AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP)
The application process for medical school can quickly add up from the costs of the MCAT, application submissions, and traveling for interviews.
The AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP) is an important program to be aware of that may be able to provide financial assistance.
According to the AAMC website:
“The AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP) assists those who, without financial assistance, would be unable to take the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®), apply to medical schools that use the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®).”
Eligibility
FAP is granted to students whose family income is 400 percent or less than the national poverty level. The poverty guidelines are updated yearly and can be found on the AAMC website.
Eligible students can apply once per calendar year and are awarded a maximum of 5 times in their lifetime.
Benefits
MCAT: Reduced registration fee from $330 to $135. Complementary access to MCAT online prep bundle ($268.80 value).
AMCAS: Waived AMCAS fees for one application, covering up to 20 medical school submissions ($987 value). Additional fees apply for each submission beyond the initial 20 schools.
Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) online database: Complimentary 2-year subscription ($36 value)
AAMC PREview™ : Waived registration fee ($100 value).
The benefits begin on the approval date and expire the next calendar year on December 31st. Unused benefits do not roll over to the next calendar year.
The listed benefits are as of December 2022 and may be subject to change. Find the up-to-date details about the benefits here: https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/what-are-benefits-fee-assistance-program
Completing the Application
The application is completed online through AAMC. You can find the application and more details about the program here: https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/fee-assistance-program-fap
Suggested Timeline
According to the AAMC, it can take up to 5 business days for the application to be approved.
Regardless of when your application is approved, your benefits will expire on December 31 of that year. So I recommend applying to FAP as early as you can in the given year that you plan to take the MCAT or submit an AMCAS application. Applying early to FAP gives you sufficient time to process the application, access the study materials through the program, and use the reduced fee in scheduling your exam. You can always apply again for FAP for the subsequent year if the benefits expire.
At a minimum, I suggest applying for the program at least 6 months before your intended MCAT date. Students usually study for the MCAT for 2-6 months, depending on how much dedicated time they have for studying. If you are applying to FAP for the reduced application fee benefits, I suggest applying for the program at a minimum 2 months before AMCAS applications open in May. This will give you plenty of time to get your application approved, and you can spend the next 2 months focusing on your medical school application.
Remember that the MCAT is valid for two to three years (check the details here) so you can apply to FAP one year to take advantage of the MCAT benefits, then apply again in the subsequent year to take advantage of the reduced application fee benefits. You are eligible for FAP 5 times in your lifetime, so you can continue to apply to the program even if you enter multiple medical school application cycles.
Personal Experience
Having used the FAP myself, I found it incredibly helpful. The application process was relatively straightforward - once I had the necessary documents gathered, it was a very quick process.
Overall, I ended up saving a substantial amount of money, which really helped to fund the expensive process of travelling to schools for interviews. I personally did not use the MCAT Official Prep bundle for my MCAT preparations, however the financial assistance provided by the program for both the MCAT registration and the AMCAS application made the FAP a valuable program that made my medical school journey possible.
