Graduates who are in legally recognized marriages will be evaluated on the basis of either (1) their own income (if their spouse makes less than they do), or (2) half of their joint income (if their spouse makes more than they do). Prior to determining the joint income any annual educational loan payments that the spouse is required to make will be deducted from the spouse’s salary. The assets of both the graduate and their spouse are considered when calculating eligibility, however, the protected asset amount is doubled to account for the possibility of additional assets from a spouse.
A Dependent Care Allowance of $8,000 per dependent, and actual documented childcare expenses of up to $20,000 per child, will be subtracted from income to determine the adjusted income for a participant. For those LIPP Participants who received a LIPP eligibility determination (with a dependent care allowance) for a period prior to January – June 2019, and have a total family income exceeding $200,000, the previous 10% allowance per child will still apply. This allowance does not extend to private school tuition for school-aged children. The LIPP adjusted income is used to determine the participant contribution amount. The allowance is applied proportionately to each income when both parents are working. If the non-LIPP parent is at home caring for the child(ren), the allowances are applied in full to the one income. While being a stay-at-home parent is not a LIPP eligible position, there is a policy that addresses parental leave and part-time employment.
If HLS graduates are married to each other and would qualify for LIPP based on their individual incomes, then both can participate independently in the program. Total joint assets will be divided equally between the two participants when calculating LIPP eligibility. Additionally, the dependent care allowances will be applied proportionally between the two participants based on their incomes.