If my soon to be wife is a military child, does her benefits like financial aid pass on to me as well?

Question

Okay so, my soon to be wife's father is in the military, so she basically gets financial aid no matter what, even if they would normaly not qualify for it due to income. My question is, if when we do get married, am I able to get the financial aid as well? It would be very helpful if it did, due to begning marriges being tough.

Answer 1

First of all, anyone can get "financial aid, no matter what" regardless if they are in the military or income level.  Be aware that financial aid can be any money to go to college.  This is LOANS, grants, and scholarships.  Just because it's fin aid does not mean she doesn't always mean she has to pay it back, just so you know.

So, if you were to go to college you would also be able to get fin aid - even without your parents being military.  Most of benefits for veterans of the FREE fin aid only apply if someone is the dependent of a disabled vet or the dependent of a vet who was killed in the line of duty.  As another poster pointed out, if she is getting the free stuff, this benefit will likely go away once she is married and no, it wouldn't transfer to you.

Answer 2

I don't know, but you really need to figure this out before you marry her.  One possibility is that she would lose out if she marries you because by getting married, she is independent of her parents in the federal government's eyes.  This is why some people lose their Pell grant and other aid from getting married, because then they have to report both their and their spouse's income on their fafsa.  But, they no longer have to report their parent's income, so then in some cases it might actually help.  I have no idea about military aid, however.  But it is definitely something you need to find out because I know someone who had to quit college after getting married because her husband made too much money for her to keep getting subsidized loans and pell grant.

In fact, that's why a lot of people don't get married until they are done college.  Such as me for example.

These things don't always work how you expect them to and there is some policy somewhere on it that you can find out what will actually happen.  Either ask a financial aid officer at school, or someone in military recruiting maybe?  Sorry I'm not much help.