Getting Married Just to Get More Financial Aid

Parent Cafe
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<p>I hadn't thought of this, until my very good female friend was joking with me(i'm gay) about loving me and wanting to get married with me, on my way to the financial aid office at my school.</p>

<p>Then I asked myself whether getting married solely to be considered independant on FAFSA worked in a person's way to get more need based aid from the gov't and school.?</p>

<p>Would that be illegal, has anyone ever done that?</p>

<p>I wondered because I just find the whole financial aid process completely fishy and unfair.</p>

<p>At least here in california, when my parents do their taxes, they can't claim my siblings and me who are all over 18 plus as dependent on their forms W2(or whatever it is) even though they are giving us a roof over our house and basically are paying for more than 50% of our living expenses.</p>

<p>The only way they can put us on their taxes or claim us as dependents is if they are paying are college education and that's the give them a meesly credit and are only allowed to put us on their for like a limited number of times.</p>

<p>Yet fafsa calls us dependents if we are less than 24 years old.</p>

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<p>I don't know. I just think it's hard for middle class families, because we always get screwed over.</p>

<p>And I mean it may look that my family is well off but when they can't claim any of their children on their W2. They get more than 30 percent of their income taken away because of taxes. </p>

<p>Last year I had to appeal my financial aid, if it wasn't for my dad being on dissability for like 6 months we would have had to borrowed $15,000 more in loans just to attend my school. this upcoming school year we're saved again, since fafsa bases income on the previous year.</p>

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<p>it's simply amazing how many views a post can get, yet no replies. what's even more amazing, is that it comes from parents! Parents who are considered to be more knowledgeable and experienced.</p>

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<p>OK...I'll respond. Do your parents declare you as dependents on the FEDERAL income tax returns? They can continue to do this for over 18 students who are full time students (and I believe are under 24). There is a tax advantage for them to do so. There is not advantage to them NOT to declare you. </p>

<p>I think it's pretty extreme to get married just to up your finaid award and to be honest, I think it's just another way to "game the system". Just for thought...what IF your finaid award didn't increase that much? You would then have the legal system to deal with for a divorce..which you would eventually have anyway.</p>

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<p>might make for a good sitcom though,..
"Academic Overtures"</p>

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<p>I don't think it is as much as getting married as much as it is showing how you have supported yourself and spouse (self supporting, not living with your family).</p>

<p>In your case:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Last year I had to appeal my financial aid, if it wasn't for my dad being on dissability for like 6 months we would have had to borrowed $15,000 more in loans just to attend my school. this upcoming school year we're saved again, since fafsa bases income on the previous year.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Check the FA policy at your school as many schools do not change the FA status of a student midstream without really extenuating circumstances, meaning if you started out as a dependent student, you remain a dependent student until you graduate.</p>

<p>If you attend the UC system, here is how they determine whether or not a student is independent:</p>

<p>The Financial Aid Office at each UC campus uses the information provided on the FAFSA to determine whether an applicant is dependent on his or her parents, or is independent (self-supporting) for financial aid purposes. Parents of dependent students are expected to contribute to their child’s educational expenses. The same “definition of independence” is used for University programs, Cal Grant Programs and federal programs. The definitiongrants independent status to students who meet one of the following conditions:</p>

<p>Are graduate or professional school students; </p>

<p>Are orphans or wards of the court; </p>

<p>Are veterans of the United States Armed Forces; </p>

<p>Are married (the state of California and the University of California — but not the federal government — treat students as married if they are in a registered domestic partnership); </p>

<p>*Have legal dependents other than a spouse; or *</p>

<p>Are 24 years or older by December 31, 2005. Students who do not meet one of the above conditions and wish to be classified as independent will have to provide proof of their self-supporting status. Consult with a financial aid office representative about this issue. </p>

<p>So it looks as even if you get married, you may need to have additional legal dependents.</p>

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<p>schools in colorado, not only do you have to be married, but you must also have legal dependents or show that you and your spouse have been married and self-supporting for at least one year. </p>

<p>schools caught onto this way to game the system years ago. </p>

<p>If you live at home or your parents pay for your support at a school, you are a dependent regardless of your marital status.</p>

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<p>I agree with Thumper--if you are a full time student, even though you are over 18, and your parents are supporting you, they can count you as a dependent for tax purposes. I know I counted my college-age D as a dependent on our taxes.</p>

<p>Looks like in the UC system, the fact that you are married leads to the presumption that you are supporting yourself and you will be granted independent status. I suppose that the UCs could challenge that presumption in any independent case, although I doubt that they would go through that kind of trouble.</p>

<p>There is always an action for fraud, I suppose, although I doubt the UC would go through all that trouble either. </p>

<p>Are you sure that this isn't a ploy for your friend to have you marry her?</p>

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<p>Just a random tangent: when my older son turned 16 and got his driver's license the bump in auto insurance wasn't as bad as I'd expected. (Bad - just not as bad.) Several months later, when renewal time came, the insurance person asked me if he was still married! After I picked my jaw off the floor I admitted that to the best of my knowledge he was a confirmed bachelor. This cost me several hundred dollars when they unchecked the "married" box on their premuim calculator.
Still, between the insurance premium and a married 16 year old son, I'll take the extra payment...</p>

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<p>ellemenope -- just an FYI, I don't know how the UC system works, but my guess is that every student under the age of 24 that is married (and thus filing independent status) is asked to fill out a verification form to verify support. It is a standard form used in Colorado and I also filled one out in Kansas -- community colleges and Universities use it. Certain types of students are regularly asked to verify certain information -- those with very low EFC, those who meet the requirements for independent status under the age of 24, etc.</p>

<p>the one big thing that sends up a warning flag for the Fin Aid officers is when you declare you are independent and you do not show income able to support yourself. Just about anytime this comes up, they suspect one of two things -- you are not really independent (and are being supported by someone else) or you are hiding money.</p>

<p>My guess is that UC noticed the same red flags and acts accordingly.</p>

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<p>In answer to Sybbie's info, the key is the item on the list before the one you bolded: "are married". The next one is for non-married people who have dependents. Married students are definitely independent by federal standards; instiitutional definition may differ.</p>

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<p>On another college message board, in a thread far, far away, some humorist started a thread asking if marrying his high school girlfriend would provide her with a "legacy" hook when she applied a year later. It went on and on, and was very amusing. I think the answer ended up being "No."</p>

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<p>Thanks, hsmomstef--I haven't had the necessity to fill out any of those forms. My feeling (that I have expressed to my kids) is that the easiest way to get through college is to go full-time, be single without kids and go while you are young and your parents will still help you with the $$ (if they can or will)!</p>

<p>I wonder how much income one has to come up with? Full-time summer job, part time school job--if both of you have such jobs? Or is it a certain # of $$. . .</p>

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<p>I know that the forms I filled out asked me what my costs were (utilities, food, rent -- basic stuff) and ask me what my income was for the year (although they already had that, they ask again). if your costs add up to more than your income, they ask you to list how those costs were paid (parents, friends, credit cards, welfare, charity, student loans, non-reported income, etc). If you list any money coming in -- they add that to your income. For us, we had lived in our camper all summer, so that is how we were able to show that we had enough money to pay for our support.</p>

<p>I ask them about this process and they said it was a standard verification done for most people with low EFC. They can and do ask for proof of costs if they seem unusually low (one guy was really arguing with them -- he apparently claimed zero income but said he had an apartment, couldn't prove anything, though). So you don't want to claim rent of $100 if you can't prove it.</p>

<p>The FA officer says that people claim they are married, have kids, are independent, etc all the time and they know what inconsistencies to look for on the FAFSA and the college application (like listing your parents address as your contact address on the application and claiming that you supported yourself for the past year).</p>

<p>it was an eye opener!</p>