Case Study: How One Couple Afforded Surrogacy

Surrogacy can be the best way for many hopeful parents to start or grow their families. While it does come with significant costs, there are resources and creative solutions available. With careful planning and the right support, many intended parents — from all financial backgrounds — have found a way to make surrogacy possible.

Here is a case study of how one couple, Mark and Cody*, managed their finances to pay for surrogacy.

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How to Afford Surrogacy – One Couple’s Journey

Intended Parents: Mark and Cody

Background: Mark, 35, and Cody, 41, have been married for seven years. After considering their options, they decided surrogacy would be the best path to having a family because it offered the chance to have a child genetically related to one of them. They also hoped to experience the pregnancy process more intimately through the surrogate’s journey.

Mark works as a senior software engineer for a mid-sized tech company, and Cody is a college professor specializing in literature. Their combined income is $205,000 per year.

They live in Austin, TX, where they own a home with a mortgage of $350,000. They purchased the home five years ago and have built up $185,000 in home equity. Other than $10,000 remaining on a car loan, Mark and Cody have no other significant personal debts.

Breakdown of Costs

Every surrogacy journey is unique, which means how much surrogacy costs for you will depend on your situation. Your medical steps, the clinic you choose, the agency you work with, fresh vs. frozen eggs, and more can impact the total cost.

For Mark and Cody, here’s what that cost looked like:

Total Cost for Surrogacy: $236,150

How They Afforded Surrogacy

Most couples pursuing surrogacy do not simply have the funds needed sitting in savings. While that may be the case for some, it is not the most common route. Most intended parents use savings in addition to other financial measures.

Altogether, here is how Mark and Cody afforded surrogacy:

• Savings: $60,000
• Work Benefits: $30,000
• HELOC: $75,000
• Family-Building Grants: $10,000
• Low-Interest Personal Loan: $61,150

Savings

Mark and Cody began considering surrogacy three years before ultimately beginning the process. This gave them time to not only save, but also consider other financial moves that could make surrogacy possible.

Work Benefits

Mark’s tech company provides a $20,000 fertility benefits, while Cody’s college offers tenured employees a $10,000 family-building benefit.

HELOC

Based on their home equity, they decide to tap into $75,000 of their equity via a HELOC. This allows them to leverage the appreciation of their home without selling it.

Family-Building Grants

Mark and Cody researched LGBTQ family-building grants and applied for several, receiving two grants that totaled $10,000.

Low-Interest Personal Loan

Mark and Cody felt comfortable taking on a new monthly payment on a low-interest loan to close the gap on funds for surrogacy.

Affording Surrogacy Is Possible

Through personal savings and other financial options, Mark and Cody made affording surrogacy possible. It took planning and commitment, but the effort was more than worth it to turn their dream of starting a family into a reality.

If you’d like to learn more about surrogacy costs for your situation, we would love to connect you with a surrogacy specialist.

Speak with a specialist today!

*In order to protect privacy, Mark and Cody’s situation is based on real intended parents with names changed and small details slightly altered.