by Caroline Sumner

Created on: December 13, 2010

With many young couples wanting to tie the knot, but graduation dates looming further and further away due to issues like work, illness, and fewer available classes, some are choosing to get married before their graduation. Parents may protest, but there are actually quite a few benefits to tying the knot before receiving the diploma – make sure to consider these before waving the “before graduation” date away! Here are a few of the biggest benefits to getting married before college graduation:

-Financial aid-
As more and more couples choose to marry before their graduation dates, there are more and more scholarships, grants, and loans available to them to assist with school. There are some schools that even have a specific award for married students! Do some research and see if your university offers these rewards, and make sure to apply to other financial assistance programs that help married students. Moreover, the tax benefits in place for all married couples regardless of whether or not they are students will also help to decrease the financial burden, which can help to lessen student loan debt after graduation.

-Housing-
Being married will mean living with your spouse, which can help you save lots of money as a student. Housing can sometimes be one of the biggest expenses a student can face, particularly if their school does not offer housing after the first year. With school tuition costs on the rise and fewer students able to live in campus housing, more and more students are choosing to commute or live near campus in rented apartments, both of which can become expensive. Dividing the rent and utilities checks in half can significantly cut the overall financial difficulties for married students.

-Less stress-
This is more of an emotional benefit than a practical one, but it should be mentioned anyway. School is an incredibly stressful ordeal for anyone to go through, but having a support system in place has been proven to help students to deal with their stress in a healthy and constructive way. Married students have a supportive household to return to at the end of the day, where home duties may be more divided and allow for more time to relax and study. This will lead to better academic achievement and a healthier school experience, making the student more likely to continue their studies after their undergraduate years and secure a stable career more easily.  

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