If someone isn’t getting any need based aid, but they are getting merit aid, and they get married while still an undergraduate, what happens?
They will continue to get their merit aid.
Does your college guarantee to meet full need for all students? If so, a married student might receive some need based aid. BUT remember, your merit aid actually reduces your need.
If your college does not meet full need for all, you might not see any additional need based aid.
And remember, don’t get married just for financial aid benefit. @kelsmom
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I am not in college yet, but let’s imagine that I am at a college that meets full need.
My boyfriend and I have been together a long time, and we were planning to get married after college graduation, but now we are wondering if it would make sense to get married earlier so we graduate with less debt.
Likely if you get need, merit it goes away dollar for dollar.
Run the NPC as married. And find out if your school allows a change of status for aid purposes.
I would never get married for this reason - and I would avoid any school putting you in significant debt. If it is, you chose the wrong school- over $7k a year is too much in my opinion because alternatives abound.
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I wouldn’t be getting married for this reason it would just be the reason I would get married early.
It would really be helpful if you tell us more about your individual situation, as well as your BF’s. What school? Parents’ income (low enough for a Pell Grant?). Your and your BF’s financial situation (529 accounts? Significant savings? Good earnings - some high school kids earn a lot)? There is a lot to say on the subject, but the more we know about how it might affect your situation, the more succinct the answer can be.
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Actually…if you get merit, your need based aid would likely be reduced. Because the merit aid you receive would reduce your financial need.
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Yes. Same effect but I reversed.
@kelsmom how much can parents contribute toward married students who are independent for financial aid purposes.
- I don’t think the parents can any longer declare these students as dependents. Is that correct. The parents would need to be on board with that.
- What about things like car insurance?
- What about housing costs?
To @DCDC will both of you hope to attend colleges that meet full need for all? Otherwise, this might not benefit you as much as you think it will.
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Students are automatically independent for financial aid if married. With the new FAFSA rules, questions about gifts/money from others are no longer asked (part of the simplification process). The issue is that often, it doesn’t make a difference in aid if a student is married … and for students with low income parents, it can sometimes result in less aid if they’re married (due to differences in assessing the availability of income and assets for college between the parent and the independent student formulas). And some private schools have policies that require parent information for married students who would not otherwise be independent due to age, while others won’t reassess eligibility for institutional aid if a student marries during college.
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I am very lucky. My parents have good jobs and they have saved a lot. When I run the NPC’s, it comes out that I don’t get aid, even at Princeton which I have heard has she best aid. They told me my budget is $400K, which sounds like I lot but I want to go to medical school so my goal is to save a lot of it for medical school.
I plan to apply to a lot of schools that offer good merit. But I love a few super reachy schools that don’t offer merit, particularly Penn and Georgetown. My BF says I should apply and if I get in we can just get married.
My parents are skeptical of this plan.
What’s your boyfriend going to be doing?
Re: Medical school…you are in high school now. Applying to medical school is at least four years away for you. You might not actually even end up going to medical school.
You are fortunate that your parents can fund your undergrad education. My free advice…consider that a wonderful gift and take it.
What happens if your BF doesn’t get accepted to a college close to where you do?
If you are a competitive applicant for places like Penn and Georgetown, you probably can get great merit aid at many schools.
Would you like some suggestions? If so, please complete the chance me/match me template answering all the questions. This will give folks the guidance to help you.
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Will your BF be going to college as well?
As a parent of young adults, I can understand this. Have you worked thru the pros and cons of being married while in college, as well as potentially medical school and residency?
Will your parents still fund your education to the tune of $400K if you did get married during undergrad?
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While I don’t know for a fact, I assume that schools like Penn and Georgetown will require parent information for a married student who is not otherwise independent due to age. I honestly don’t believe that getting married will help you get aid, and I think that getting married so young could bring some unanticipated complications in your life that could actually hinder your ability to do well in school.
Be a student. There will be time for marriage later. Take it from someone who has known her husband almost 50 years & waited until I graduated from college before I got married.
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Fortunately for you, kids get into medical school from many, many colleges. You needn’t attend a top flight school for that.
I was a patient at Vandy in Radiology - and here’s where the residents went to school (first two year residents):l - so Gtown or Princeton aren’t needed.
Auburn
CWRU
Florida A&M
Florida State
Fordham
Lipscomb
Luther
Murray State
Northern Illinois
Pitt
Princeton
Tulane
Tuskegee
U North Carolina
U Puerto Rico
U Tennessee
Duke Medical - this was just the early letters of the last names of the alphabet
Arkansas
Michigan
UNC
Princeton
Rochester
South Florida
Southeastern Louisiana
Texas
Taking it further to Johns Hopkins - resident undergrads:
JHU
UMD
UMBC
U Miami
Morgan State
South Carolina
TCNJ
U of Puerto Rico
UT Dallas
Towson
Vandy
and more
He is also a rising senior. Our plan is that we will pick a few big cities where we each have several options. Then hopefully we will end up with some options that are close to each other.
For example, I like Penn and Drexel and Temple. Obviously Penn is a reach but Drexel and Temple seem likely to work out both financially and acceptance wise. He likes Temple, and a few other Philly schools.
DC is the same, we each have several choices in the area. Pittsburgh is another city we both like.
Both sets of parents are insistent that we each live on our respective campus for freshman year so if we did get married it would be after that.
What’s the hurry? You’re kids.
Who you think you’ll marry - I dated a girl four years. She was the one - til she wasn’t.
Life is long - and financial aid is not a reason to get married.
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Of course that is true. But if I choose a school that costs less, and graduate with extra money that’s still not a bad thing. I can go to grad school in another area, or transfer it to my little brother, or save it to send my own kids to college one day. But if the reverse happens. And I get into med school and can’t afford to go that would be very sad.
Lots of schools $50k and less. If this is a concern, then choose one vs the pricey wants with a hope for of aid.
Then if you go to grad school of any type, you’ll have money without the strain.
Don’t get married, and definitely don’t get married for a break in financial aid. Live your lives. Each of you should go to the best college for you – maybe that will be in the same school or in the same city, and maybe it won’t. You both have a lot of growing up to do. And maybe you’ll grow together, or maybe you’ll grow apart – either way, you’ll do the best for each other if you just let it happen. Don’t let a relationship limit your other opportunities (internships in other cities, study abroad, or whatever it is). This is a time in your life when you can and should be a little selfish, and that’s completely okay. Take advantage of it, because one day, you won’t have that luxury. So stay together (or don’t) as long as it makes sense, but each of you should follow your own path. If your paths converge later – great. If they don’t – also great. Whether or not your relationship lasts, you both deserve (and owe each other) a lot of room to figure out who you are.
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