FAFSA question - Can my 17-year-old take student loans for college?

Yes, your daughter can get federal student loans through FAFSA even though she's 17. Age isn't a factor for federal loan eligibility, but because she's a minor, YOU will need to sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN) on her behalf until she turns 18. Once she's 18, she can sign her own MPN for future disbursements. The loans should appear on her financial aid award letter after she submits the FAFSA and gets accepted. If they don't, contact the financial aid office directly. Just so you know, the first year Direct Loan limits for dependent students are typically $5,500 ($3,500 subsidized + $2,000 unsubsidized).

my son was 17 when he started and we had to cosign EVERYTHING. the school financial aid office had special forms for minors that we had to fill out. total pain but whatever

Don't forget to check if your daughter qualifies for any MERIT scholarships at the school - those aren't need-based so your income wouldn't matter. My daughter got a decent one that covered about 30% of tuition even though we didn't qualify for any need-based aid. Also, once she turns 18, she can take out the loans herself without your signature. Just be careful about the amount of debt she accumulates. The federal loan limits are actually helpful in preventing excessive borrowing for undergrads.

just be careful!!!! those parent plus loans are DANGEROUS!!!! we took those out for my daughter and now im stuck with the payments and the interest is CRAZY. make sure you understand EXACTLY what youre signing up for

Has anyone here used Claimyr? I had SO many questions about my daughter's FAFSA and loan options last year and kept getting disconnected when calling the Federal Student Aid number. Someone recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it actually worked - they got me through to a real person at FSA in about 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They even have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Totally worth it for getting clear answers about the loan questions I had. The FSA rep explained all the different loan types and what my daughter qualified for.

I think your confusion might be because the preliminary FAFSA calculator is just showing your Expected Family Contribution (oops they call it Student Aid Index now lol). Actual loan options will show up on the official award letter from each school. ALL students are eligible for some amount of federal loans regardless of family income. But also, many schools won't automatically include loans in their preliminary estimates - they only show grants/scholarships until you specifically request loan information.

To directly answer your question: Yes, your 17-year-old can take out federal student loans, but with some important qualifications: 1. Federal Direct Loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized) are available to students regardless of age 2. Because she's under 18, you'll need to sign the Master Promissory Note as her parent/guardian 3. The first-year maximum for dependent students is $5,500 total ($3,500 subsidized if she qualifies based on need) 4. Private loans generally require a cosigner for anyone under 18 and usually for most students regardless of age 5. Once she turns 18, she can sign her own loan documents Also, loan offers don't always appear on initial aid estimates - they'll be more clearly detailed in the official financial aid award letter after FAFSA processing is complete. Don't hesitate to contact each school's financial aid office directly to discuss loan options.

Something else to consider - if she's going to turn 18 during her first semester, it might be easiest to just wait until then to process the loans if possible. That way you avoid all the extra paperwork for minors. We paid the first semester ourselves and then did loans after my son turned 18 in October. Saved a ton of hassle.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I've learned so much: 1. Yes, she can get federal loans despite being 17 2. I'll need to sign as her parent until she turns 18 3. Loans might not show up in preliminary estimates 4. I should contact financial aid directly for clarification 5. We'll look into more merit scholarships 6. I'll be careful about Parent PLUS loans and their higher interest rates You've all been so helpful! I'm going to call the financial aid office tomorrow to discuss this further.

Great summary! One additional tip - make sure to submit the FAFSA as early as possible (it opened October 1st for the 2025-26 school year). Some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, don't forget that you'll need to renew the FAFSA every year she's in college, and the loan limits increase slightly each year ($6,500 for sophomore year, $7,500 for junior/senior years). Good luck with everything!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans! With subsidized loans, the government pays the interest while your daughter is in school (at least half-time), during grace periods, and during deferment. Unsubsidized loans start accruing interest immediately. Since you mentioned your income might be too high for need-based aid, she might only qualify for unsubsidized loans, but it's still worth understanding both types. Also, even if she doesn't qualify for subsidized loans this year, her eligibility could change in future years if your financial situation changes. The financial aid office will be able to tell you exactly which types she qualifies for once they process her FAFSA. Best of luck navigating this process!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - if your daughter ends up needing to borrow the maximum federal loan amounts, consider having her work part-time during college if possible. Even 10-15 hours a week can significantly reduce the amount she needs to borrow over four years. Also, some schools have payment plan options that let you spread tuition payments over the semester instead of paying a lump sum upfront. This might help with cash flow if you're trying to minimize borrowing. My daughter's school offered a 4-month payment plan with no interest, which made it much easier for us to manage the portions we were paying out of pocket. The financial aid office should be able to tell you about all these options when you call. It sounds like you're being really thoughtful about this whole process!

As someone who went through this exact situation with my youngest, I wanted to add a few practical tips that might help. First, keep all your loan documents organized from the start - you'll need to reference them multiple times throughout the process. Second, if your daughter's birthday falls during the academic year, ask the financial aid office about timing the loan disbursements. Some schools are flexible about when they process the paperwork. Also, don't overlook state grant programs! Even if you don't qualify for federal need-based aid, your state might have merit-based programs or grants with different income thresholds. My daughter qualified for a small state grant that we weren't expecting. One last thing - if you end up needing Parent PLUS loans despite the higher interest rates, you can sometimes get better terms through credit unions or other private lenders if you have excellent credit. Just make sure to compare all the benefits (like income-driven repayment plans) that come with federal loans before going private. You're asking all the right questions and it sounds like your daughter will be in good hands financially!

One thing that might help ease your stress about the whole process - most schools have dedicated staff who specialize in helping students under 18 navigate financial aid. When you call, specifically ask to speak with someone who handles minor student cases. They'll know exactly which forms you need and can walk you through the timeline. Also, if your daughter is academically strong, don't forget about outside scholarships! Sites like Scholarships.com, Fastweb, and even local community organizations often have awards that aren't income-based. My nephew was in a similar situation (high family income, 17 at college start) and ended up getting several small scholarships that added up to about $3,000 his first year. One more tip - if she ends up with unsubsidized loans, you can choose to pay the interest while she's in school to prevent it from capitalizing. Even small monthly payments can save thousands over the life of the loan.

Just wanted to chime in as another parent who went through this exact situation! My son was 17 when he started college two years ago. Here's what I learned that might help: The Master Promissory Note (MPN) signing process for minors is actually pretty straightforward once you know what to expect. You'll sign it electronically through the Federal Student Aid website, but you'll need to do it using your daughter's FSA ID while indicating you're signing as her parent/guardian. One thing that caught me off guard - some schools require additional documentation beyond the standard FAFSA when the student is a minor. Our school needed a notarized form confirming my parental authority to sign financial documents on his behalf. It's worth asking about this upfront so you're not scrambling later. Also, here's a timeline tip: federal loan funds are typically disbursed in two installments per academic year (usually at the beginning of each semester). Since your daughter will likely turn 18 before the spring semester disbursement, she may be able to sign for that second disbursement herself, which can simplify things mid-year. The whole process seems overwhelming at first, but the financial aid offices really do know how to handle these situations. You're being smart to research this ahead of time!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My daughter is also 17 and starting college in the fall. After reading through all these responses, I wanted to add one more resource that's been helpful for us - our state's 529 education savings plan office actually has financial aid counselors who can walk you through loan options and timing strategies at no cost. Also, I discovered that some schools will let you defer the loan application process until after your daughter turns 18 if the timing works out with their payment deadlines. Our school's bursar office said we could potentially pay the first semester out of pocket and then apply for loans for spring semester once she's 18, which would eliminate all the minor-related paperwork. One last thing - if your daughter is considering any summer courses before starting, those can sometimes be paid for with the same loan funds once she's enrolled, which might give you more flexibility with timing if her 18th birthday falls at a convenient point. It's so helpful to see other parents navigating this same situation! The financial aid process is complicated enough without adding the under-18 factor, but it sounds like there are definitely workable solutions.

I'm also navigating this exact situation with my son who will be 17 when he starts college this fall! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I wanted to add one thing I learned from our college's financial aid workshop - they mentioned that some schools have emergency loan programs specifically designed to bridge gaps while paperwork gets sorted out for unusual situations like minors needing loans. Also, if anyone is dealing with timing issues around the 18th birthday, I found out that you can actually start the MPN process as soon as your FAFSA is processed, even if it's months before school starts. This way all the parental signature stuff is handled early, and loan disbursement can happen automatically once the semester begins. One question for the group - has anyone dealt with schools that have different policies for in-state vs out-of-state students when it comes to minor loan applications? Our state school seems more flexible than the out-of-state option we're considering, and I'm wondering if that's typical or just coincidence. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this thread has been a goldmine of practical information!

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 daughter who will also be 17 when starting college this fall, and I was feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the financial aid questions. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has given me such a clear roadmap for what to expect. The key takeaways I'm noting are: 1) Federal loans are definitely available for 17-year-olds but require parental signatures, 2) Loan offers might not show up in preliminary estimates, 3) There are specialized staff at schools who handle minor student cases, 4) Timing around the 18th birthday can create opportunities to simplify the process, and 5) There are way more resources and programs available than I initially realized. I'm definitely going to call our target schools' financial aid offices this week armed with all the specific questions that have been raised here. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share such detailed, practical advice - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes all the difference when navigating this process for the first time!