Five Things to Know About AAMC Fee Assistance

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) developed the  AAMC Fee Assistance Program to remove barriers to attending medical school by offsetting some of the application costs. The program helps people who, without financial assistance, would be unable to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and apply to medical schools using the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

Here are five things you need to know about the 2024 AAMC Fee Assistance Program:  

  1. The AAMC Fee Assistance Program now includes an Electronic Residency Application (ERAS) application benefit. Beginning with the 2024-2025 ERAS application season, the program will expand to include residency applicants who were previously approved for the Fee Assistance Program benefits during their medical school application process. These qualifying applicants will automatically receive a 60 percent fee discount on up to 50 ERAS applications. Learn more about the new ERAS benefit and all benefits of the Fee Assistance Program.
  2. To be eligible for the Fee Assistance Program, applicants are required to fulfill three requirements: 1) You must have a U.S. home address. 2) Each household reported on your application must have a 2023 total family income that is equal to or less than 400 percent of the 2023 national poverty level for that family size. 3)  You must be preparing to apply to medical school. Specifically, applicants for AAMC Fee Assistance must not be currently accepted or enrolled in any medical school; have graduated from medical school; or be preparing to apply for residency.
  3. Applicants who are 26 and over do not need to submit their parents’ financial information. If an applicant is 26 on the day their application is submitted, they will not have to submit their parental financial information.
  4. AAMC Fee Assistance Program benefits are not retroactive. If you are awarded fee assistance benefits, you can’t apply your benefits to previous registrations or purchases. For example, if you register for the MCAT exam, submit your AMCAS application, or purchase a prep product before you receive their benefits, you will not be reimbursed or receive the discounted rate.
  5. Some medical schools waive secondary application fees for fee assistance recipients. Schools include this information in their Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) profiles. This information can be found under the “Secondary application” – “Fee Waiver Ability” section of MSAR. 

The 2024 Fee Assistance Program application is now open. You can find the recording of the opening program webinar held on Jan. 30 on the AAMC website. If you have any additional questions about the Fee Assistance Program, contact fap@aamc.org.