<p>Hello everyone, my first post. I'm currently on information overload from various info on the web. </p>
<p>I currently got engaged (yay!). Now the bad news.</p>
<p>After we get married, my fiance will be on her last year of undergrad. Her parents are pretty much "after your married, shes yours", so this includes her last year of tuition. Her parents have been paying pretty much cash for her education for the past 3 years. They are very well off and would not qualify for any financial aid. </p>
<p>We are getting married in May, but we want to have the fafsa submitted by early january. So one of the questions I have is - since we are applying for her last school year that starts after we are married, on the fafsa, should we just fill in "married" so she can be an independant (even though we are not technically married at the time of filing the fafsa)? Is there any negatives to doing this that I should be concerned about? Anything her parents need to do for their current years taxes?</p>
<p>Basically, I make about 30k a year. She doesnt work at all due to health issues. And we want her to be able to finish school after we are married without interruption. Trying to use my income as the main EFC. I dont mind aid in the form of loans, but she must finish school!</p>
<p>Thank you all in advance that you've read my ramble, I hope you guys can help shine some light. I considered calling her schools financial aid office, but kind of lost for words on what to ask (im shy), so I figured I can get your advise first ^^,</p>
<p>She needs to find out whether or not her parents will help her pay for her last year of college, or if indeed she will be on her own after getting married. It may make sense for you to delay the wedding by one year so that she can first complete her education.</p>
<p>She should be handling this as the FA office will not discuss your fiancee’s situation with you due to privacy laws. If she files FAFSA before she’s legally married, she will have to use her parents’ income information. The FAFSA instructions bar “projecting” marital status and specifically ask “As of today are you married?” </p>
<p>If she were to file as an independent student after your wedding with a spousal income of $30K, I don’t think she’s going to be awarded much in the way of federal aid other than loans. You can certainly run one of the online EFC calculators or use this guide to estimate what your EFC would be:</p>
<p>As a senior, she would be eligible for $7500 if she’s considered a dependent student…it’s a few thousand higher for independents. So, depending on what her tuition and expenses are, you might be looking at taking private student loans. Availability and rates are probably going to depend on how creditworthy her cosigner is.</p>
<p>OP-
You need to start earning more $$.
Will your insurance cover your wife?
She needs to take a full load of classes to take advantage of her parents’ last semester coverage of the tuition.
Unless you have plenty of savings, you may not be able to borrow enough to cover her tuition.</p>
<p>Student status is no longer a requirement for dependent insurance. Health Care Reform stipulates that children up to the age of 26 must be eligible for coverage on their parents’ insurance.</p>
<p>Even if you guys were to quietly go to a justice of the peace right before filing FAFSA, so you can indicate that you’re married, you may end up with a lower EFC, but if this school isn’t good with aid, you may get little to nothing.</p>
<p>I think you need to square things with the parents. Do they want their D to graduate? If you are able to explain to them that she will not get the aid she needs, so she may not be able to graduate, they may change their tune.</p>
<p>Reading between the lines, I’m guessing that your fiancee is pregnant (which is why you don’t want to delay the marriage). If that’s the case, then is that the real reason why the parents are pulling the checkbook flag?</p>
<p>So what your saying is, she cannot claim to be married for the sake of filing the fafsa before our wedding date?</p>
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<p>Running the EFC calculator, my number came up to $2200 for the year. @ 30k joint income, that isnt enough to qualify for the grants? Im perfectly fine with loans that would cover her tuition whether it be subsidized or not.</p>
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<p>I’m a bit confused on this. The $7500 eligible that your talking about, is that as a loan from the fafsa application? Her tuition alone is about 23k/year (out of state school, Virginia Commonwealth University). In terms of private loans, Im not opposed to that as well. I would be cosigning with credit rating of 740.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids</p>
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<p>Her School is VCU, Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Im not sure how well her school meets need? Is there a way to find out? Funny we actually thought about just winging it with the courtroom.</p>
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<p>Of course they want their daughter to graduate, but trying to explain to them that I can’t afford her tuition in one way or another is simply unbelievable lol. The matter of fact is, yes- I can, if push came to shove, pay her entire tuition in cash for her last year, but that leaves me pretty stretched. You may be thinking, but your only making $30k per year. This is true according to my 2010 tax returns, which is the tax return that I would like to use. This is due to my starting of my business 2 years prior and still was able to offset income with losses. But if I had to use 2011 returns to file, then my income would be closer to $100k/yr which I know would be unfavorable to get any grants.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention, the term that we would apply the fafsa for is fall 2012-spring 2013.</p>
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<p>Oh goodness no lol! She is not pregnant and we do not live together. Her parents are very traditional/old school/stubborn whichever tag you want to apply. Their mentality is, if Im going to marry her, then shes my responsibility - period. Which in a sense I can understand, but I was always raised in a way where education of the child is the parents reponsibility. I won’t dispute their argument because I can see their point. Its either pay for her school too, or don’t get married until her school is over with. I choose the pay for her school option. </p>
<p>Im posting here for assistance not because I cannot afford my soon to be wife as Battlo seems to have implied, but because I do not wish to give up a large sum of cash during a year of business growth for my company.</p>
<p>I thank you all for your great responses and looking forward to more!</p>
<p>Since your fiancee isn’t pregnant, why do you have to get married before she graduates from College? </p>
<p>* You may be thinking, but your only making $30k per year. This is true according to my 2010 tax returns, which is the tax return that I would like to use. This is due to my starting of my business 2 years prior and still was able to offset income with losses. But if I had to use 2011 returns to file, then my income would be closer to $100k/yr which I know would be unfavorable to get any grants.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>**Oh WAIT…you’ll have to use your 2011 earnings…not the 2010 earnings. ** You’re asking for aid for the 2012 school year. </p>
<p>OK…no grants. You’ll get about a $11,000 loan and the rest you’ll have to pay yourself.</p>
<p>Anyway…if you do marry, then file FAFSA, you’ll still have to pay a LOT.</p>
<p>Right, no filing as married until you’re legally hitched. Which isn’t really an issue unless her school has grant money available and she misses the priority deadline to file. She needs to have that conversation with her FA office to find out what the impact would be once she has a realistic estimate of her EFC.</p>
<p>The $2200 EFC looks low to me based on what other independent students have posted here…did you follow the formula guide or do an online calculator? Definitely include your assets and 2011 income/taxes. She might check with her department to see if there are any scholarships available and/or look for a paid internship/assistantship. The Stafford loan limit for independent seniors is $12K.</p>
<p>OP-
My reply was based on the info you had revealed in your initial posting.
Now that you’ve filled in more of the picture, the posters can specifically answer your FA questions.
Good luck.</p>
<p>The $2200 EFC looks low to me based on what other independent students have posted here…</p>
<p>Actually, now we know he was trying to use his 2010 earnings ($30k), instead of his 2011 earnings which will be about $100k. So, his EFC is going to be super high…no aid except a student loan. </p>
<p>So, they can get married in May, file FAFSA, since all they would get is a student loan anyway.</p>
<p>Jeez, getting somebody else to pay for your fiance’s education can be tough.</p>
<p>Short story: tell the truth on your FA apps . . . FAFSA allows you some ability to claim special circumstances (although FYI the “but I just recently started earning 100k per year” story may not get your aid increased too much) </p>
<p>After the award comes in you’ll see whether you like it or not . . . if you don’t then carefully prepare an honest case for why she should get more aid that includes any changed circumstnaces (e.g., she used to be a dependent of her fairly well off parents but now she’s part of a marriage that only earns in the top 25% of all households in the country so we need more aid . . . uummmm, second thought, strike that last part . . that’s just for your own context here.)</p>
<p>*Student status is no longer a requirement for dependent insurance. Health Care Reform stipulates that children up to the age of 26 must be eligible for coverage on their parents’ insurance. *</p>
<p>Not true if the child gets married. Also, at this point each state still differs on the age limit of the child that insurers must cover.</p>
<p>The letter I received from HR states that Health Care Reform only applies to health ins. To keep my kids over 19 on my Rx, glasses & dental I still have to fax in confirmation of student status each semester.</p>
<p>*
Not true if the child gets married. Also, at this point each state still differs on the age limit of the child that insurers must cover. *</p>
<p>this guy needs to be sure that his fiancee’s “health issues” are covered somewhere…either with her parents (when she’s married) or with his plan. since she has a pre-existing condition and he’s self-employed, who knows what he might get charged if he adds her to his plan.</p>
<p>It sounds like her parents live in a different state than where she and her new H will be living…so how that will all work out may be odd. </p>
<p>Can you cover a married child who is living in another state?</p>
<p>Whoa! I was wrong! This is essentially correct: *Student status is no longer a requirement for dependent insurance. Health Care Reform stipulates that children up to the age of 26 must be eligible for coverage on their parents’ insurance. * Even if the child gets married, he or she is still eligible for coverage on their parents’ insurance. </p>
<p>OP, you are seriously coming here and asking of it is ok to committ fraud by putting on the FAFSA that you are married when you are not? Really?</p>
<p>Reality check time. When your GF changes her status from “single” to “married” on the FAFSA as an undergrad you can absolutely expect a demand for a copy of the valid marriage license dated prior to the FAFSA filing date. Since you won’t be able to produce it you have committed fraud and can expect legal issues galore. </p>
<p>Our family rule is if you can’t 100% support your new family then you are not ready to be married.</p>
<p>I’d check carefully about married person getting medical insurance. My understanding is that only UNMARRIED children can remain covered under parents’ insurance and that it can differ among states until it is fully implemented (depending on many factors). Would have your GF/Fiancee with her folks about whether they will allow her to remain on their policy or what coverage you will get for her–it may be quite expensive PLUS it may not have the protection you think it does, which can be VERY important since she has “medical issues.”</p>
<p>The things you are posting sound like they need a LOT of clarification. Would definitely recommend you & fiance sort them all out before insisting on your wedding date of May 2012. Can’t imagine you getting FAid with income of $100K for a married couple, except possible work study and/or loans; can’t see how you could use the $30K income.</p>
<p>I’m still stuck on if she’s not pregnant, then why not wait until she finishes her degree before you get married. One year of what could be afifty year or sixty or more year marriage is a drop in the proverbial time bucket.</p>