Do Parent PLUS loan PSLF qualifying payments count while student is still in college?

Yes, those payments DO count! As long as you've already consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan, are on an income-driven repayment plan, and are working full-time at your qualifying employer, payments made during your daughter's enrollment absolutely count toward your 120 payments. The student's enrollment status doesn't affect YOUR eligibility for PSLF - it's all about you as the borrower. Make sure you're submitting your Employment Certification Form annually to track your progress. Also double-check you're on the correct repayment plan - Parent PLUS loans need the ICR plan after consolidation to qualify.

kinda confused about this...don't u have to make payments AFTER the loan comes due? Aren't most parent plus loans deferred while kid is in school?? how r u even making payments now?

I went through EXACTLY this situation with my son's PLUS loans and I can tell you the system is a NIGHTMARE. I made payments for 3 YEARS while he was in college and NONE OF THEM COUNTED because they didn't put me on the right plan!!! The servicer never told me I needed to be on ICR specifically AFTER consolidation. They just said "make payments" so I did! Wasted $14,000 in payments that didn't count toward forgiveness. DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING and get it in WRITING. The system is designed to make you fail.

you should check out the PSLF subreddit, they have a lot of good info there on parent plus specifically. I think there was something about a waiver that might help too?

I'd strongly recommend using Claimyr to get through to a Federal Student Aid agent directly. I was stuck with the same PSLF question for Parent PLUS loans and was getting nowhere with emails and waiting on hold. Used claimyr.com and got through in about 15 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I was spending otherwise. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Getting an actual FSA agent to confirm your payment plan status and eligibility is crucial - I found out I was on the wrong plan despite what my servicer told me.

One important technical detail: For Parent PLUS loans to qualify for PSLF, you must consolidate into a Direct Consolidation Loan AND select the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan specifically. This is different from other federal loans because Parent PLUS loans aren't eligible for other income-driven plans like IBR, PAYE, or REPAYE - only ICR. And yes, payments made during in-school periods absolutely count toward PSLF as long as you meet all other criteria (right loan type, right payment plan, qualifying employment, etc.). The student's enrollment status doesn't matter for your PSLF progress.

Prob not relevant but my husbnad had Prnt PLUS loans and we just refinanced thru SoFi for way lower interest rate? Than dealing with forgiveness hoops? Just another option if the forgiveness doesn't work out for u.

Update: I finally got through to a FSA representative who confirmed my payments DO count as long as I'm on ICR (which I am) and working full-time at a qualifying employer (which I am). She did advise me to submit a new Employment Certification Form immediately to make sure these early payments are being tracked properly. Thanks everyone for your help - especially the tip about Claimyr which saved me hours of hold time!

Congratulations on getting confirmation! This is such valuable information for other parents in similar situations. I'm in a comparable spot - work for a public library system and have Parent PLUS loans for my junior. I've been hesitant to start payments early because I wasn't sure if they'd count, but your experience gives me confidence to move forward. Quick question: When you consolidated, did you have to wait a certain period before the payments started counting toward PSLF, or did they count immediately after consolidation? I'm worried about timing since I just submitted my consolidation application last month.