Tuition and Fees Refund Post FAFSA

[cwguy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Idaho

I paid 100% of tuition, fees, and books for my daughter's fall and spring semesters at BSU for the previous academic year. Late in the fall, she got married. In the spring she filled out a FAFSA. A little while later, she received a Pell grant covering exactly 100% of her tuition and fees for both semesters. As this was already paid by my wife and I, the university sent a check in the amount of exactly the cost of tuition and fees to my daughter.


My daughter originally agreed to sign the money over to us, and that it would be used to cover future expenses explicitly related to her education, not covered by future grants (like books), which she did. However, her husband and her are now insisting that we give the money back, and that it's legally theirs.


Is this refunded money legally ours or hers?

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Idaho

I paid 100% of tuition, fees, and books for my daughter's fall and spring semesters at BSU for the previous academic year. Late in the fall, she got married. In the spring she filled out a FAFSA. A little while later, she received a Pell grant covering exactly 100% of her tuition and fees for both semesters. As this was already paid by my wife and I, the university sent a check in the amount of exactly the cost of tuition and fees to my daughter.


My daughter originally agreed to sign the money over to us, and that it would be used to cover future expenses explicitly related to her education, not covered by future grants (like books), which she did. However, her husband and her are now insisting that we give the money back, and that it's legally theirs.


Is this refunded money legally ours or hers?

It doesn't matter. Your daughter voluntarily gave it to you to pay back the tuition and fees you paid out of pocket. That makes it your money. That was also the morally appropriate thing for her to do. (legally she could have kept the money.)

However, obviously her husband is not happy about that. Therefore you have to weigh the effect of not giving them the money back against your long term relationship with your daughter and her husband.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Keep the money, it is yours. Use the lesson wisely in your estate planning.

 

[Antigone*]

Keep the money, it is yours. Use the lesson wisely in your estate planning.

Right On!!!

 

[Humusluvr]

It doesn't matter. Your daughter voluntarily gave it to you to pay back the tuition and fees you paid out of pocket. That makes it your money. That was also the morally appropriate thing for her to do. (legally she could have kept the money.)

However, obviously her husband is not happy about that. Therefore you have to weigh the effect of not giving them the money back against your long term relationship with your daughter and her husband.

I also think you should keep the money. You paid out of pocket, she got reimbursed for YOUR payments, and therefore, it's your money.

I would also remind her that her hubby wasn't around to support her when YOU WERE. And if money came back to HER as compensation, the only appropriate thing to do is you you to be reimbursed.

 

[cwguy]

Thanks... I appreciate all of the reponses

The person who suggested that this was being driven by her husband pretty much hit the nail on the head... He has entitlement issues. Just last month, before all of this went down, he borrowed money to pay rent from his parents, who made him sign an IOU. He told us later that he had no intention of paying them back. His reasoning was that since they were currently paying his sisters tuition, that they 'owed' him.

Still... I wanted to make sure that I wasn't being completely obtuse, so thought I'd ask for input.

 

[Humusluvr]

Thanks... I appreciate all of the reponses

The person who suggested that this was being driven by her husband pretty much hit the nail on the head... He has entitlement issues. Just last month, before all of this went down, he borrowed money to pay rent from his parents, who made him sign an IOU. He told us later that he had no intention of paying them back. His reasoning was that since they were currently paying his sisters tuition, that they 'owed' him.

Still... I wanted to make sure that I wasn't being completely obtuse, so thought I'd ask for input.

Sounds like husband has some issues. I would be very careful about "lending" them money or paying for things in the future. It was awfully nice of you to pay your daughter's tuition in the first place, but now that she's married, she will need to depend on someone other than daddy.

I have a friend who's father still pays for her cell phone, groceries, some utilities, and dog food, because her husband is out of work. The husband has no incentive to get a job, since he's on the welfare state of wifey's daddy.

I think you did the right thing, and I commend you on being strong about it.