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Ruby Garcia

Do I need to reapply for Parent Plus loan for Spring semester after Fall approval?

So I finally got approved for a Parent Plus loan to cover my daughter's fall semester tuition at UCLA (after 3 attempts and a credit appeal, but that's another story). Now I'm realizing we need additional funds for the spring semester as well. Do I need to complete an entirely new Parent Plus application? Or is there some kind of renewal process since I was already approved for fall? The financial aid office is impossible to reach by phone and my daughter's tuition deadline is coming up in 3 weeks. Any advice from parents who've been through this before would be super helpful!

yea u gotta do the whole thing over for each semester, its stupid but thats how they make u do it. fill out the same form again but just change the loan period to spring only.

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Ruby Garcia

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Really? That seems so inefficient. Did you have to go through credit approval again or was it faster the second time around?

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Actually, it depends on how you initially applied for the Parent Plus loan. If you requested it only for the Fall semester, then yes, you'll need to submit a new application for Spring. However, if you originally applied for the full academic year (Fall and Spring), the disbursement should happen automatically for the Spring term. Log into studentaid.gov and check your loan application to see what loan period you selected. If it says "Fall Only" or similar, you'll need to complete a new application. If it says "Academic Year 2025-2026," you should be set for both semesters.

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Ruby Garcia

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Thank you for the clear explanation! I just checked and I did select "Fall Only" when applying. I was so focused on just getting through the approval process that I didn't think about spring. Looks like I need to submit a new application.

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I hATE the parent plus loan process so much!!!! Applied 3 times last year and got denied twice for stupid reasons then finally approved but only after i sent in like 20 documents. Now my son needs spring $ too and were starting all over again FML

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Maya Lewis

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Same boat here! The whole financial aid system is designed to be frustrating. They know parents will do anything to help their kids, so they make us jump through ridiculous hoops.

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Isaac Wright

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You definitely need to apply again if you only applied for Fall initially. Make sure to select "Spring Only" for the loan period. Also, I'd recommend applying for a bit more than you think you'll need because tuition and fees have a way of surprising you with last-minute increases. One important tip: since you were already approved for Fall, the credit check for Spring should go through more easily. They use the same credit criteria, and approvals typically last for 180 days. Just make sure you're using the same parent borrower information as your successful Fall application.

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Ruby Garcia

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That's really helpful to know about the 180-day credit approval window! We had such a hard time with the initial credit check that I was dreading going through that again. I'll definitely apply for a little extra cushion too.

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Lucy Taylor

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Has anyone tried calling Claimyr.com to get through to the Federal Student Aid phone lines? My daughter had this same issue last semester and we were stuck on hold for HOURS trying to get answers. Someone in her dorm recommended this service that gets you through to an actual person at FSA without the wait. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ We used it and got specific instructions about reapplying for the Parent Plus for spring semester. The agent walked us through the whole process in about 15 minutes. So much better than trying to figure it out alone.

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Ruby Garcia

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I've never heard of this service but I'm definitely going to check it out! The financial aid office phone lines are a nightmare - I tried calling 5 times last week and kept getting disconnected. Thanks for the recommendation!

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Connor Murphy

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Just to add some clarification here, Parent Plus loans can be structured in a few different ways: 1. Academic Year (covers Fall + Spring) 2. Single Term (Fall Only or Spring Only) 3. Custom Loan Period (if your school has non-standard terms) If you selected option 2 and chose Fall Only, then yes, you need to submit a new application for Spring. The good news is that the credit check from your Fall approval is likely still valid if it's within 180 days. One important warning: make sure you don't accidentally apply for another Fall loan instead of Spring! The online form defaults to the current term sometimes, and I've seen parents accidentally request duplicate loans for the same semester.

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Ruby Garcia

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Thank you for the warning about accidentally applying for the wrong semester! I'll double check everything before submitting. This is all so confusing sometimes.

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KhalilStar

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Just went thru this last month. You DO need to reapply but since u already got approved for fall it SHOULD be faster. my experience: first app took 3 weeks to process, second one took 5 days. make sure u pick the right loan period (spring only) and same parent borrower as before. good luck!!

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Ruby Garcia

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5 days would be amazing compared to our first application! That's reassuring to hear it might be faster this time around. Thanks for sharing your experience!

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Ethan Wilson

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I'm in a similar situation but for my son at UC Berkeley. One thing I learned after dealing with this mess is to always apply for the full academic year from the start, even if you're not sure you'll need spring funding yet. It saves you from having to go through the application process twice. Also, if you're worried about the 3-week deadline, you might want to call your daughter's school directly and ask about payment plan options or emergency aid while you wait for the Parent Plus approval to come through. Most schools have some flexibility for students whose parents are actively in the loan approval process. The federal aid system really needs an overhaul - it's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to help our kids get an education!

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Amara Torres

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That's really good advice about applying for the full academic year from the start! I wish I had known that earlier - would have saved so much stress. I'll definitely keep that in mind for next year. And you're right about calling the school directly - I hadn't thought about asking about payment plans or emergency aid options while waiting for approval. UCLA might have something similar available. Thanks for the practical suggestions!

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Emma Davis

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As someone who went through this exact same situation with my daughter at USC last year, I can confirm you'll need to submit a new Parent Plus application for spring since you only applied for fall initially. The process should be much smoother this time around though! A few tips that helped me: 1. Apply ASAP since you have that 3-week deadline approaching 2. Your credit approval from fall should still be valid (good for 180 days) 3. Consider applying for slightly more than the minimum needed - unexpected fees always seem to pop up 4. Double-check that you select "Spring 2025" as the loan period, not fall again One thing that really saved me time was having all my FSA ID information and documentation ready before starting the application. Since you've been through this process recently, you should have everything you need already organized. Also, don't stress too much about the phone lines at the financial aid office - the online application process is pretty straightforward once you know what you're doing. You've got this!

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Amina Diop

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This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I'm definitely going to start the application today. Having my FSA ID and documents ready from the fall application should make things much smoother. I really appreciate the tip about applying for a bit extra - you're so right about unexpected fees popping up. It's reassuring to hear from someone who went through the exact same situation. Fingers crossed the spring approval goes as smoothly as you described!

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LongPeri

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I went through this exact same situation with my son at UCLA just last semester! Since you only applied for Fall initially, you'll definitely need to submit a new Parent Plus application for Spring. The good news is that it should be much faster this time around. A few things that helped me speed up the process: - Your credit approval from Fall should still be valid (they're good for 180 days) - Make sure to select "Spring 2025" as the loan period - don't accidentally pick Fall again! - Apply for a little more than you think you need - there are always surprise fees - Have your FSA ID ready since you'll need to sign electronically My Fall application took forever (sounds similar to your experience), but the Spring one was approved in less than a week. The key is making sure you use the exact same parent borrower information as your successful Fall application. With your 3-week deadline, I'd recommend starting the application today if possible. You can also reach out to UCLA's financial aid office via email or their online portal - sometimes that's faster than trying to call. Good luck!

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CosmicVoyager

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Thank you so much for the detailed advice! It's really reassuring to hear from another UCLA parent who went through this exact situation. I'm definitely going to start the application today - you're absolutely right about not waiting with that deadline approaching. I'll make sure to double-check the loan period selection and apply for a bit extra as you suggested. The tip about using the online portal instead of calling is great too - I hadn't thought of that approach. Thanks for giving me hope that the spring approval will be much faster than the fall nightmare!

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Adrian Connor

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I just went through this same situation with my daughter at NYU! Since you selected "Fall Only" initially, you'll definitely need to submit a new Parent Plus application for Spring. But here's the silver lining - it should be WAY faster this time around. The credit check from your Fall approval is still valid for 180 days, so you won't have to go through that nightmare again. Just make sure you: 1. Select "Spring 2025" as the loan period (double check this!) 2. Use the exact same parent borrower info as your Fall app 3. Apply for a bit more than you think you need - trust me on this one My Fall application took 6 weeks with multiple appeals, but Spring was approved in 4 days. Start the application TODAY given your 3-week deadline. You can do this through studentaid.gov using the same FSA ID you used before. Also, try reaching out to UCLA's financial aid office through their student portal or email instead of calling - sometimes you get faster responses that way. Hang in there, you've already survived the worst part of this process!

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GalaxyGazer

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This is exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you for breaking it down so clearly. It's such a relief to know the credit check should still be valid - that was definitely the most stressful part of the fall application process. I'm going to start the application right now and make sure to triple-check that I select Spring 2025. The tip about using the student portal instead of calling is brilliant - I've been dreading trying to get through to someone on the phone again. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and give me some confidence that this round will be much smoother!

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Miguel Castro

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I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My daughter is at UC Davis and I only applied for Fall initially. Just wanted to share that I called the school's financial aid office yesterday and they confirmed I need to submit a completely new Parent Plus application for Spring. The good news is they told me that since my Fall application was approved within the last 6 months, the credit check should process much faster this time. They also mentioned that if I'm cutting it close with the tuition deadline, I can submit proof that my Parent Plus application is "in process" and they'll usually give you a grace period while waiting for approval. One thing I learned from my Fall experience - definitely apply for more than just the tuition amount. Room, board, books, and random fees add up fast! Starting my Spring application this weekend. Good luck with yours!

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Yara Khalil

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That's really helpful to know about submitting proof that the application is "in process" for a grace period! I hadn't thought about that option and it takes some pressure off the tight deadline. UC Davis and UCLA probably have similar policies for this situation. Thanks for sharing that tip about applying for more than just tuition too - you're absolutely right about all those extra costs adding up. It sounds like we're both in the same boat, so good luck with your Spring application this weekend!

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I just went through this exact situation with my son at Cal Poly! You definitely need to submit a new Parent Plus application since you only applied for Fall initially. The process should be much smoother this time though. Here's what worked for me: - Your credit approval from Fall is still good for 180 days, so no need to stress about that part again - Make absolutely sure you select "Spring 2025" as the loan period - the form sometimes defaults to Fall - Apply for about 10-15% more than you think you need - there are always surprise charges - Start the application TODAY given your timeline My Fall application was a nightmare (denied twice, appeals, the whole mess), but Spring was approved in just 6 days. The key is using the exact same parent borrower information as your successful Fall application. Also, UCLA might allow you to submit a "loan pending" form to buy yourself some extra time while the application processes. Worth asking about through their online portal since phone lines are impossible. You've already survived the worst part of this process - the Spring approval should be a breeze in comparison!

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GalaxyGlider

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This is so helpful, thank you! It's really encouraging to hear that your Spring approval only took 6 days after such a difficult Fall process. I'm definitely going to start the application today and make sure to be extra careful about selecting the right semester. The tip about applying for 10-15% extra is smart - I learned that lesson the hard way with unexpected fees this fall. I'll also look into that "loan pending" form option with UCLA. Thanks for sharing your experience and giving me confidence that this round will be much easier!

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I'm a current UCLA parent who just went through this exact process last month! You absolutely need to submit a new Parent Plus application for Spring since you only applied for Fall initially. But here's some good news - it should be SO much faster this time around. Since your Fall application was approved, your credit check is still valid for 180 days, which means you won't have to go through that stressful part again. Just make sure to: - Select "Spring 2025" as the loan period (not Fall!) - Use the exact same parent borrower info as your Fall application - Apply for a bit more than the minimum - UCLA always has surprise fees My Spring application was approved in just 5 days compared to the 6+ weeks the Fall one took. Start the application TODAY since you have that 3-week deadline approaching. Also, try contacting UCLA's financial aid office through the MyUCLA portal or email instead of calling - you'll actually get a response that way. They also have a "loan pending" form you can submit if you need extra time while waiting for approval. You've already survived the hardest part - this should be much smoother!

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Aiden Chen

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This is exactly what I needed to hear! As someone new to this whole Parent Plus process, it's so reassuring to get advice from another UCLA parent who just went through the same thing. I was really worried about having to start completely from scratch, but knowing the credit check is still valid takes a huge weight off my shoulders. I'll definitely start the application today and make sure to select Spring 2025 - seems like that's a common mistake people make! Thanks for the tip about the MyUCLA portal too, I hadn't thought to try that instead of calling. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and give me some hope that this won't be as stressful as the fall application!

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