Does FAFSA or Parent Plus Loan cover off-campus apartment costs?

Congrats on your daughter's acceptance! To answer your question - FAFSA itself doesn't directly cover anything; it's just the application form for determining eligibility for various types of aid. But yes, federal student aid (grants, loans, work-study) awarded through FAFSA can typically be used for off-campus housing! And yes, Parent Plus loans can absolutely be used for off-campus housing costs. These loans can cover the full "cost of attendance" minus any other aid received. The school determines the cost of attendance which includes reasonable amounts for off-campus housing in their area. Just make sure your daughter's school knows she's planning to live off-campus so they can adjust her cost of attendance appropriately.

My son lives off campus and we use his Direct loans + our Parent PLUS to cover it. Your daughter will get the excess funds after tuition/fees as a refund that she can use for rent. Just make sure she actually USES it for rent lol. My son almost spent his whole first refund check on a gaming setup before I caught him 🙄

Just to be super clear about this - federal student aid (including Parent Plus loans) can be used for ANY legitimate educational expense that's part of the official "cost of attendance." This includes: 1. Tuition and fees 2. Room and board (on OR off campus) 3. Books and supplies 4. Transportation 5. Personal expenses 6. Computer equipment The school determines a reasonable allowance for off-campus housing in their area. As long as the apartment costs are within that range, you're good. You don't need to "prove" anything about the specific apartment.

fafsa is just a form lol. u fill it out and it gives u money based on ur situation. my parents make bank so i only got loans. when i moved off campus i jus used part of my loan refund to pay rent. parent plus is same deal. school takes tution first then spits back the leftover money.

BE CAREFUL!! My daughter's school has different COA (cost of attendance) amounts depending on if students live on-campus, off-campus, or at home with parents. Off-campus was actually LOWER than dorms in the official estimate, which meant she got LESS aid when she moved to an apartment even though our actual costs were the same!! Check with the financial aid office how they calculate COA for different housing situations!

I was in financial aid processing for 8 years, and I can tell you that Parent PLUS loans can definitely cover off-campus housing. However, here's the process you need to understand: 1. Your daughter needs to notify the school she's living off-campus 2. The financial aid office applies all aid to tuition/fees first 3. Any remaining funds get refunded - usually to the student 4. For Parent PLUS specifically, you can request the refund go to you instead of your daughter BTW - if you're having trouble getting through to the financial aid office, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you skip the phone wait times for federal student aid. Saved me hours when dealing with my own kids' FAFSA issues. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works.

Is there anyone from the South Bend area who knows what Notre Dame considers a reasonable off-campus housing cost??? My daughter just got in and we're in the same situation - dorms are crazy expensive but I'm worried they'll lowball the off-campus allowance. Any insight appreciated!

Update: I finally spoke with my daughter's financial aid office, and they were actually super helpful! They confirmed that for her school, the off-campus housing allowance is about $1100/month (including utilities), which is more than enough for the apartment she found. They also said I could request to have the Parent PLUS loan refund sent directly to me instead of her by filling out a form. Thank you all for your help! This was so much easier than I expected.

That's awesome that everything worked out! Just wanted to add one more tip for other parents reading this - make sure to keep good records of all housing expenses (rent, utilities, groceries) even though you don't technically need to "prove" them to the school. If you ever get selected for verification or need to appeal aid decisions, having documentation of your actual costs vs. the school's estimates can be really helpful. Plus it makes tax time easier if any of the education credits apply to your situation!

Jumping in as someone who just went through this process last year! One thing I wish someone had told me earlier is to double-check how often financial aid refunds are disbursed. My daughter's school only sends refunds twice per semester, so we had to front the first month's rent while waiting for the aid money to come through. Also, some apartment complexes near colleges are used to working with students on financial aid timing - they might be willing to adjust lease start dates or payment schedules if you explain the situation. The apartment management was actually really understanding when we explained we were waiting for her aid refund!

Welcome to the club of confused parents navigating college financial aid! 😅 I just went through this exact same situation with my son last year. Everyone here has given you great advice, but I wanted to add one more thing that really helped us - consider setting up automatic rent payments directly from whatever account receives the financial aid refund. We learned the hard way that even responsible kids can get overwhelmed with managing large sums of money during their first semester. Having the rent automatically deducted meant one less thing for my son to worry about, and one less thing for me to stress about! Plus, many apartment complexes offer small discounts for automatic payments. Also, don't feel bad about not knowing this stuff - the financial aid system is needlessly complicated and they don't exactly hand out a "Financial Aid for Dummies" guide when your kid graduates high school. You're doing great by asking questions and advocating for your daughter!

As someone who works in higher education finance, I wanted to jump in with a few additional points that might help you and other parents: 1. **Timing is everything** - Make sure to submit your housing change notification to the financial aid office BEFORE the semester starts. Some schools have deadlines for adjusting your cost of attendance, and missing these can affect your aid eligibility. 2. **Keep communication records** - Save emails/documentation of your conversations with the financial aid office about the housing change. If there are any issues with disbursements later, having a paper trail helps resolve things quickly. 3. **Consider a backup plan** - While Parent PLUS loans are pretty reliable, I've seen situations where loan processing gets delayed. Having enough saved to cover the first month or two of rent can save a lot of stress. The good news is that once you get through this first year, the process becomes much more routine. And honestly, off-campus living often works out better financially in the long run - your daughter will learn valuable budgeting skills too! Don't hesitate to ask for a supervisor if you're getting conflicting information from different departments. Financial aid offices deal with these questions constantly, so there should be clear, consistent answers available.

Just wanted to add something that helped us tremendously - if your daughter's school participates in the Federal Direct Deposit program, you can often set up the refund to go directly into a specific account that you control. We opened a dedicated "college expenses" checking account where all her aid refunds go, and then I can monitor exactly how the money is being spent. Also, since you mentioned being confused by all the phone transfers - try calling the financial aid office first thing in the morning (like 8 AM) or right after lunch (around 1 PM). Those tend to be the least busy times and you're more likely to get through to someone knowledgeable quickly. One last tip: some schools offer "parent proxy" access where you can view your daughter's financial aid information online even after she turns 18. Super helpful for staying on top of disbursement dates and making sure everything processes correctly. Just requires a simple form that she signs to give you access. You're doing great navigating all this! The first year is definitely the hardest because everything is new, but you'll be a pro by next year 😊

This thread has been such a lifesaver! As a parent of a college sophomore, I can confirm that everything gets SO much easier after the first year once you understand the system. One thing I'd add that we discovered - if your daughter ends up with extra financial aid money after all her expenses are covered, she's required to report it on her tax return. We had no idea about this until tax time rolled around! The school sends a 1098-T form that helps with this, but it's worth mentioning to your tax preparer that she's living off-campus and receiving aid refunds. Also, Logan, you mentioned feeling "dumb" for asking these questions - please don't! I have a master's degree and still felt completely lost navigating financial aid. The fact that you're asking questions and planning ahead shows you're being a great advocate for your daughter. The system is designed to be confusing, not the other way around! Keep us updated on how everything works out with the apartment and aid processing. This kind of real-world experience sharing is exactly what other parents need to hear! 🎓

This entire thread has been incredibly helpful! As a parent who's about to go through this exact same process next year, I've been taking notes on everything you all have shared. One question I have - for those who set up dedicated accounts for college expenses, do you typically use a checking account at your regular bank, or did you find advantages to using a different bank/credit union? I'm wondering if there are any benefits to having the college expense account somewhere separate from our main banking relationship, or if it's easier to just keep everything in one place. Also, Logan, I really appreciate you sharing your experience so openly. It takes courage to admit when you're confused about something, and you've created such a valuable resource for other parents. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread to reference when my son starts college next fall!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm in a very similar situation with my son who just got accepted for fall 2025, and I was equally confused about how financial aid works for off-campus housing. Reading through everyone's experiences has answered so many questions I didn't even know I had yet. The tips about timing of refund disbursements, setting up dedicated accounts, keeping documentation, and even the tax implications - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that you just can't find in the official financial aid materials. Logan, thank you for being brave enough to ask these questions openly. You've helped so many of us who are navigating this process for the first time. It's such a relief to know that feeling overwhelmed by all this is completely normal! I'm definitely going to be referencing this thread as we get closer to my son's enrollment. This community seems like such a supportive place for parents trying to figure out college finances. Looking forward to learning more from everyone's experiences! 😊

Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and going through this process with my daughter who's starting college in the fall. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - I came in just as confused as Logan was about how FAFSA and Parent PLUS loans work for off-campus housing. What really struck me reading through all these responses is how much institutional knowledge exists among parents who've been through this, but how little of it gets shared in official channels. The schools give you the basic facts, but they don't tell you about things like disbursement timing, setting up dedicated accounts, or how to handle the refund logistics. I especially appreciated the advice about calling financial aid offices at specific times to avoid long holds, and the suggestion to keep detailed records of all communications. These are the kinds of practical tips that can save so much stress during an already overwhelming process. Logan, thank you for starting this conversation - you've created such a helpful resource! And to everyone who shared their experiences, this is exactly what us newcomer parents need. Looking forward to contributing my own lessons learned as we navigate this journey! 😊

Welcome to all the newcomers joining this thread! As someone who's been part of this community for a while, it's wonderful to see how Logan's initial question has created such a comprehensive resource for parents navigating college financial aid. I wanted to add one more practical tip that saved us a lot of headaches: when your daughter's school processes the financial aid refund, ask them to send you an email notification when the funds are disbursed. Most schools can set this up, and it helps you track exactly when the money should hit the account so you can follow up quickly if there are any delays. Also, for those setting up automatic rent payments from the financial aid refund account - make sure to schedule them for a few days after the typical disbursement date, not immediately. We learned this the hard way when a disbursement was delayed by two days and the rent payment bounced! Logan, you should be so proud of how this conversation has evolved. What started as one parent's confusion has turned into a masterclass in college financial aid logistics. This is exactly what this community is for - supporting each other through these complex processes that nobody prepares us for! 🎓

As someone who just went through this exact process with my twin daughters last year, I can't echo everyone's advice enough - Parent PLUS loans absolutely can cover off-campus housing! But here's something I wish I'd known earlier: some schools will actually increase your Parent PLUS loan eligibility when you switch to off-campus housing if their off-campus cost of attendance is higher than dorms. One of my daughters' schools actually had a HIGHER off-campus allowance than on-campus because they recognized that students living off-campus also have to pay for internet, renters insurance, and furnishing costs that dorm students don't face. So don't just assume off-campus will mean less aid - it might actually work in your favor! Also, I second the advice about getting refunds sent to you instead of directly to your daughter. The financial aid office made it super easy - just one form to fill out. Having control over that money during those crucial first few months really helped us make sure rent got paid on time while she was still learning to manage her budget. You're asking all the right questions, Logan. This process is confusing by design, not because you're missing something obvious! 😊

As a newcomer to this community, I just have to say WOW - this thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm in the exact same boat as Logan with my son starting college this fall, and I was completely lost about how Parent PLUS loans work for off-campus housing. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has been like getting a crash course in college financial aid that I never knew I needed. The practical tips about disbursement timing, setting up dedicated accounts, keeping documentation, and even the tax implications are pure gold. This is the kind of information that should come in a "College Parent Survival Guide" but somehow never does! I especially appreciate how supportive everyone has been - from Mikayla's clear explanations to Sean's funny gaming setup story (which I'm definitely worried about with my own son! 😅), to all the detailed banking and logistics advice. It's such a relief to know that feeling completely overwhelmed by this process is totally normal. Logan, thank you for having the courage to ask these "basic" questions - you've created an amazing resource that's going to help so many families! I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and looking forward to learning more from this wonderful community as I navigate my own college financial aid journey. 🎓