FAFSA Parent Plus loan for 2025-2026 year not showing in dropdown - help!

The 2025-2026 Parent Plus loan application isn't available yet. They don't release them until after March 15th typically. I had the same panic moment last year! The FAFSA itself might be open for 25-26 already but the actual loan applications follow a different timeline. Don't worry, you haven't missed anything.

This happens every year and confuses so many parents! The 2025-2026 Parent Plus loan applications won't be available until after the FAFSA processing cycle is further along. The Department of Education staggers the releases to manage their systems better. For now, focus on completing the 2025-2026 FAFSA (which should be available), and you'll be able to apply for the Parent Plus loan starting around late March or early April. The exact date varies slightly each year.

I had this EXACT same issue last year!!! The Parent Plus loan applications open AFTER the FAFSA period starts, which is super confusing and they don't make it clear anywhere! You should focus on getting your daughter's FAFSA completed first, then once the Parent Plus application period opens (usually late March/early April), you'll see the 2025-2026 option appear in the dropdown. Make sure your FSA ID is working properly too because that caused me additional headaches.

The whole college financial aid timeline is so confusing!! My son is a junior now and I've gone through this twice. Here's what happens: FAFSA opens Oct 1st, then schools process and send aid offers around Feb-March, THEN the Parent Plus loan application period opens. It's like they deliberately make it complicated. And if you think that's bad, wait until you have to do the verification process if you get selected for that! 🤯

Hello there! Financial aid counselor here. Just to clarify some information - the Parent Plus loan application availability is intentionally staggered after the initial FAFSA processing period. This is because Parent Plus loan eligibility depends on the SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation and aid package determination. For the 2025-2026 academic year, you should expect the Parent Plus application to become available in late March 2025. In the meantime, please ensure you've completed these steps: 1. Submit the 2025-2026 FAFSA with all required tax information 2. Make sure both you and your daughter have valid FSA IDs 3. Check that your daughter's school has received her FAFSA data 4. Wait for the aid offer letter from the school Once you receive the aid offer, you'll have a better idea of how much to request in your Parent Plus loan.

dont stress it the system is just weird. my daughter is in her 3rd year and every single year i panick about these things lol. the parent plus loans always come later than the fafsa stuff. just make sure u dont miss any deadlines from the actual college thats more important

One more thing to keep in mind - when the Parent Plus application does open, make sure you're applying for the correct amount. The first year many of us request too much or too little because we don't account for all expenses or other scholarships. Review your daughter's first year costs and adjust accordingly. And if you're planning to take the full four years of Parent Plus loans, remember the aggregate loan limits. You might want to spread the borrowing strategically.

Has your daughter received her SAI score yet for 2025-2026? That needs to be processed before you can do the Parent Plus application. The whole system is frustrating because they make us submit everything in a specific order but don't clearly communicate what that order is! My advice is to call her school's financial aid office directly - they can usually give you the most accurate timeline for your specific situation.

When I was trying to do my son's Parent Plus loan last year the website kept crashing and I could never get through on the phone. Literally spent HOURS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid. Is it just me or does their customer service get worse every year? I'm dreading going through this again for 2025-2026...

I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now! My daughter is also going into her sophomore year and I was getting so worried that I'd missed some important deadline. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - it sounds like this timing confusion happens to everyone. I'm going to focus on getting our FAFSA completed properly and then wait for the Parent Plus application to open up in late March. Thank you all for sharing your experiences, it really helps to know we're not alone in navigating this confusing system!

I'm going through the exact same situation with my son who's entering his sophomore year! It's such a relief to find this thread and realize I'm not the only one panicking about the 2025-2026 Parent Plus loan not being available yet. After reading everyone's responses, I feel much better knowing this is just how the system works and not something I've done wrong. I've been checking the studentaid.gov site daily thinking I was missing something obvious. Now I'll focus on completing the FAFSA and stop stressing about the Parent Plus application until it actually opens. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is a lifesaver for confused parents like us!

I'm a new parent going through this process for the first time with my daughter starting college next fall, and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea there was a difference in timing between the FAFSA and Parent Plus loan applications. I've been refreshing that dropdown menu for weeks thinking something was broken on my end. It's reassuring to see so many experienced parents confirming this is normal. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread for reference and focus on getting our FAFSA submitted first. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge - it's making this whole process feel much less overwhelming for us newcomers!

As someone who just went through this process for the first time last year, I totally understand the panic! The Parent Plus loan timeline is so poorly explained on their website. What helped me was creating a little calendar with all the key dates after I figured out the system. For 2025-2026, focus on getting your FAFSA submitted by your daughter's school deadline first, then watch for the Parent Plus application to open around late March. One tip I learned the hard way - make sure you have all your tax documents ready early because if there are any discrepancies, it can delay everything. Also, don't forget to check if your daughter's school has any additional parent loan forms they require beyond the federal application. The whole process is stressful but you'll get through it!