FAFSA confusion: How did my son get student loans without me cosigning?

Your older son most likely had federal direct student loans through the FAFSA, not private loans. Federal direct loans don't require a parent cosigner - they're in the student's name only. The government offers these to students regardless of credit history. When you completed the FAFSA, it determined his eligibility for direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans. For your younger son, he'll likely be offered federal direct loans as part of his financial aid package after you submit FAFSA. These have borrowing limits though (typically around $5,500 for freshmen), so if you need $15K, you might need to look at Parent PLUS loans or private loans to cover the difference.

yeah the loans ur son had were prob direct subsidized/unsubsidized federal student loans. the govt gives those to any student who fills out fafsa and is enrolled at least half time. no cosigner needed! they have lower interest rates than private loans too

I was just as confused as you when my daughter started college! There are two main types of federal student loans through FAFSA: Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized loans. These are in the STUDENT'S name only - no parent signature required except for the FAFSA itself. But there's a relatively low limit on these (about $5,500 for first-year students). If you need $15K, your son can get maybe $5,500 on his own through these federal direct loans, but the remaining $9,500 would require either: 1. Parent PLUS loans (in YOUR name) 2. Private loans (which would almost certainly require a cosigner) My guess is your older son only took the federal direct loans, which is why you never had to sign for them specifically.

ok but direct loans have limits tho!!! freshman can only get like $5500 max!!! thats not enough for $15k!!!

Oh wow, this brings back memories. When my kids went to college, I had the EXACT same confusion. I remember filling out the FAFSA and then suddenly they had loans, but I never signed anything! Turned out they were federal direct loans that don't need a cosigner. But like others said, those only cover part of the costs usually. The whole system is so confusing and they don't explain it well to parents OR students!

To answer your question directly: 1. Federal Direct Loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized) are available to students without a parent cosigner. The current limits for dependent first-year students are $5,500 total. 2. For the remaining $9,500 gap, you have three main options: - Parent PLUS loans (credit check required, but only checks for adverse credit history) - Private student loans (almost always requires cosigner for students) - Other payment options (payment plans, scholarships, work-study) 3. Your older son likely only took the federal direct loans that were automatically offered after FAFSA submission. These would have been entirely in his name. For your younger son, make sure he understands exactly which loans he's accepting and who is responsible for them. The financial aid award letter should break this down.

Parent PLUS loans only check for adverse credit history, not credit scores. You'll be approved as long as you don't have: - Accounts 90+ days delinquent - Collections or charge-offs in the past 2 years - Default on federal student loans - Bankruptcy, foreclosure, repossession, tax lien, wage garnishment, or write-off of federal student debt in the past 5 years Even with some of these issues, you can still potentially get approved with an endorser (similar to a cosigner). If you're concerned about getting through to someone at Federal Student Aid to discuss your options, I recently used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to a live agent without the endless hold times. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. It saved me hours of frustration when I had questions about my daughter's PLUS loan application.

One thing to be aware of - your older son's loans are possibly in default if he's been deferring them for many years. There are limits to how long you can defer. This could potentially impact your family's ability to get additional federal aid, so you might want to help him get on an income-driven repayment plan if possible.

btw embry riddle is $$$$$ no wonder he has so much debt. hope ur younger son chose somewhere cheaper lol

I remember when my first kid went to college in 2011, I was SHOCKED at how easy it was for him to get loans without me. I thought for sure they'd need a parent signature beyond just the FAFSA, but nope! The system just... gives teenagers thousands of dollars with basically no financial education. Then we wonder why there's a student loan crisis? SMH.

This whole situation is exactly why I think families need better financial aid counseling! Your older son got federal Direct Loans - these are automatically offered to students who complete FAFSA and don't require parent cosigning. The government basically gives them to any enrolled student regardless of credit history, which explains why he can't remember signing anything special beyond accepting his financial aid package. For your younger son's $15K gap, he'll likely qualify for about $5,500 in Direct Loans on his own. The remaining ~$9,500 would need to come from Parent PLUS loans (in your name) or private loans (which would need a cosigner). I'd strongly recommend sitting down with your son AND the financial aid office to go through exactly what he's accepting - too many students sign loan documents without really understanding the long-term implications. Make sure he knows which loans are his responsibility vs. yours!