<p>Daughter graduates in May 2011 with her bachelors and has applied to various Master’s programs. Does she file FAFSA or is it for undergraduate education only? Not much assistance from the schools in which she has applied. Thanks in advance. She’s only 21.</p>
<p>Yes, she files the FAFSA. Because she has completed her first bachelors, she will be considered an independent student. This means that she will not need to use your income and assets when applying for financial aid.
However, be aware that for most Masters programs financial aid is in the form of student loans as now your daughter can now borrow up to the full cost of her education. She can borrow up to 20k in stafford loans and the balance in GradPlus loans.</p>
<p>She should be looking for master’s programs that offer assistantships. Those are the primary financial aid mechanisms for graduate students</p>
<p>She’s looking into assistance programs but knows she’ll need to borrow a considerable amount. Fortunately she’s graduating without any loans thus far. If she’s considered an independent student with her bachelor’s, if she lives in a state for a year prior to enrolling, would she be eligible for in-state tuition?</p>
<p>She should double-check it with the U in question. Some states do require hard evidence that the person is indeed self-supporting in order to qualify for in-state tuition.</p>