When will the Parent PLUS loan application for 2025-26 be available? Missing from options
I'm trying to plan ahead for my daughter's sophomore year expenses and wanted to complete the Parent PLUS loan application for the 2025-26 school year, but I don't see it as one of my options on studentaid.gov. All I can see are the FAFSA application and some other loan options, but no Parent PLUS specifically. Has anyone successfully applied for a Parent PLUS loan for 2025-26 yet? Is there a specific release date I should be aware of? Getting a little anxious as we need to secure her housing contract by March and need to know our financing options.
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Oliver Becker
Parent PLUS loans for the 2025-26 academic year won't be available until June 2025. They typically open applications about 2 months after the FAFSA processing begins for that academic year. You can complete the FAFSA now, but you'll need to wait for the PLUS loan application. For housing contracts, most schools will accept your FAFSA completion as sufficient proof of intent to secure financing.
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Amina Bah
•Thank you so much! That explains why I couldn't find it. Do you know if there will be any major changes to the Parent PLUS loan program for 2025-26 compared to previous years? I've heard rumors about interest rate increases.
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CosmicCowboy
we had the same issue last year. thought we could apply early but nope gotta wait till summer.
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Amina Bah
•That's good to know! Did you have any issues with timing for things like housing deposits or registration holds?
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Natasha Orlova
It's important to note that while you can't apply for the Parent PLUS loan yet, you should still complete the 2025-26 FAFSA as soon as possible if you haven't already. Your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation from the FAFSA will determine other aid eligibility, and schools use this information for institutional aid too. The Parent PLUS application is separate and will use the FAFSA information once it becomes available around June 2025.
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Javier Cruz
•does anyone know if parent plus loans count toward the aggregate loan limit? my sons getting close to max for his subsidized loans
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Natasha Orlova
•No, Parent PLUS loans don't count toward the student's aggregate loan limit. The PLUS loan is in the parent's name and responsibility, not the student's. Your son's subsidized/unsubsidized federal loan limits are completely separate from any PLUS loans you might take out as a parent.
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Emma Thompson
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIDICULOUS!!!! Why can't they make all the applications available at the same time?? We're expected to make major financial decisions and commitments to colleges months before we even know what loans we qualify for. My daughter's school wants a $3,000 housing deposit by FEBRUARY but I can't even apply for the loan to cover it until JUNE?? Make it make sense!!!
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Malik Jackson
•ikr? the timing never lines up with when we actually need to make decisions 🙄
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Oliver Becker
•It's frustrating, but there is some logic to it. The schools need to know who's planning to attend before they can finalize aid packages. For housing deposits, most schools have hardship options if you explain you're waiting on financial aid. Have you talked to the financial aid office about your situation?
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Isabella Costa
I've been trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid for TWO WEEKS about this exact question, and I keep getting disconnected or waiting on hold for hours. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person at FSA yesterday. Their service connected me to an agent in about 15 minutes! The agent confirmed that Parent PLUS applications for 2025-26 open in June 2025, and they also suggested asking the school's financial aid office about options for early housing deposits if you're waiting on loan approvals. Here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
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Amina Bah
•That's so helpful! I've been trying to call them too with no luck. I'll check out that service - getting a straight answer would be worth it at this point.
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CosmicCowboy
•is that service legit? seems weird to need a service just to talk to the government lol
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Amina Bah
Update: I spoke with my daughter's financial aid office today, and they said they can put a note in her file about the pending Parent PLUS loan. They're willing to accept the housing deposit in two installments instead of all at once, which gives us some breathing room until the loan application opens. Thanks everyone for your help!
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Oliver Becker
•That's great news! Most schools are pretty understanding about these timing issues since they deal with them every year. Just make sure to submit the PLUS loan application as soon as it opens in June, as processing can take 2-3 weeks.
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Emma Thompson
•You got lucky with a reasonable financial aid office. Ours wouldn't budge on the housing deposit deadline AT ALL and we had to put it on a credit card last year. 😡
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Javier Cruz
my daughter is transfering next year & we need the parent loan too but we also need to do a direct consolidaton loan for my previous parent plus loans from her first two years. anyone know if i can do both or do i have to wait
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Natasha Orlova
•You can do both, but timing matters. Complete the consolidation of your existing PLUS loans first, then apply for the new PLUS loan for 2025-26 when it becomes available. If you try to do it in reverse order or simultaneously, the systems can get confused and delay both processes.
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GalaxyGuardian
Just wanted to add for anyone following this thread - I called my daughter's school directly and they confirmed that for 2025-26, they're also accepting a signed statement of intent to apply for Parent PLUS loans as adequate documentation for housing and meal plan deposits. This might be worth asking about at your schools too! They said as long as you've completed the FAFSA and indicate you plan to apply for PLUS when available, they'll work with you on payment timelines. Much less stressful than trying to front thousands of dollars while waiting for loan applications to open.
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Luis Johnson
This is really helpful information! I'm in a similar situation with my son starting his junior year. I had no idea about the June timeline for Parent PLUS applications - I was getting worried that I was missing something. The suggestion about getting a signed statement of intent is brilliant too. I'm definitely going to call his school's financial aid office tomorrow to see if they have similar policies. It's frustrating that the timing doesn't align better with when we need to make these financial commitments, but at least now I know what to expect. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
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Liam Fitzgerald
•I'm so glad this thread exists! I'm new to navigating the Parent PLUS loan process and was completely lost about timing. My daughter is starting college in fall 2025 and I was panicking thinking I missed some deadline. It's really reassuring to know that June is when the applications open and that schools are generally understanding about the timing mismatch. I'll definitely be calling her school's financial aid office to ask about their policies for housing deposits while we wait for loan applications to become available. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it makes this whole process feel less overwhelming!
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Mason Kaczka
As someone who went through this process last year, I can confirm that the June timeline for Parent PLUS applications is accurate. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have all your documents ready ahead of time - tax returns, bank statements, etc. When June rolls around, you'll want to submit that application as quickly as possible since processing can take several weeks. Also, if you're planning to borrow the maximum amount (cost of attendance minus other aid), double-check with the school's financial aid office about exactly how they calculate that figure. Some schools include things like transportation and personal expenses in their cost of attendance, which can affect your loan eligibility.
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Omar Fawzi
•This is such great advice about having documents ready! I'm definitely going to start gathering everything now so I'm not scrambling in June. Quick question - do you remember if they needed anything specific beyond tax returns and bank statements? I want to make sure I have absolutely everything ready to go since the timing is already so tight with school deadlines.
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