When can I apply for 2024-2025 Parent Plus loans on FAFSA? Only seeing older options

they dont open parent plus loans until like june or july for the next school year. i remember having this same panic last year lol

Parent PLUS applications for the upcoming academic year typically become available in late May or early June. You'll need to wait a few more weeks before you can apply for 2024-2025. It's annoying how they make you wait so long when colleges want tuition payments soon!

The Department of Education usually enables the Parent PLUS loan application for the upcoming academic year around late May to early June. This timing is standard every year, though it feels unnecessarily tight with school payment deadlines. One thing to note: Your daughter must have a completed FAFSA on file before you can apply for the Parent PLUS loan, which it sounds like you've already done. Once the application opens, the process typically takes 3-4 weeks for approval and disbursement, so you should be fine with your 6-week timeline if you apply as soon as it becomes available. If you're concerned about the timing, you might want to contact your daughter's financial aid office to see if they offer a tuition payment extension for families waiting on Parent PLUS loan disbursements. Many schools are accustomed to this timing issue and have processes in place.

ughh i hate this about parent plus loans!! happened to me too and i panicked for no reason lol. just wait a few more weeks and it'll appear

To add to what others have said, there's actually a specific reason for this timing. The Department of Education intentionally staggers different parts of the financial aid cycle to manage processing volumes. FAFSA opens in October, aid packages typically come out March-April, and then Parent PLUS applications open in late May/early June. If you're worried about getting it processed in time, I recommend trying to call Federal Student Aid directly to confirm the exact date when applications will open. That way you can apply on the first day. However, calling FSA can be extremely frustrating with wait times often 2+ hours. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of waiting and helped me get my Parent PLUS loan questions answered quickly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

I remember going through this exact same stress last year! Applications for 2024-2025 Parent PLUS loans should open around May 28th-June 1st based on previous years' patterns. One thing to note: make sure you have your FSA ID and password ready to go, and also gather your tax info and employment details so you can complete it quickly once it opens. Also, your daughter's school might have a temporary credit they can apply to her account if they know you're waiting for the Parent PLUS application to open. My son's university offers a 30-day extension if you email them proof that you intend to apply for the PLUS loan. Worth asking about!

THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!!! I've been dealing with this for my twins! Called financial aid and they said "just wait" like we don't have bills to plan for 🤦‍♀️ Apparently Parent PLUS opens June-ish EVERY year and they never bother to tell anyone or put that info on the website clearly. Meanwhile tuition bills are already coming due and they act like we're being unreasonable for asking. The whole system is broken!!!!

Quick update if you're still checking this thread: The Department of Education just announced that 2024-2025 Parent PLUS loan applications will open on June 3rd this year. You can find this information on their official Twitter/X account. Mark your calendar!

Just wanted to add my experience from last year - I was in the exact same boat and the waiting was torture! But once June rolled around and the application opened, everything moved pretty smoothly. One tip: make sure you apply for the full amount you need because you can't easily increase it later if you underestimate. Also, if your daughter's school uses a third-party payment plan service, you might be able to set up a temporary payment plan to bridge the gap until the PLUS loan disburses. My daughter's school worked with Nelnet Campus Commerce and they were pretty understanding about the timing issue. Hang in there - you're definitely not alone in this frustrating process!