divorced. Can I submit
a notarized letter stating such?
No, a notary can only verify that the
signature on the letter is authentic, not its contents. You must submit a letter
from the family attorney; however, NMF will, at its own discretion, accept a letter,
written on appropriate stationery, from the family pastor, parish priest, imam,
rabbi or the like. 19. I was a ward of the state until
I became an emancipated adult. Though I know where my biological parents are,
I do not think I should have to provide verification of income.
That is
correct, however, you must provide legal documentation from the appropriate state
agency, verifying your status. 20. I am well over twenty-one
years of age, have been employed full-time and living on my own for [a period
no less than 2] years. Must I still submit income information for my parents?
No. However, NMF reserves the right to review your parents' income information
if we note any discrepancies in the application information. 21.
I do not receive support from, nor do I know the whereabouts of my mother/father;
what do I submit as proof?
You must submit a letter from the family attorney;
however, NMF will, at its discretion, accept a letter, written on appropriate
stationery, from the family pastor, parish priest, imam, rabbi, or the like. 22.
I live with my grandparents, who live on disability/social security/retirement
income; are they required to provide income information?
Yes; however,
you must also provide documented, i.e., legal proof that your grandparents are
your legal guardians. 23. But, what if my parent(s)
will not provide the necessary information?
NMF responds to this particular
issue on a case-by-case basis. 24. My undergraduate
college will not complete the Financial Aid Transcript. What should I do?
If
the financial aid office is not longer completing the Financial Aid Transcipt,
please print out and submit to NMF your student loan history using the National
Student Load Data System at http://www.nslds.ed.gov/ | 
