When will Parent PLUS loan application for 2025-26 FAFSA open?
I'm trying to help my daughter plan her finances for her sophomore year, but I can't find the Parent PLUS loan application for the 2025-26 academic year anywhere on studentaid.gov. I see the FAFSA is available, but when I log in to my account, the Parent PLUS loan isn't showing up as an option to apply. My daughter's school says she needs to have this completed by June for priority consideration. Has anyone been able to access the Parent PLUS application yet? Is there a specific date when they release it? Last year we applied in May and it was no problem, but I'm getting anxious since her tuition deposit is due soon.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
Parent PLUS loans aren't available until after your child's school processes their FAFSA and sends an aid offer. You can't apply for 2025-26 PLUS loans until your daughter receives her financial aid package from the school. They typically become available around April/May.
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Giovanni Colombo
•Thank you! That makes sense. Her school sent an email saying everything was due by June, but I didn't realize the Parent PLUS application would come after the aid package. Do you know roughly how long after the aid package we should expect to be able to apply?
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Dylan Cooper
Most schools dont actually process aid packages until March-April, even if FAFSA submitted earlier. The school has to determine Cost of Attendance first, then calculate your daughters need, then create packages. PLUS applications open after that, usually April 1st for most schools. The June deadline is probably their priority deadline, not the opening date!
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Sofia Ramirez
•Not always true!! My daughters school processd her FAFSA in January and we got the PLUS loan app in February!!! Every school has diff timelines so check with THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE not random internet advice!!!
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Dmitry Volkov
The Direct Parent PLUS Loan application for 2025-2026 should be available after April 1st, 2025. You need to wait until your daughter receives her financial aid award letter from her school, which typically happens between March and May. The sequence is: 1) FAFSA submission, 2) SAI calculation, 3) School processes and sends aid award, 4) Then you apply for the PLUS loan if needed. The June deadline likely refers to when they want everything completed, not when applications open.
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Giovanni Colombo
•This is really helpful, thank you! So it sounds like I need to wait for her aid award letter before I can even see the PLUS loan option on studentaid.gov. Makes sense why it's not showing up yet.
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StarSeeker
we had same problem last year!! the parent plus dont show up until after the school processes everything. its super annoying because our school kept telling us to apply but we couldnt see it anywhere on the website. finally figured out we had to wait for the financial aid letter to come first. just be patient it'll show up.
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Giovanni Colombo
•That's exactly what's happening! The school keeps mentioning the Parent PLUS in their emails about deadlines, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Glad to know I'm not missing something obvious.
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Ava Martinez
I spent 3 hours trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid last week about this exact issue. Their phone system is ridiculous - kept disconnecting me. Finally I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through in less than 10 minutes. The agent confirmed Parent PLUS applications for 2025-26 won't be available until your daughter's school processes her FAFSA and sends the award letter. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Saved me so much frustration!
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Miguel Ortiz
•Does this service actually work? I've been trying to reach someone at FSA for days about my son's verification issues...
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Ava Martinez
•Yes! I was skeptical too but it worked perfectly. The regular FSA phone system is a nightmare, but with Claimyr I got through to a real person who helped explain the whole Parent PLUS timeline. Much better than getting disconnected over and over.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
A quick tip about Parent PLUS loans - the application itself is pretty quick (about 20 minutes) once it becomes available. You'll need your FSA ID, your child's school information, and the loan amount you want to request. Also, they'll run a credit check as part of the application process, so be prepared for that. The good news is that once you're approved, the funds go directly to the school rather than to you or your student.
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Giovanni Colombo
•Thanks for the information! Do you know if they look at your credit score or just check for adverse credit history? We had some issues last year that have since been resolved, but I'm worried about approval.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•They only check for adverse credit history (things like defaults, bankruptcies, foreclosures) from the past 5 years - not your actual credit score. And even if you have adverse credit, you can still get approved with an endorser (similar to a co-signer) or by documenting extenuating circumstances for your credit issues.
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Dylan Cooper
One thing I'd recommend - once your daughter gets her SAI and aid package, calculate EXACTLY how much you need to borrow before applying for the PLUS loan. Many parents borrow too much and end up paying interest on funds they didn't actually need. Also remember the ~4.2% loan fee that gets deducted from your total, so if you need exactly $10,000 to cover costs, you might need to request around $10,420 to account for that fee.
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Giovanni Colombo
•That's excellent advice. We definitely overborrowed last year and ended up with a refund that we had to figure out what to do with. I didn't realize the loan fee was so high either - will definitely calculate more carefully this time.
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Sofia Ramirez
Did you check to see if your school has a seprate parent plus application? Some schools make you fill out THEIR form first and then they give you instructions for the federal one. My sons school was like that and it was so confusing!!!
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Giovanni Colombo
I just got off the phone with my daughter's financial aid office. They confirmed that Parent PLUS applications won't be available until they process her FAFSA and send out her award letter, which they expect to do in early April. The June deadline is when everything needs to be completed, not when applications open. Thanks everyone for the clarification - I feel much better now knowing that I'm not missing anything!
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Dmitry Volkov
•Great to hear you got it sorted out! One last tip: make sure your daughter has added your school to her FAFSA so they receive her information automatically. Some schools won't begin processing until they see her listed in their system.
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Evelyn Rivera
As a parent who just went through this process last year, I can confirm what others have said - the Parent PLUS application won't appear on studentaid.gov until after your daughter's school processes her FAFSA and sends out the financial aid award letter. This usually happens between March and May. The timing can vary significantly by school, so I'd recommend calling your daughter's financial aid office directly to ask when they typically release award letters. That way you'll have a better idea of when to expect the Parent PLUS option to become available. The June deadline they mentioned is likely when they want all financial aid paperwork completed, not when applications open. Don't stress - you're not behind schedule!
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William Rivera
•Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through this recently. I think I'll give the financial aid office a call tomorrow to get their specific timeline - that's a great suggestion. I was getting worried that I was missing some important deadline, but it sounds like this is just how the process works. Really appreciate everyone's help in this thread!
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