Fed Financial

Will getting married mess up financial aid?

My fiance and I are planning on getting married in July 2008, he currently goes to a 4 year university and gets alot of financial aid. He has 1.5 yrs left there and then he plans on going to graduate school. If we get married will he get less financial aid to help him pay for school? thanks!

Public Comments

1. Your incomes will be combined on the financial aid forms...and depending on how much money you make...it may make him inelligible for further financial aid. It is possible...consult a student advisor.
2. I will go through this one next year since I just got married, but I would think that you would be eligible for more (especially if you are under 25 and have to use your parents taxes)
3. nope, it wont mess it up at all. if anything, you will probably get more. me and my wife both attended a 4 yr school and we receieved much more after we got married. we were already getting alot as well but after we married our financial aid increased. so, i'm thinking he wont get any less than what he is now and it may increase. (it should increase!)
4. There are a few factors to consider: 1) The date he completes the FAFSA. 2) Your combined income. 3) are you going to school as well? For #1: if he completes the FAFSA prior to your marriage, your information will not be considered for his 0809 financial aid. When you complete the FAFSA, you need to provide information for the date it is signed. Most schools will have their priority filling deadline for the 0809 year sometime in the spring - well before your marriage. For #2: Are you working? If so, then your income will become a factor when the FAFSA is computed to determine his EFC (Expected Family Contribution). Again, though, if the FAFSA is completed prior to your wedding, then it will not be a factor for the 0809 aid year, but will for 0910. For #3: the FAFSA asks for household members, and of those, how many are in college. If you are both going to college and neither work, then he may have a lower EFC and be able to receive more aid (again, though, see #1). He should talk to a financial aid officer at his school for more information. Good luck!
5. caba has an excellent answer. Id like to add a few things. It depends on what you consider "financial aid' many people consider only the free grants as fin aid, but if he doesn't qualify for them now... say he's getting only loans, then getting married shouldn't effect his loan amounts much... just maybe the type of loan he gets. (From Subsidized to Unsubsidized) If getting married changes him from a dependent (under 24 years old reporting parents income) to a dependent person, the amounts he is able to borrow increases considerably. If he qualifies for grants currently and you get married he may not qualify for them after marriage based on your statement in a previous question you posted..."I've been at my position 5 years and make good money". If you don't know how much of his fin aid is loans and how much he's borrowed so far, you need to find out.... before you get married. Here is a good publication about fin aid.