FAFSA didn't offer federal loans - only private loans available now?

This happens a lot! Federal Direct Loans are available to almost all students regardless of financial need, but many schools don't automatically include them in the initial financial aid package. Your daughter needs to specifically request the loans from her school's financial aid office. They won't show up directly on the FAFSA results. The max Direct Loan for first-year dependent students is $5,500. You can also look into Parent PLUS loans for the remaining amount, which would give you better repayment options than private loans.

we went thru this last yr. you gotta contact the SCHOOL not fafsa. each school handles it diff. my son's school had a separate form for requesting the fed loans after fafsa was processed. check ur schools portal or financial aid website.

The same exact thing happened to me!!! I was freaking out because we had a $12k gap and I KNEW we were eligible for federal loans but they weren't on my aid letter. Turns out the school was waiting for me to complete entrance counseling and the MPN (Master Promissory Note) on studentaid.gov first. Once I did that and notified my financial aid office, they added the loans to my package. Check if your daughter needs to complete those steps.

You definitely want to pursue federal loans before private! The process is ridiculous right now with the new FAFSA system. I spent HOURS on hold trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid about my daughter's application issues. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human at FSA. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once we got ahold of someone, they confirmed we needed to contact the school directly about the federal loans. The representative explained that Direct Loans aren't automatically displayed on the SAI results - you have to request them through the school.

NOT ALL SCHOOLS PACKAGE THE LOANS THE SAME!!! Some make u accept them separately because they want u to think twice before taking loans. My daughter's school has a separate loan acceptance process that opens in July even tho we got her aid package in April. Check with the financial aid office!!!

Financial aid counselor here - let me clarify a few things: 1. Federal Direct Loans are an *entitlement* program - almost all students qualify regardless of financial need 2. However, schools have different approaches to how they present loans in aid packages: - Some automatically include the max Direct Loan amount - Some include loans but require separate acceptance - Some don't include loans at all until specifically requested 3. For 2025-2026, first-year dependent students can borrow up to $5,500 in Direct Loans (max $3,500 subsidized) 4. Parent PLUS loans can cover up to the remaining cost of attendance after other aid Definitely pursue federal loans before private ones - they have better terms, forgiveness options, and income-driven repayment plans.

this is y the system suks. they want u to think the cost is higher than it really is by not showing loans up front. my kid got a "great" financial aid package that still left us 20k short. had to call to find out about the loans. total scam to make schools look more affordable on paper!

Make sure your daughter completes the Direct Loan Master Promissory Note and entrance counseling on studentaid.gov ASAP! Our financial aid office wouldn't add the loans until those were done. The loan request might be buried in her student portal somewhere - ours was under a tab called "Financial Aid Requirements" that was easy to miss.

To answer your specific question about Parent PLUS vs. private loans: 1. Parent PLUS pros: Fixed interest rates, income-contingent repayment options if you consolidate, loan forgiveness possibilities, death/disability discharge 2. Private loan considerations: Interest rates vary based on credit (with your 780+ scores, you might get competitive rates), fewer repayment options, fewer protections With your excellent credit, you might get a better rate with private loans, but you lose the federal protections and flexibility. I'd recommend applying for PLUS first, then comparing the rate with private loan offers before deciding.

dont forget to check if ur school has a payment plan option!! we do 50% upfront and then 5 monthly payments for each semester. no interest just a small setup fee. helps us avoid some loans.