Should I tell FinAd that I will be married?

[Retro]

I need current med students for advice. I am in a dillemma right now. I deferred my admission to a med school last year and saw my financial aid package at the time before I deferred, which was pretty bad; I received no scholarships or free-rides of any kind; everything was covered by loans. Now, the problem is, next year I am getting married in June and will matriculate in August, and the financial aid pack is released in April. Should I tell the Financial aid office that I will be married in June, or should I just pretend that I don't know the marriage is coming and wait to tell them next year around. The reason is: my fiancee is a post-doctoral fellow who makes 30k a year, and we will be living apart for at least one year before she joins me. Will her salary affect the loans that I am getting? Since my financial aid pack was already pretty bad last year (all loans), will it be worse this year if they know that I am getting married? I want to know if they will refuse to cover my entire 450k financial need with loans and ask me to chip in at least 10k with my own money? As long as I am all covered by loans, I am fine. I just don't want to take 10K a year from my own package because the loan package covers only 350K instead of 450K. Please help me out with your advice. Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[kd]

No need to tell them you're getting married. Financial aid information should be correct as of the date you submit your application. So, since you won't be married in April, you submit only your own (and your parents', if applying for school-based aid) information. You're not married in April, so there is absolutely no reason to give your fiancee's info. The flip-side is that when you reapply for financial aid the following year, you will be married so her income WILL count against you. What you might want to do at that point is talk to your FAO and explain the situation, with the two of you maintaining 2 separate households. Your FAO has the power to adjust your financial aid package for you. BTW what school could you possibly be going to that costs $450K a year? Did you perhaps mean $45K?

 

[Retro]

Oh thanks, Kd, for your reply. I will do exactly that... Oh, it was 45K, my typo. Thanks again.