Does filing Joint affect Student Loan Eligibility

Jan 01, 2014 2 Replies

John is 28 and a full-time student. He has little or no income, and funds his schooling with federal student loans. Mary is 26 and has a full-time job paying $50,000 per year. John and Mary get married, but get a pre-nup and intend to keep their individual assets and liabilities separate. If they now file a joint return, will it affect his eligibility to continue getting student loans.


Chances are, his eligibility will be based on their joint income.

I am not aware of any exceptions to the FAFSA guidelines when it comes to reporting income when the person seeking the aid is married. In fact, even if you file married-separate for tax purposes, FAFSA requires the combined income.

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