Can both divorced parents apply for separate Parent PLUS loans for same student? FAFSA confusion
I'm trying to figure out a way to split college costs with my ex. Our daughter got into her dream school but the price tag is way higher than we expected ($38,500/year). Neither of us can afford to take on that much debt alone. Is it possible for both of us to apply for separate Parent PLUS loans to cover different portions of her expenses? The financial aid office wasn't clear when I called, and I'm getting conflicting information online. Has anyone successfully done this with divorced parents? Do we need to coordinate the loan amounts somehow, or can we each just apply independently?
21 comments

Isaiah Thompson
ya both parents can apply for parent plus loans even if divorced. my ex and i did this last year for our son. you each apply separately based on your own credit, has nothing to do with FAFSA really except the school needs the FAFSA on file to process. just make sure you dont accidentally apply for more than the cost of attendance combined or theyll reject one of them.
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Jessica Nguyen
AuthorThat's such a relief to hear! Did you have to coordinate with your ex at all about who was covering what amount? Or did you just each decide independently?
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Ruby Garcia
Yes, this is absolutely possible. Divorced parents can each apply for separate Parent PLUS loans for the same student. Here's how it works: 1. Both biological/adoptive parents are eligible to apply regardless of which parent the student lives with or claimed the student on taxes 2. Each parent will need their own FSA ID 3. Each parent submits their own separate Parent PLUS loan application 4. Each application is evaluated based on that parent's individual credit history 5. The combined total cannot exceed the cost of attendance minus other financial aid The school's financial aid office will need to certify both loans, so I recommend working with them directly to coordinate the amounts.
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Jessica Nguyen
AuthorThank you so much for the detailed breakdown! This clarifies a lot. Do you know if there's any benefit to having the parent with better credit apply for a larger portion?
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Alexander Evans
We tried this and it was a disaster!!! My ex applied without telling me and took the full amount even though we had AGREED to split it. Then the school rejected my application saying the full cost was covered. Make sure you communicate clearly with your ex and the financial aid office!!!
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Jessica Nguyen
AuthorOh no, that sounds like a nightmare scenario! I'll definitely make sure we have a written agreement and both talk to the financial aid office beforehand.
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Evelyn Martinez
I work in a college financial aid office, and this is a common situation. Yes, divorced parents can each take out Parent PLUS loans, but there are some important technical details to understand: - The total of all Parent PLUS loans cannot exceed Cost of Attendance (COA) minus other aid received - Each parent will have different loan origination fees and possibly different interest rates based on when they apply - The parent taking out the loan is solely responsible for repayment - the debt belongs only to that parent - Some schools have specific processes for handling multiple Parent PLUS applications, so check with your daughter's school I recommend getting the financial aid breakdown in writing, deciding exactly how much each of you will borrow, and submitting applications within a few days of each other.
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Jessica Nguyen
AuthorThis is incredibly helpful - thank you! I didn't even think about the different fees and interest rates. Is there typically a deadline for when Parent PLUS applications need to be submitted for fall semester?
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Benjamin Carter
Have u considered having your daughter take out some loans herself? My parents were divorced and neither wanted to take PLUS loans so I did the max federal student loans myself ($5,500 freshman yr, $6,500 sophomore, etc) and then they split the remaining costs without loans. Just throwing out another option since PLUS loans have higher interest rates than student direct loans.
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Jessica Nguyen
AuthorThat's a good point. She's already taking out the max federal student loans she can get ($5,500 this year), but there's still a big gap. I'm hoping to minimize her debt since she's planning on grad school too.
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Maya Lewis
I've been calling the Federal Student Aid line for days trying to get clarification on this exact situation with my ex and our twins. Always on hold forever and then disconnected! Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a real person in under 10 minutes who confirmed both divorced parents can apply for separate PLUS loans. They have a quick video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration!
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Isaac Wright
does that service actually work? i've been trying to get ahold of someone about my daughter's verification issues for 2 weeks!!
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Maya Lewis
Yes, it worked great for me! Instead of waiting on hold for hours, I got connected to an actual FSA agent who answered all my questions about the Parent PLUS loan process for divorced parents. Definitely worth it for complicated situations like this.
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Evelyn Martinez
To follow up on your question about deadlines - Parent PLUS loan applications can technically be submitted any time during the academic year, but I strongly recommend applying at least 30 days before tuition is due. This gives enough time to process the application, complete the master promissory note, and disburse funds to the school. Also, remember that Parent PLUS loans are subject to origination fees (currently about 4.2%), so the amount disbursed will be less than the amount borrowed.
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Jessica Nguyen
AuthorThank you for following up! The 30-day guideline is really helpful. And I had no idea about the origination fees - we'll need to factor that in when calculating how much to request.
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Lucy Taylor
MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL FINANCIAL AID OFFICE TOLD ME THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE!!!! I'm so angry right now. They made me take the full parent plus loan ($27,000) when my ex said he would take half. They straight up lied to me and said only one parent could do it. I'm calling them first thing tomorrow.
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Ruby Garcia
Unfortunately, some individual financial aid officers aren't familiar with all the regulations. While it's definitely allowed federally, sometimes schools implement their own processes that can complicate things. I suggest asking to speak with the director of financial aid and specifically referencing the Federal Student Aid guidance on this topic.
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Jessica Nguyen
Update: I spoke with the financial aid office again today and got some clarity. They confirmed both my ex and I can apply for separate Parent PLUS loans. We need to each complete our own application and Master Promissory Note with our FSA IDs. They recommended we submit a written plan specifying exactly how much each of us will borrow so there's no confusion. Thanks everyone for your help with this!
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Isaiah Thompson
awesome! glad it worked out. just remember if either of you has bad credit history you might get denied and would need to get an endorser (like a cosigner). happened to my ex and it delayed everything by like 3 weeks
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Benjamin Carter
Don't forget to look into payment plans too! My parents found out they could do a 10-month payment plan with no interest instead of taking the full loan amount. Saved them thousands in interest.
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Noah Irving
As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm it's definitely possible! Just wanted to add a few practical tips that helped my ex and I navigate this smoothly: 1. Get everything in writing BEFORE applying - we created a simple document outlining who would borrow what amount and signed it 2. Apply within the same week if possible - this helps the financial aid office process both applications together 3. Consider who has the better credit score for the larger portion, as Parent PLUS loans don't have a borrowing limit beyond cost of attendance 4. Keep copies of all your communications with the school's financial aid office The key is coordination and communication. Once we got organized, the whole process was actually pretty straightforward. Good luck with everything!
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