Lifestyle and Financing Ideas
If you are thinking about starting a family by using a surrogate, one of the first things that can get in the way is the cost of surrogacy. But, Family Makers is here to help you with some tips and resources to financially assist you reach your goals. Keep reading this blog post from our experts to learn how to pay for surrogacy.
Keep in mind that while these options have worked for some Intended Parents, they may not be appropriate for your specific situation. Please always consult with a financial advisor, accountant or other educated party when making any decisions that could impact your overall credit or financial liability.
The cost of surrogacy can certainly be overwhelming, however there are options for everyone to help Intended Parents achieve their dream of becoming parents.
How to Pay for Surrogacy: Top Tips from Family Makers
- Downsize your home
- Begin budgeting, if you aren’t already (meals, vacations, extracurricular activity costs)
- Rent out any extra space you have to a student/couple.
- Move in with parents or extended family while saving up or financially recuperating
- Sell cars, boats, jet-skis, motorhomes, jewelry or with significant resell value.
- Begin a direct sales job from home
- Take a second shift at work or find a side job on the weekends
- If you have a bit of creativity, sell handmade items on Etsy or similar platform
- Refinance your home to a lower interest rate
- Take a home equity line of credit, which has much lower interest rates than credit cards
- Borrow against your 401(k) or Profit Sharing accounts
- Borrow against any known inheritance if the Intended Grandparents are supportive
- Use low-interest credit cards (prosper.com or carecredit.com are popular)
- Use credit lines offered through your fertility clinic
- LGBTQ Intended Parents may be eligible for grants through Men Having Babies
Grants for Surrogacy
Infertility Treatment Grants
AGC Scholarship Foundation
AGC Scholarship Foundation is nonprofit group committed to providing both advocacy and financial support for those struggling with infertility in the United States. The AGC Hope Scholarship will give couples who do not have the financial resources to pay for infertility treatments the opportunity to fulfill their dream of becoming parents.
Eligibility: Patients must facing infertility within the United States.
Application Process: Applicants will be asked to complete a confidential application describing their infertility history, personal situation, and financial need. Application Deadline: Visit the organization’s website for details
BabyQuest Foundation
A non-profit organization whose goal is to grant financial assistance to those who cannot afford infertility treatments such as IUI, IVF, egg donation, and surrogacy. Applications are accepted from heterosexual, same sex couples, and singles. Eligibility: Applicants may reside anywhere in the United States. They must demonstrate financial need and submit required medical documentation. Applicants must demonstrate overall good physical and mental health, be under the age of 40, and meet the definition of infertility as deemed by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. In addition, applicants need to show financial stability including basic health insurance for mother/prenatal care, adequate living arrangements and means for child support.
The Kyle and Samantha Busch Bundle of Joy Fund
(NC Residents only using REACH Clinic in Charlotte) Eligibility: Applicants MUST have a diagnosis of infertility from the REACH Clinic of Charlotte. Applicants MUST be a legal permanent US resident in North Carolina. There are no other restrictions.
The Cade Foundation
Provides up to $10,000 per funded family to help with costs of domestic adoption and medical fertility treatment. Eligibility: In order to be eligible, applicants must have documented infertility, be legal, permanent residents of the United States, and submit the grant application with the $50 processing fee.
The Family Formation Charitable Trust
Grants range from $500.00 to $2,000.00. Application submission deadlines are September 1 and March 1 of each year. The application process is open to individuals, or couples, seeking to build their family through adoption or assisted reproduction. At least one prospective parent in a relationship will be required to be a United States citizen. There is a $25 application fee, payable by check.
The Fertility Foundation of Texas
Grants up to $12,000 to Central Texas residents that can be used toward fertility treatment through any SART clinic in the United States. Applications are reviewed twice a year (December and June).
Footsteps for Fertility Foundation
Grants up to $5,000.
Hasidah
(for Northern CA and Ohio Jewish residents)
JFCS Fertility Fund: A Gift From the Heart
(for Jewish Families near Philadelphia
INCIID IVF Scholarships
The program covers most of the basic IVF costs. You must register with the INCIID community and donate at an annual rate of $55 or more. Applicants must meet the criteria for infertility as defined by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and must demonstrate financial need. Scholarships are reviewed monthly. Deadlines are the last working day of each month.
Journey to Parenthood
Grants awarded are up to $10,000. Applicants need to be a U.S. Citizen residing in the U.S.
The Life Foundation
Grants which can provide up to $10,000 to cover the cost of assisted reproductive technology, adoption, or third party reproduction. Must reside in Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin.
New York State Infertility Demonstration Program
(NY residents only)
This program works with New York fertility clinics signed up for this program, to defray the costs off treatment. Depending on household income, patients receive a discount of 2.5% to 97.5% off their treatment costs.
Parental Hope
Two different types of grants (one full round of IVF or one FET, restricted to a certain clinic). $50 application fee.
Pay-It-Forward Foundation
(North Carolina residents only) The Pay-It-Forward Foundation helps couples in North Carolina who are struggling with infertility afford additional fertility treatments if past procedures have failed. This foundation helps couples who cannot afford treatments like IVF, donor egg IVF, and embryo adoption, military personnel who want to preserve fertility before deployment, or cancer patients who want to preserve fertility before treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy.
Sparkles of Life
The organization’s Garden of Life Grant will help cover the costs of IVF for five couples each year. The grant pays for 33% of the treatment exclusively to the Houston Fertility Institute. $100 application fee.
Related Post: Are You Ready? Preparing to Become a Surrogate
Fertility Preservation Grants
Fertile Action
Fertile Action’s Parenthood After Cancer Treatment (PACT) Grant provides financial support for female cancer survivors. It is not a cash award. It significantly reduces the cost of IVF, egg donation and surrogacy for cancer survivors through fertility specialists who have agreed to offer their services at a discount or donate their services to the grantee.
Sharing Hope Financial Assistance Program
Financial assistance is available to couples in need of fertility preservation before undergoing treatment for cancer. They are a part of the Fertile Hope organization. They work with fertility clinics and companies to provide discounted treatment and medications. Eligible patients must make under $75k single/ $100k combined income, have an eligible cancer diagnosis and must not have already started fertility-reducing cancer treatments.
Related Post: Kristen Welker’s Surrogacy Journey
Fertility Medication Grant / Discount Program
IVF Greenlight
A savings program for savings on human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) products. IVF Greenlight is available to all cash paying patients, irrespective of income. There are no financial criteria to qualify and no income verification documents to complete.
Compassionate Care
The Compassionate Care Program is offered by EMD Serono. Their patient assistance program is designed to provide savings on Gonal-F, Ovidrel and Cetrotide.
First Steps Program
This program is available to cash-paying patients who qualify based on income or hardship cases.This program assists with specific medications: Follstim, Ganirelix, and Pregynl.
Apply to Become an Intended Parent Through Family Makers
Are you looking to become an Intended Parent? Family Makers Surrogacy offers a variety of Agency Support Programs to fit the needs of all Intended Parents who are building their family through surrogacy. Read more on the programs Family Makers offers for Intended Parents here.