Parent PLUS loan approval timeline at UNC-Greensboro - how long does the school take?
I submitted a Parent PLUS loan application for my daughter yesterday through studentaid.gov, but I'm confused about what happens next. The confirmation page didn't provide any information about when UNC-Greensboro will approve the loan or how long this process typically takes. My daughter's fall semester bill is due in 3 weeks, and I'm getting nervous about timing. Has anyone else gone through this process with UNC-G specifically? What was your timeline from application to approval? I'm trying to figure out if I need to look into alternative financing options as a backup. This is our first time navigating the Parent PLUS loan process, so any insights would be super helpful!
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Ava Martinez
I went through this exact process with UNC-G last year for my son. After submitting the Parent PLUS application, it took about 10-14 business days for the school to certify and approve the loan. The financial aid office needs to verify enrollment status and cost of attendance before approving the amount. Once approved, you'll receive an email notification and the loan will show up in your daughter's financial aid package on the UNC-G student portal. If your daughter's bill is due in 3 weeks, you should be fine with timing, but I'd recommend calling the financial aid office directly to confirm they received your application. Sometimes they have a backlog, especially during peak periods before fall semester.
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StarSurfer
•Thank you so much for this info! 10-14 business days should work with our timeline if there aren't any unexpected issues. I'll definitely call to confirm they received the application. Do you remember if there was anything else I need to do after approval? Like signing a Master Promissory Note or something?
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Miguel Castro
my daughter goes to unc-g too and we did the parent plus last fall. took like 3 weeks for them to do anything with it and then they sent us an email saying we needed to fix something. super annoying cuz the deadline was close. the whole thing is so stressful!!
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StarSurfer
•3 weeks? That's cutting it really close for us. Do you remember what they needed you to fix? I'm worried about missing something important on the application that could cause delays.
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Miguel Castro
•they said i put the wrong academic year or something. just double check all that stuff. and yeah call them before the deadline if u dont hear anything!!
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Zainab Abdulrahman
The Parent PLUS loan process typically involves three main stages: 1. Credit check (this happens instantly when you apply on studentaid.gov) 2. School certification (this is what you're waiting for from UNC-G) 3. Loan disbursement (funds are sent to the school) Most schools take 7-14 business days to certify Parent PLUS loans during peak periods. However, you definitely need to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) on studentaid.gov if you haven't already. The loan won't be fully processed without a completed MPN, even after school certification. Also, remember that Parent PLUS loans have an origination fee of about 4.228% for the 2025-2026 academic year, so if you requested $10,000, the actual amount applied to your daughter's account will be about $9,577. Make sure your requested amount accounts for this fee.
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StarSurfer
•Thank you for breaking this down so clearly! I did pass the credit check instantly, but I haven't done the MPN yet - I thought that came after school approval. I'll go complete that right away. And thanks for the reminder about the origination fee - I didn't factor that in when calculating how much to request. I might need to submit a new application for a slightly higher amount to cover everything.
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Connor Byrne
UNC system is notoriously slow with processing financial aid. My son goes to UNC-Charlotte and parent plus took almost a month to process last year! They told us "2-3 weeks" but it was actually more like 4. Super stressful. You should call them ASAP.
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Yara Elias
wait r u sure u have to wait for the school to approve it?? i thought the parent plus loan was approved right away by the federal gov. the school just receives the money...
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•You're confusing the credit approval with the full loan approval process. While the federal government does the credit check instantly when you apply, the school still needs to certify the loan amount based on the student's cost of attendance minus other aid. The school has to verify enrollment status and determine the maximum eligible loan amount before the loan is fully approved and can be disbursed. This certification process is what takes time.
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QuantumQuasar
I've been trying to reach FSA and UNCG financial aid for weeks about a similar issue and kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold for hours. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was ready. Saved me literally hours of waiting and got my Parent PLUS issue resolved in minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ For your specific question - UNCG took about 12 business days to process my Parent PLUS loan last semester. The financial aid office said they're experiencing higher volume than usual this year though.
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Yara Elias
•does that service actually work? ive been on hold with fsa for like 2 hrs and they keep disconnecting me!!
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Keisha Jackson
The entire financial aid system is DESIGNED to be confusing and inefficient! They create these arbitrary deadlines and then drag their feet processing everything. It's absolutely RIDICULOUS that parents have to jump through so many hoops just to pay for their kid's education with LOANS WE HAVE TO PAY BACK WITH INTEREST!!! The Parent PLUS loan is especially predatory since there's basically no borrowing limit and the interest rates are higher than student loans. UNC system knows this and takes their sweet time processing these loans because they know parents are desperate. My advice? Call them DAILY until it's processed. Be the squeaky wheel.
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StarSurfer
•I agree the system is frustrating, but I'm trying to focus on getting through this process right now. Calling daily might actually be good advice though - I'll try to check in with them regularly.
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Ava Martinez
Just to follow up on my earlier comment - make sure you've completed both the Parent PLUS application AND the Master Promissory Note (MPN). Many parents don't realize these are two separate steps. You also need to complete entrance counseling if this is your first Parent PLUS loan. Also, if UNC-G's timeline doesn't work for you, remember you have other options: 1. Most schools will place a temporary credit on the student's account if they can see the Parent PLUS loan is in process 2. You can request a payment plan to break up the balance 3. Private education loans are another option (though usually at higher interest rates) Hope this helps ease some stress!
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StarSurfer
•Thank you - this is all really helpful! I'm going to call tomorrow to check on the status and make sure I've completed all the required steps. I'll also ask about the temporary credit option just in case the processing takes longer than expected. Really appreciate everyone's advice here!
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