What exactly is the College Plus Loan through FAFSA? Application deadlines?
I've been talking to my older sister about college financing options, and she kept mentioning something called a "College Plus Loan" through FAFSA. I've searched all over studentaid.gov but can't find anything with this exact name. Is this a real loan program? When should I be applying for it? My parents make too much for me to qualify for grants but not enough to actually pay for my tuition at State University, so I'm trying to understand ALL my options. I'm a first-gen college student and honestly pretty lost with all these loan names!
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Lauren Wood
I think your sister might be referring to the Parent PLUS Loan, not "College Plus." It's a federal loan program where your parents would be the borrowers, not you. They can borrow up to the full cost of attendance minus any other financial aid you receive. The application opens with the FAFSA (which is now available for 2025-2026), but your parents would complete a separate PLUS loan application on studentaid.gov after your FAFSA is processed.
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Dylan Baskin
•Omg that makes so much more sense! My sister must have been saying Parent PLUS and I misheard it as College Plus. So this would be my parents taking out the loan, not me? Do they need good credit for this? My dad's credit isn't great because of some medical bills.
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Ellie Lopez
ya its PARENT plus not college plus. my mom got denied for one last year cuz of her credit score being low. its for parents not students thats why its called parent plus
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Chad Winthrope
•This is correct about the name, but I want to clarify something important - if your parents are denied for a Parent PLUS loan due to credit issues, this actually makes YOU eligible for additional unsubsidized loans in your own name. So a Parent PLUS denial can actually be helpful in some situations since you can get more money in your own name without needing a cosigner.
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Paige Cantoni
To answer your question about timing: You and your parents need to complete the FAFSA first (now available for 2025-2026 aid year), then wait for your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation and aid package from your school. After that, your parents can apply for the Parent PLUS loan through studentaid.gov. Parent PLUS loans have higher interest rates than direct student loans (currently 8.05% vs 6.5% for undergrad direct loans), plus a ~4.2% origination fee. They require a credit check, and yes, your father's medical bills could potentially cause a denial if they've gone to collections. If your parents are denied, as someone mentioned, you become eligible for additional unsubsidized loan amounts - typically an extra $4,000-$5,000 per year depending on your year in school.
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Kylo Ren
•Wait I thought if Parent PLUS is denied, the student gets the FULL amount the parents would have gotten? My financial aid officer said something different and now I'm confused...
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Paige Cantoni
•No, that's a common misconception. If your parents are denied a PLUS loan, you don't get the full amount they would have been eligible for. You only get an additional amount in unsubsidized loans - specifically $4,000 more per year for freshmen and sophomores, and $5,000 more for juniors and seniors. It's nowhere near what parents can borrow through PLUS (which can cover full cost of attendance).
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Nina Fitzgerald
I wasted so much time trying to call Federal Student Aid about PLUS loan questions last year. Was on hold for HOURS and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual person in like 20 minutes. Saved my sanity! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and their website is claimyr.com. Worth it when you need actual answers from FSA about Parent PLUS application status.
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Jason Brewer
•Is that site legit? Sounds sketchy. Why do we need a service just to talk to our own government? 🙄
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Nina Fitzgerald
•Yeah it's legit. Used it twice now. Trust me, after you've been disconnected 5 times trying to get Parent PLUS loan questions answered, you'll try anything. The FAFSA helpline is impossible during peak season.
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Chad Winthrope
Just to clarify some additional points about Parent PLUS loans: 1. Only biological/adoptive parents can apply (not step-parents unless they've adopted you) 2. Parents must be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens 3. Your FAFSA must list the parent who will be applying for the PLUS loan 4. Interest begins accruing immediately (there's no subsidy period) 5. Repayment typically begins 60 days after full disbursement, though parents can request deferment while you're in school 6. These loans are not automatically forgiven under most forgiveness programs Based on your situation with your father's credit issues, you might want to see if your mother could apply instead (if she's in the picture). Or explore private loans with a creditworthy cosigner as an alternative.
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Dylan Baskin
•This is super helpful! I didn't realize step-parents couldn't apply - that complicates things because my mom remarried and my stepdad makes good money, but my biological dad doesn't. Do they look at my stepdad's income on the FAFSA even though he can't take out the PLUS loan?
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Chad Winthrope
•Yes, that's one of the frustrating contradictions in the system. If your mother and stepfather are married, their combined income and assets must be reported on your FAFSA (increasing your SAI and potentially reducing your aid eligibility), but only your biological/adoptive parents can take out the Parent PLUS loan. This creates exactly the situation you're describing - where your calculated family contribution is based on income that may not actually be available to you for college expenses. You might want to have a conversation with your school's financial aid office about your specific situation, as they sometimes have institutional funds they can provide in cases like yours.
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Jason Brewer
The whole FAFSA system is such a mess. They expect parents to go into massive debt with these PLUS loans but don't consider if they already have other obligations or if they're even WILLING to take on debt for their kids. I know so many people who get screwed because their parents make "too much" on paper but won't help them pay for college or take out loans. Then the student is stuck with minimal aid. 😡
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Ellie Lopez
•THIS!!! my parents refused to take out plus loans but make 2 much for me to get good aid. I had to take a gap year and work full time just 2 qualify as independent. such bs.
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Paige Cantoni
•Unfortunately, this is a common situation. For dependent students, the federal aid system assumes a certain level of parental contribution based on their income and assets, whether or not parents actually provide that support. For those facing this situation, options include: 1. Attending a more affordable school (community college transfer route) 2. Working while in school (federal work-study or regular employment) 3. Seeking additional scholarships from private sources 4. Taking a gap year to work and save money 5. In extreme cases, pursuing a dependency override (though these are rarely granted just for parents refusing to pay) It's not a perfect system by any means, but knowing how to navigate it is essential.
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Kylo Ren
My cousin was just talking about parent plus loans the other day. Her mom got one but its been a hassle for them cause the money gets sent to the school not to you directly i think? And she said they had to pay some fee upfront which was annoying. Something like 4% which adds up to ALOT of money!!
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Lauren Wood
•Yes, Parent PLUS loan funds go directly to the school first. The school applies the money to outstanding charges (tuition, fees, room and board if living on campus), and then refunds any remaining amount to either the parent or the student (depending on what the parent selected on the application). And you're right about the fee - it's currently about 4.2% of the loan amount that's deducted right away. So if your parents borrow $10,000, only about $9,580 actually goes toward your education. That's why it's generally better to max out your federal direct loans before turning to PLUS loans, since the fees and interest rates are lower.
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Dylan Baskin
Thank you all for the great information! I definitely misheard "Parent PLUS" as "College Plus" and was getting so confused. I'll talk to both my parents about this option, but given my dad's credit issues, we might need to look at alternatives. I'm going to schedule an appointment with my financial aid office to discuss all options based on our specific situation. Is there anything specific I should ask them about besides the Parent PLUS loan?
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Paige Cantoni
•When you meet with the financial aid office, also ask about: 1. Any institutional scholarships or grants you might qualify for 2. Work-study opportunities on campus 3. Payment plans that might allow you to spread tuition payments over the semester 4. The process for submitting a special circumstances appeal if your family has had recent financial changes not reflected on tax returns 5. How a Parent PLUS denial would affect your specific aid package 6. Any state-specific programs you might qualify for Bring documentation of your father's credit issues if you have it, as this might help with your case for additional institutional aid.
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