As someone who works in higher education finance, I wanted to add a few important considerations that haven't been fully covered yet: 1. **Impact on financial aid in future years**: Using private loans instead of Parent PLUS won't affect your son's federal aid eligibility, but make sure you understand how this might impact any state grant programs or institutional aid that consider total family borrowing. 2. **Tax implications**: Interest on both federal and private student loans can be tax deductible (up to $2,500/year), but there are income limits. Parent PLUS loans taken by parents can be deducted by the parents, while loans in the student's name are deducted by the student. 3. **Loan servicer communication**: Once you have multiple loan types, you'll be dealing with different servicers (likely FedLoan or Aidvantage for federal, and the private lender's servicer). Set up online accounts for both and understand their different payment schedules and policies. 4. **Future borrowing capacity**: Remember that your son will likely need loans for all four years. Private lenders may have annual and aggregate borrowing limits that could affect junior/senior year funding. The combination approach you're considering is totally legitimate - just make sure you're planning for the full four-year picture, not just freshman year!

As a parent who just went through this exact situation last year, I wanted to share what worked for us. My daughter used her $5,500 Direct loan plus a $12,000 private loan from Earnest (they had competitive rates and a co-signer release after 24 on-time payments). A few tips from our experience: - Get pre-qualified with multiple lenders before deciding - rates can vary significantly even with the same credit profile - Read the fine print on co-signer release policies, as they vary widely between lenders - Some private lenders offer small rate discounts for things like having a bank account with them or setting up autopay - Keep in mind that private loan interest starts accruing immediately, while subsidized federal loans don't accrue interest until after graduation The financial aid office initially pushed Parent PLUS hard with us too, but once we showed them our private loan pre-approval, they were helpful with the certification process. Don't let them pressure you into Parent PLUS if it doesn't fit your family's financial strategy. You have options!

As another newcomer to grad school planning, I've been following this thread and wanted to share something I just discovered that might help! I found out that some graduate programs offer "need-based tuition reductions" that are separate from federal aid - these aren't always called scholarships or grants, so they're easy to miss when searching. Also, since you're making $24,700 and considering public policy, you might want to look into graduate programs at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) - they often have additional funding specifically for students pursuing degrees in public service fields. Another thing I learned is that some states have loan repayment assistance programs for graduates who work in public service - so even if you do take out loans, there might be help on the back end if you continue in nonprofit work. Finally, don't forget about tax benefits while you're in school - the Lifetime Learning Credit can give you up to $2,000 back per year, and if you're working while studying, you might qualify for education-related tax deductions. It's not upfront funding, but it helps reduce your overall costs!

As a newcomer to this community and grad school funding research, I'm so grateful for this incredibly detailed thread! I've been lurking and taking notes, and wanted to add one more angle that might help. I recently learned about the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program - it's a federal grant program that provides fellowships to graduate students in fields of national need, which often includes public administration and policy studies. The awards can be substantial (up to $34,000 annually for doctoral students, less for master's but still significant). Not all schools participate, but it's worth checking if programs you're interested in offer GAANN fellowships. Also, I discovered that some graduate programs have "graduate resident advisor" positions that provide free housing plus a stipend - it's like being an RA but for graduate housing. Given everyone's advice about piecing together multiple funding sources, these kinds of positions can really help reduce your overall cost of attendance while providing leadership experience relevant to public policy careers!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also exploring CNA certification for hospital work and had no idea there were so many alternatives to FAFSA funding. Based on everyone's experiences here, it seems like the key is to think beyond traditional educational financing and look into employer-sponsored programs, workforce development partnerships, and state healthcare initiatives. I'm planning to start by calling my local American Job Center about WIOA funding, then reach out to hospitals in my area about apprenticeship and PCT programs. The fact that so many of these programs provide paid training while guaranteeing hospital placement is exactly what I was hoping to find. Thanks to everyone who shared their success stories - it's given me a much clearer roadmap for moving forward!

I've been following this thread and wanted to add another angle that might help - some states have specific CNA shortage grants through their nursing boards that are separate from FAFSA entirely. I discovered this when I was in a similar situation last year. In my state (Ohio), the Board of Nursing had emergency funding for CNA training due to healthcare worker shortages, and they prioritized applicants who committed to working in acute care settings like hospitals. The application was much simpler than FAFSA and I got approved within two weeks. They covered my full certification costs plus provided a small monthly stipend during training. I'd recommend checking your state's nursing board website under "workforce development" or "shortage grants" - many states launched these programs post-COVID but they're not well publicized. Worth a quick search before going through all the other routes, since the funding is often faster and more generous than traditional financial aid!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in financial aid - you're getting great advice here! Definitely keep your existing FSA IDs. One thing I'd add is to make sure you test logging into both accounts well before you need to submit the FAFSA. I see so many families wait until the last minute and then panic when they can't remember passwords or their email addresses have changed. Also, bookmark the official studentaid.gov site now - there are a lot of scam sites that look similar. The real FAFSA is always free to complete!

As a newcomer to FAFSA applications, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - my oldest is starting college applications soon and I was completely confused about the account requirements. It's such a relief to know we won't need to create new accounts every year. One question though - when should we actually start the 2025-2026 FAFSA application? I keep seeing different dates mentioned and want to make sure we don't miss any deadlines.

This thread has been so helpful! I'm also a parent of a Class of 2025 student and was getting really stressed about the whole tax year situation. It's such a relief to confirm it's 2023 tax returns we'll need - I was worried we'd somehow need to rush our 2024 filing. One thing I'm curious about - for families who might see their income change significantly between 2023 and 2025 (like due to a job change or retirement), is there a general rule of thumb for how big a change needs to be before it's worth going through the appeals process with schools? I'm wondering if a 10-15% change would be worth the effort, or if schools typically only consider much larger shifts in financial circumstances. Also, has anyone had experience with how responsive different types of schools are to these appeals? I'm wondering if there's a difference between how state schools vs private colleges handle requests for financial aid adjustments. Thanks again to everyone who's shared their experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating this complex process!

Great question about the threshold for appeals! From what I've learned through this process, there isn't really a hard rule about percentage changes, but generally schools are more receptive to appeals when there's been a significant change - usually 20% or more in income, or major life events like job loss, medical expenses, divorce, etc. A 10-15% change might be worth mentioning, especially if it's due to circumstances beyond your control, but schools have limited resources for adjustments so they tend to prioritize the most dramatic situations. As for different types of schools, in my experience state schools often have more rigid formulas and less flexibility for individual adjustments, while private colleges sometimes have more discretion and larger endowments that allow for more generous need-based aid adjustments. But this really varies by institution - I've heard of state schools being surprisingly accommodating and some private schools being very inflexible. The key is to contact each school's financial aid office directly once your student is accepted and explain your specific situation clearly with documentation. Don't be afraid to advocate for your student - the worst they can say is no, but you might be surprised at what schools can do to help when you present a compelling case!