Like many members of Gen Z, I’ve come to question the institution of marriage. Once seen as a lifelong commitment, it now feels more like a fragile contract—nearly 50% of marriages in the United States end in divorce. Add the traditions rooted in misogyny, the cost of throwing a wedding in this economy, and the potential emotional or financial damages arising from a complicated divorce seems like an outdated label with a high propensity to fail.
Instead of marriage, it seems simpler to stick to long-term relationships that ostensibly offer all the same emotional and romantic fulfillment without the legal strings attached. However, such stipulations can actually provide security for future financial and legal rights. Recently, I was surprised to discover that one of the most significant fiscal benefits of marriage comes even before earning a salary—through significantly improved aid packages at university.
So, if there were ever a time for me to get married, it would be during college. And, in my opinion, if there were ever a perfect person to marry, it’s my best friend.
The Financial Aid Loophole
You may ask how a ring on your finger could affect your academic career. I would say it doesn’t, but college financial aid officers would tell you otherwise.
As a married student, Harvard’s Financial Aid office assesses you and your spouse’s income and assets, disregarding your parents’ finances. This is because both the College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS profile) and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) classify married students as financially independent, so parental income or tax forms are not required. Since they are only considering you and your spouse’s income, if you and your spouse earn under $85,000, then you will pay $0 to attend the College. Additionally, if you and your spouse have high-paying summer internships, you will still only pay no more than 10% of your annual income provided you make less than a combined $85,000 to $150,000. And for those of you quant, finance folk who make more than that working part-time, marry someone in the arts. And if you’re still making too much, I simply have no sympathy for you or your bank account.
The Legality of Marrying Your Friend
Admittedly, saving up to $300,000 by marrying your friends sounds too good to be true and feels instinctively fraudulent. However, much to my surprise, there is no legal requirement for a marriage to be romantic. In fact, it is legal to benefit from free tuition provided it is not solely for financial reasons. So open your mind and expand your perspective to discover how to skirt this requirement.
Do you and your friend share life responsibilities, like taking turns cleaning the dorm bathroom or getting groceries at Trader Joe’s? Does your friend provide you with emotional support—whether it’s about your terrible drunk texts, your campus crush, or, for you pre-meds, the terrifying first A-? Does your friend always remember your birthday and buy you gifts? If yes, that sounds like a life partner to me. Thus, wanting to make that official through a marriage is perfectly legal and acceptable.
If you’re thinking, Yes, but so does my college partner, do not—I repeat, do not—marry them. I promise you that if you and your college partner are truly meant to be, you can get married after your first platonic marriage and subsequent divorce. But statistics say your relationship won’t last, and divorce could become difficult if your partner refuses to an amicable uncontested divorce because the break up wasn’t mutual or they simply want to make your life difficult.
Lastly, the legality of your marriage is most likely to be scrutinized by federal agencies, not Harvard’s financial aid team. Unfortunately, for my fellow international students, this means U.S. Immigration Services may demand proof that your marriage isn’t solely for a green card or American citizenship. Given you already have an F1 visa, you can just choose to not apply for citizenship or a green card and avoid any risk of scrutiny.
But in the case that you want to apply for either of these documents, your marriage is still not a crime, provided you demonstrate that you want a serious partnership with your friend irrespective of it being romantic. You should also be prepared to prove its legitimacy. It’s also worth noting that you are only eligible to apply for citizenship after five years of marriage, by which point you’ve likely already divorced—either because post-grad life pulled you apart or because the tuition benefits have long since run dry. For the most risk-averse, though, you can fully avoid any suspicion by marrying a fellow international.
The Exit Strategy: Senior Year Divorce
All good things must come to an end, and that’s the beauty of the plan—once your final financial aid package is secured, you can amicably part ways. A clean-cut senior year divorce, timed just after tuition is covered, ensures you maximize the benefits. And the best part? You get to throw a divorce party with all your friends.
Unfortunately, like all good parties, there is a mess to clean up afterward, and filing for divorce can be administratively inconvenient and costly. Massachusetts law requires you to legally file for divorce, even if you part on friendly terms. A prenup can speed up the process, and as long as you avoid acquiring shared assets or debts (which is highly recommended), it should be relatively simple. Still, legal fees for filing a divorce, attorney costs, and prenup drafting typically range from $2,000–$6,000, so be sure to account for this to ensure your savings still outweigh tuition expenses.
Of course, you could decide to stay married. But once both of you start earning salaries, filing joint taxes may create unnecessary tension in your friendship. And, not to speculate, but explaining a platonic spouse to future partners could become complicated if you’re no longer living close to each other or receiving tuition benefits.
Not staying married will make you a twenty-something divorcee, but on the bright side, the word divorcee sounds chic and you’ve already saved yourself $300,000 in tuition alongside the priceless gift of an actually interesting Hinge prompt.
Is This Just a Theory?
I offered to pay for the marriage certificate of seven different duos and even proposed to five of my own friends in the interest of science. The results? One friend—who shall remain unnamed—has a wedding planned and a chapel booked with her gay best friend for early this summer. The rest immediately dismissed the idea, despite its clear financial benefits and the fact that platonic spousal status could align with the relationship they already share with their best friends. Regardless of logic, the institution of marriage appears to still hold a symbolic or emotional value for many. It feels strange, even inappropriate, to marry a friend, despite the fact it might make practical sense. However, if you can think about marriage as a contract for platonic love, partnership, financial stability, shared experience, and emotional support, then it might not be a bad idea to turn this year’s Galentine’s into a proposal.
Molly Callaghan ’27 (mollycallaghan@college.harvard.edu) wrote this article in response to Harvard Independent president Katie Merriam ’26 refusing her marriage proposal.