I understand your stress completely! As someone who works in financial aid, I can confirm what others have said - Parent PLUS loans are credit-based, not income-based, so your marriage won't prevent you from borrowing the full amount needed. However, there's one nuance worth mentioning: while your new spouse's income won't affect Parent PLUS eligibility, it WILL impact your daughter's need-based aid calculation. This means she might receive less in grants or subsidized loans, which could increase the amount you need to borrow through Parent PLUS. But the good news is you can still borrow up to the full cost of attendance. For the custody situation, definitely keep records showing you provide more financial support than your ex. This includes things like health insurance premiums, medical expenses, clothing, school supplies, etc. The "financial support" rule is newer and many people (including some school counselors) still think it's about physical custody. Don't postpone your wedding over this! You'll be able to cover her education costs either way. Just be prepared that you might need to borrow slightly more if she loses some grant eligibility due to the higher household income.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago! I was also worried about getting married before my son started college, but it worked out fine with the Parent PLUS loan. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - even though your new spouse's income won't affect the Parent PLUS loan approval or maximum amount, it's still worth having a conversation with your fiancé about expectations. My husband and I agreed upfront that my kids' college costs were my responsibility, which helped avoid any future tension about the loan payments. Also, since you mentioned your daughter's father refuses to contribute - make sure you're not counting on him to cosign anything or provide tax information if needed. I learned the hard way that it's better to assume you'll handle everything yourself from the start. You should definitely go ahead with your February wedding plans! The Parent PLUS loan system is designed to let parents borrow what they need regardless of income level. Best of luck with both the wedding and college preparations!

As someone who went through this exact situation last year with my oldest, I can confirm that calling the school directly is absolutely the right move! My daughter's college treated summer early start as part of the 2024-2025 aid year, so we only needed one FAFSA initially. However, her friend at a different school had to file both forms. The policies really do vary by institution, especially for these bridging programs. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - ask the financial aid office about summer-specific scholarships too. Many schools have additional funding just for early start students that isn't widely advertised. Good luck with the call tomorrow!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in financial aid administration - the confusion here is totally understandable because summer terms really are handled inconsistently across institutions! One additional tip: when you call the financial aid office tomorrow, ask specifically about their "satisfactory academic progress" (SAP) requirements for summer aid. Some schools have different SAP standards for early start programs, and you'll want to know about any GPA or credit hour requirements upfront. Also, if your daughter qualifies for state aid, check if your state has separate summer funding - some do, some don't. The FAFSA will cover federal aid, but state programs often have their own timelines and requirements. Fingers crossed the financial aid office gives you clear answers!

As someone who just joined this community, I'm amazed at how helpful everyone has been in this thread! @FireflyDreams, your situation sounds incredibly stressful but it's great that you got it resolved so quickly. This whole discussion has been eye-opening - I had no idea that old vocational training could result in federal loans that might affect future FAFSA applications. The advice about checking the National Student Loan Data System and keeping multiple copies of all documentation is so valuable. I'm definitely going to share this thread with other parents in my area who are starting the college prep process. It's scary how easy it is to have forgotten loans lurking in the system!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful to have found this thread! @FireflyDreams, your experience is both eye-opening and terrifying - I can't imagine the shock of discovering a 15-year-old loan you never knew existed right when you're trying to help your daughter with college applications. What strikes me most is how this highlights a gap that many parents probably don't even know exists. The fact that vocational training programs can result in federal loans that later impact your children's FAFSA eligibility is something I wish was more widely known. I'm planning to do a comprehensive check of my own financial aid history before my youngest starts the college application process in two years. The detailed advice everyone has shared here about loan rehabilitation, small-balance resolution options, and the importance of documentation is incredibly valuable. This community seems like such a supportive resource for navigating these complex financial aid challenges!

Update: I tried the correction option this morning and it worked! I was able to add my additional schools. The system showed my application as "processed" even though I haven't received my official SAI calculation yet. Thanks everyone for the help!

Paolo's update is really helpful! For anyone still worried about this - I went through the same thing last year and was able to add schools immediately after submission without any issues. The key thing to remember is that even if you add schools right away, they won't receive your info until your FAFSA is fully processed anyway. So there's really no downside to adding them as soon as the system lets you. Just make sure to double-check that all your school codes are correct before saving the changes!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! I'm a stay-at-home parent planning to start nursing school in the fall, and my spouse is the sole income earner. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I was also confused about who should submit since I don't have any income to report. It sounds like the consensus is clear that as the student, I should be the one filling it out and just include our joint tax information. I'm definitely going to make sure we both get FSA IDs set up ahead of time based on the advice here. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it makes this whole process feel much less overwhelming!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm also a married student going back to school (my husband works full-time, I'll be starting part-time classes). I was initially worried about this same question, but everyone's responses have made it crystal clear that the student submits regardless of income situation. One thing I wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you're like me and haven't dealt with financial aid in years, the FSA website has a really good step-by-step guide that walks you through the whole process. It helped me understand exactly what documents I'd need before starting. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so reassuring to know we're not alone in navigating this!