What does a (very) recently married grad student need to do to get the most financial assistance?

Question

I (22, male) have applied and been accepted to grad school.

I have a research assistantship and it includes a monthly stipend and full tuition waiver.

My FAFSA was filed before the marriage, i.e. when I was a dependent of my parents. Do I need to refile? Will I get any benefit?

I have to option of purchasing health insurance for my wife through my university. Should I do this? What is a good price for health insurance/mo?

Are there any other forms of assistance, financial or otherwise (i.e. marriage counseling at the college, bus passes, etc) that we could be looking into?

Somone told me I can get a card (in illinois) to help with groceries. Is this some sort of welfare and is it normal for a married grad couple to seek it?

We are not extremely worried about finances. Our rent is about half of my income (including utilities), but the leftover money will be more than I make now, and my wife will also be seeking employment. We keep good records of our spending and we are confident we will have enough money for the basics--however, it would be silly not to try and secure a better financial foundation.

Answer 1

Yes, you can update your FAFSA (it may take some time and hold up for F/A if you are seeking help for the Fall '08 semester).

As far as health insurance most schools have this available for students only your wife may not qualify (unless she is a student also). I would suggest you look into an independent Blue Cross/ Blue Shield policy.

On to "other assistance" is married housing available on your campus? It may be cheaper than an off campus apartment. You can look into things like "My Points" on line, my husband loves this... he gets gift cards for the bookstore for free all it cost me is a few minutes a day checking my email. I also recently found this site called "expotv.com" to make a few extra dollars fast and easy.

The food card you can get is called FOOD STAMPS. Yes you more than likely qualify. I suggest you at least make an application. You don't have to spend a fortune to eat healthy. *stay away from Raman Noodles its high in sodium and fat, just because its cheap does not mean its good for you.

Answer 2

From my experience, there are not a lot of money out there for grad students. It's almost like the government thinks you are rich because now you have a bachelors. The best way to receive money is to go to grad school full time if all possible. Most of the scholarships and grants are available to full time grad students so your choices will be greater. Good luck.