Will getting married mess up financial aid?

Paying for College
1

<p>So, right now my financial aid situation is very good. My mom makes next to nothing, and my dad (who is the non-custodial parent) makes a typical middle class salary, so I'm getting $49,000/52,500 in grants. My parent EFC is $0 and my student EFC is $2,500. My father will be giving me $650/month while I'm in college for living expenses and tuition. </p>

<p>My fiance is in a similar situation: her mother makes next to nothing, and her father is the non-custodial parent, who is actually living in another country now. She's not getting a good an aid package as I am, but that's because of her school.</p>

<p>We're getting married soon, and so we will be filing for the 2011/2012 aid year as independents. Neither of us with have made any money at that point (except maybe a thousand or two in work-study). However, my father is going to continue to give me about $650/month while I'm in college, which I will have to report in FAFSA and CSS.</p>

<p>My question---Is my financial aid going to go down? Is hers? Or maybe go up? :)</p>

2

<p>It could. You and your wife would be independent, and things are looked at differently. I know with grad and prof students, timing a marriage is important for financial purposes. Run the numbers through the calculators both ways and see how it works.</p>

3

<p>You should probably sit down together with someone in the FA office at your school and discuss their policies for awarding aid to independent students. I believe the money your dad gives you monthly would be untaxed income to you and would be added to your combined earnings for FAFSA, although independent students do have higher income protection allowances.</p>