<p>According to the college(s), the FAFSA definition of need IS the definition of need. Your girlfriend would have NO need if she attended a college that her parents were willing to pay for. Pepperdine is NOT that school. </p>
<p>I’m sorry to sound harsh, but I do believe that the boyfriend/girlfriend situation is muddying these waters. In my opinion, if you REALLY cared about this girl, you would be helping her realistically get to college, not encouraging her to pursue a pipedream. Pepperdine is NOT going to give her need based aid. Her EFC is $60,000. Her parents are not going to pay for it. End of that part of the story. If YOU give her money, just make sure it doesn’t exceed the allowed amount for a federal gift under tax codes or SHE will have tax issues with that. Oh by the way…that limit will NOT cover the costs per year at Pepperdine.</p>
<p>By the way…if you’re thinking about loans…get over that too. No one is going to give an unsecured loan to an 18 year old in the amount of $50,000. She will need a cosigner with a LOT of collaterol to get that loan. AND $200,000 in debt is way too much for anyone to face upon undergrad graduation.</p>
<p>Time for the girlfriend to MOVE ON…and with your help. Be supportive of her as she makes a decision about college. Encourage her to be realistic and foreward thinking. This is not the time for “wishing” for something that isn’t going to happen. It’s the time for being very realistic in terms of college finances and her future.</p>
<p>I’m going to be blunt. You (the boyfriend) are NOT helping this girl with this problem. You are trying to create hope for aid where there is NO HOPE FOR NEED BASE AID.</p>
<p>There is an element of unfairness in a system that supports and enables some students to go to schools beyond their means, but not other students. As an 18 year old adult, you expect the system to treat you equally and fairly as an adult, but it does not. You have received good advice here. Barring merit or athletic scholarships, there is not a way for an 18 year old adult to come up with the funds for full cost of an expensive private school if they happen to have parents with plenty of money, unless those parents are cooperative and willing to contribute. Fair or unfair, this is the system. If your highest priority is to go to the same school as your girlfriend, then you need to decline Pepperdine in favor of a school she can afford.</p>
<p>Seriously. Get married. Just spend some $$$ on a couple of lawyers to work you guys out a REALLY good pre-nup before hand, okay? It will be worth the investment.</p>
<p>Instant "Independent"status as far as FAFSA goes… But is Pepperdine a Profile school?</p>
<p>Don’t assume this will net you more financial aid. One thing you have to put on your FAFSA is how much is paid on YOUR behalf by others. If they marry, the guy’s income/assets, etc will be considered for the girlfriend. He will need to list the money paid on his behalf by his PARENTS. So whatever they are paying for HIM will be listed on that FAFSA. It might not be any help at all.</p>
<p>Actually, it would be He that has the tax problem. The gift tax is a tax on the Giver, not the Receiver. Also, there are some exceptions to the gift tax for education, but I am not sure if there is a relationship test for that exception (I know grandparents can give an unlimited amount for tutition, and if given directly to the school, is outside the gift tax limits).</p>
<p>Is there more to the story than what you are telling? Her parents are Catholic and may not like to have her daughter going to college far away with a boyfriend before marriage. Is there a reason that they do not want to pay more than 5-10k? It sounds like they can afford a lot more than that, maybe they want her to go to other college instead? What other colleges was she accepted to? Pepperdine can’t be the only school, can it? My advice is no matter how you think that your relationship is so important right now, it is secondary to your and especially her education. Your education should come first, so get your priority straight. I may be off on a tangent here, sorry if that is the case.</p>
<p>There are very few students who don’t foist at least some of the expense of their college education onto others. Any student who receives federal aid is foisting that cost onto the taxpayers. Any student who takes advantage of instate tuition is foisting that cost on the state taxpayers. Any student who receives grant money from the college is foisting that cost onto the college and the full pay students. Any student who has parents paying college costs are foisting that expense onto their parents.</p>