How do I know if my FAFSA Parent PLUS loan was approved? Still waiting after 3 weeks

the parent plus loan status wont show up on YOUR portal, ur dad needs to log in to studentaid.gov with HIS fsa id to check the status. he should see it under "my loan agreements" or something similar

Parent PLUS loans have a different approval process than Direct Loans. Here's what you need to know: 1. The parent who applied needs to log into studentaid.gov with their FSA ID 2. Look under "My Aid" and then "Loans" 3. If approved, there will be a completed loan agreement (MPN) listed 4. Your school must also certify the loan before it appears on your account Typically, credit decisions are instant, but school certification can take 1-3 weeks. If your dad doesn't see a credit decision, he should call Federal Student Aid directly to check status.

Had the same issue with my daughter's PLUS loan last semester! The approval actually happened right away but it took FOREVER for the school to process it and send the certification back. The money didn't actually hit her account until like 2 days before the payment deadline. Super stressful. You might want to call the school's financial aid office directly instead of emailing.

I work in financial aid (different school) and can tell you a few things: 1. Credit decisions for PLUS loans are usually instant, but the notification can get lost in spam 2. If your dad doesn't see a decision, he should call FSA directly at 1-800-433-3243 3. Even after approval, the school needs to certify the loan amount before disbursement 4. Check if your school has a parent portal where your dad can view his PLUS loan status If your tuition deadline is approaching, ask your school's bursar about a temporary payment deferment while waiting for the loan to process. Most schools have a process for this.

my parents got DENIED for parent plus loan last year because of some old credit card debt they forgot about!!! we had no idea until we called FSA. don't assume it's approved, MAKE SURE. if they are denied you can get more unsubsidized loans as an undergrad student, but you have to request them specifically.

To summarize what you should do: 1. Have your dad check studentaid.gov for the loan status 2. Call your school's financial aid office early in the morning when they first open (usually easier to get through) 3. Ask about a temporary deferment of tuition while waiting for the loan 4. If you can't reach the financial aid office, try contacting the bursar/student accounts office instead 5. If all else fails, find out your school's emergency loan options Most schools understand these delays and have systems in place to help students. Don't panic yet!

So glad you got it sorted out! This is actually pretty common - system glitches happen more often than schools like to admit. For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, definitely don't give up if you can't get through on the first try. Keep calling, try different times of day, and don't be afraid to escalate to supervisors if needed. The financial aid process is stressful enough without having to deal with technical issues on top of it!

I've been through this exact situation with my daughter's Parent PLUS loan! A few additional tips that might help: 1. If your dad still doesn't see a decision after checking studentaid.gov, have him look in his email spam folder - sometimes the approval notifications end up there 2. You can also try logging into your school's student portal and look for a "parent" or "authorized user" section where PLUS loan status might show up 3. If you're really pressed for time, some schools will accept a screenshot of the pending loan application as temporary proof while waiting for final processing The waiting is the worst part, but it sounds like you're taking all the right steps. Keep us updated on how it goes!

Welcome to the Parent PLUS loan waiting game - it's unfortunately very common! Just went through this with my son last fall. A few things that helped us: 1. Create a checklist to track progress: parent checks FSA account weekly, student checks school portal, both check email/spam folders 2. If your school has a financial aid chat feature on their website, try that instead of calling - sometimes it's faster 3. Ask your financial aid office about their "emergency aid" or "short-term loan" programs while waiting for PLUS loan processing 4. Keep documentation of everything - screenshots of pending applications, email timestamps, etc. The system delays are frustrating but very manageable once you know what to expect. Sounds like you're already on the right track by being proactive about it. Most schools are pretty understanding about these processing delays, especially this time of year when everyone's dealing with the same issues!

As a newcomer to this whole FAFSA process, I've been reading through all these responses and I'm honestly blown away by how helpful this community is! My parents and I are going through the exact same situation right now - submitted Parent PLUS loan application about 2.5 weeks ago and radio silence since then. I had no idea there were so many places to check or that system glitches were this common. Reading everyone's experiences has really helped calm my nerves. I was convinced we'd done something wrong or missed a step somewhere. Going to have my mom check her FSA account first thing in the morning and work through all the suggestions here. It's such a relief to know that even when there are delays, schools usually have options like deferments or emergency loans to bridge the gap. Thank you all for sharing your stories - it makes this stressful process feel a lot less scary when you know other families have been through the same thing!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who's been through this process twice now (once with my older son and currently with my daughter). The waiting period for Parent PLUS loan approval can be incredibly stressful, but I've learned a few things that might help: 1. The approval timeline can vary significantly - sometimes it's instant, sometimes it takes weeks, especially during peak filing season 2. Your school's financial aid office likely deals with dozens of these cases daily, so don't feel like you're bothering them by following up 3. If you're really stuck, try reaching out to your academic advisor - they sometimes have direct connections to financial aid staff that can help expedite things One thing that saved us last time was asking about a "pending financial aid" hold on the tuition due date. Many schools will give you an extra 2-3 weeks if you can show proof that aid is in process. The good news is that once everything gets sorted out (and it will!), the funds usually disburse pretty quickly. Hang in there - you're definitely not alone in dealing with these delays!

As someone who just went through the Parent PLUS loan process for the first time this year, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their experiences! My mom applied for my PLUS loan about 3 weeks ago and we've been in limbo ever since. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea that delays and system glitches were so common. I'm definitely going to have my mom check her FSA account and spam folder first thing tomorrow. We've been trying to reach our school's financial aid office for over a week with no luck, but seeing all the different strategies people have shared (calling right when they open, trying the chat feature, contacting the bursar's office) gives me hope that we'll eventually get through to someone. The tip about asking for a "pending financial aid" hold is a game-changer - I never would have known that was an option! It's amazing how much you can learn from people who've actually been through this process. Thank you all for making this stressful situation feel much more manageable!

I'm jumping into this conversation as someone who's currently going through the same Parent PLUS loan waiting process! My mom submitted our application about 2.5 weeks ago and we haven't heard anything back either. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a lifeline - I was starting to think we were the only ones dealing with these delays and communication issues. The advice about checking multiple places (FSA account, spam folders, school portals) is incredibly helpful. I had no idea there were so many different places the status might show up or that system glitches were this common. The tip about calling the Federal Student Aid center directly (1-800-433-3243) is especially valuable since our school's financial aid office has been impossible to reach. I'm definitely going to ask about the "pending financial aid" hold option when I finally get through to someone - that could be a huge stress reliever while we wait for everything to process. It's amazing how much practical knowledge this community has shared. Thank you all for making this overwhelming process feel so much more manageable for us newcomers!

I'm also dealing with this exact same situation right now! My mom applied for a Parent PLUS loan about 2 weeks ago and we've been anxiously waiting for any kind of update. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that delays were this common or that there were so many different places to check for status updates. What really caught my attention was the mention of system glitches being more frequent than schools admit. That makes me feel so much better because I was convinced we had messed something up in the application process. I'm definitely going to have my mom check her FSA account tomorrow morning and look through her spam folder too. The advice about calling right when the financial aid office opens (8 AM) is golden - I've been trying to reach ours for days with no luck. Also going to ask about that "pending financial aid" hold option since our payment deadline is coming up fast. It's such a relief to know that schools have processes in place for these situations. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences with this process. As a first-time college student whose family is new to all this, it's incredibly reassuring to know we're not alone in dealing with these frustrating delays!

As someone who's been helping families navigate the Parent PLUS loan process for several years, I wanted to jump in with a few additional resources that might help everyone who's currently waiting: 1. If your parent applied through studentaid.gov, they should have received a confirmation email with an application reference number - keep this handy when calling for status updates 2. Many schools have a "Financial Aid Checklist" or "To-Do List" in the student portal that will show if they're waiting for PLUS loan certification - check there too 3. For those mentioning system glitches, the Department of Education actually has a technical issues hotline (1-800-433-3243, option 2) specifically for FAFSA/loan application problems One thing I always tell families is to document everything - dates of calls, names of people you spoke with, reference numbers, etc. This becomes really valuable if you need to escalate or if there are discrepancies later. The good news is that even when these delays happen, schools almost always work with families to avoid late payment penalties while waiting for federal aid to process. You're all being incredibly proactive by seeking help and following up - that's exactly the right approach!