FAFSA only gave $5k + athletic scholarship still leaves us with $15k gap - loan options?

First, check if that $5,000 from FAFSA is just grants or if it includes federal student loans. Many award letters include Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized loans as part of the "aid package" but don't clearly label them as loans. If there are already federal student loans in that $5k, your daughter can accept those first - they have the best terms. For the remaining gap, you have several options: 1. Parent PLUS loan - but as you mentioned, credit check might be an issue 2. Private student loans (your daughter would need a co-signer with good credit) 3. Payment plan through the school (usually splits the bill into 10-12 monthly payments) 4. Outside scholarships - check sites like Fastweb and Scholarships.com Also, did your ex report both of your incomes on the FAFSA? If you're divorced and she's the custodial parent, only her income should have been reported, which might increase aid eligibility.

My daughter got a volleyball scholarship too and we still had like $10k left to pay. We did the Parent PLUS loan and it was really easy jsut had to do a credit check. The interest rate kinda sucks tho.

CALL THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE DIRECTLY AND ASK FOR MORE MONEY!!! I cannot stress this enough!! My son's package was $8k short and I literally called and explained our situation and they found him another $4k in institutional grants. They have discretionary funds but you have to ASK FOR THEM!! Don't just accept what they first offer!

have you considerd a home equity loan if u own a house? the intrest rates are better than PLUS and privat loans usually.

Financial aid professional here! A few things that might help: 1. For your credit concerns with Parent PLUS loans: if you're denied due to credit, your daughter automatically becomes eligible for additional Unsubsidized Direct loans (up to $4,000 more for freshman year). This won't cover the full gap, but it helps. 2. Many colleges have payment plans that break the bill into monthly payments with minimal fees. This can make the remaining amount more manageable. 3. Have your daughter contact the athletic department directly. Sometimes coaches have discretionary scholarship funds they can allocate, especially if they really want to keep a recruit. This is particularly true if other schools offered her more substantial athletic scholarships. 4. File a Special Circumstances appeal with the financial aid office if there have been significant changes to your financial situation since the tax year used for FAFSA (2023 taxes for 2025-2026 aid year). Finally, the average SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) can change significantly when calculated with the new FAFSA. Your ex should check if all contributors were properly listed.

not trying to be mean but i think its weird ur ex handled all the fafsa stuff and now ur stuck with the bill??? maybe she should be the one taking out the parent plus loan since she did the application? just saying

One thing to consider: your daughter should look into becoming a Resident Assistant (RA) after freshman year. My son saved over $12,000 per year in room and board costs as an RA his sophomore through senior years. That made a huge difference in our overall costs. Also, look into work-study options for this year if they weren't included in her aid package.

DID YOU SEE IF THE COLLEGE OFFERS MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS????? Some schools have additional academic scholarships that aren't automatic!!! My daughter got a $5k merit scholarship just by filling out an extra application!!! Ask about this IMMEDIATELY!!!!!

Update on the Special Circumstances appeal I mentioned: make sure to document everything. If you're submitting an appeal based on your medical expenses, provide copies of bills and proof of payment. Schools typically want to see that medical expenses exceeded 11% of your AGI to consider it a special circumstance. Also, ask specifically about the school's Professional Judgment process - some schools use this term instead of "appeal.

Don't forget to check if your daughter's school participates in any tuition exchange programs or has partnerships with other institutions that might offer additional funding opportunities. Also, some schools have emergency aid funds for students who demonstrate sudden financial need - these are often overlooked but can provide a few thousand dollars. Another option to consider: some employers offer tuition assistance programs that extend to employees' children. Check with both your and your ex's employers to see if this benefit exists. Even if it's just $1,000-2,000 per year, every bit helps close that gap. Finally, don't overlook local scholarships from community organizations, rotary clubs, or businesses in your area. Many of these have later deadlines because they're smaller and less competitive than national scholarships.

I'm in a similar situation with my son starting college this fall. One thing that really helped us was setting up a meeting with the financial aid counselor (not just calling the general office). They walked us through all our options and helped us understand the timeline for different types of aid. Also, if your daughter hasn't already, make sure she accepts those federal loans in her portal ASAP - there are deadlines for accepting aid, and you don't want to miss out on the subsidized portion. The unsubsidized loans don't have the same urgency but it's good to get everything locked in. For the Parent PLUS loan with credit concerns, you might want to apply sooner rather than later. If you do get denied, it opens up those additional unsubsidized loans for your daughter that someone mentioned, plus it gives you more time to explore other options. The whole process felt overwhelming at first but breaking it down step by step made it much more manageable.