Will initial Parent PLUS loan amount remain available if request for increase is denied?

Don't worry - your original PLUS loan amount won't be affected if the increase request is denied. The university will still receive the $18,000 you were initially approved for. The increase request is treated as a separate additional amount. When you submit the request on studentaid.gov, you'll be applying for the increased portion only, not reapplying for the entire amount.

this happned to me last yr. orignal amount stays. they just review the extra part ur asking for. took like 2 weeks to process for me

In my experience, Parent PLUS loan increases are evaluated based on your creditworthiness at the time of the NEW request, not your original approval. They do run another credit check specifically for the additional amount. There are a few possible outcomes: 1. Approved for increase - the additional funds are processed 2. Denied for increase - your original amount stays in place 3. Denied with special circumstances - you might qualify for additional unsubsidized loans for your student instead The good news is that the $18,000 is secure. The system treats the original loan and the increase as separate transactions in their system.

I should clarify my previous comment. I was incorrect about the credit check. As the other commenter mentioned, the Department of Education typically only performs one credit check per academic year for Parent PLUS loans. So if your increase request is for the same academic year as your original application, they'll use the same credit decision. I apologize for the misinformation.

I spent 3 hours on hold with Federal Student Aid trying to ask this exact question about my PLUS loan increase last month! When I finally got through, they confirmed that: 1. Original loan amount stays intact regardless of increase decision 2. Same credit check is used within the academic year 3. Processing time is typically 7-10 business days 4. University needs to certify the new amount By the way, after multiple failed attempts calling FSA, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a demo video of how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and their website is claimyr.com. Saved me hours of frustration with the hold times.

The financial aid system is so BROKEN!! Why can't they make this process simpler?? I had to increase my Parent PLUS loan THREE TIMES last year because of "unexpected fees" that kept popping up. Each time was a nightmare of paperwork and waiting. And don't even get me started on how they calculate the SAI - my expected contribution was completely unrealistic! The whole system is designed to extract maximum money from middle-class families while giving us the runaround!!

make sure u check if ur school has a deadline for processing additional loan $$$. mine had a cutoff date 3 weeks before semester ended that they didnt tell anyone about

Just went through this with my daughter's PLUS loan. Your original amount is safe, but there's one IMPORTANT detail everyone is missing: if you're requesting an increase, make sure you're using the EXACT same parent borrower who applied for the original PLUS loan. My wife applied for the original loan, but I tried submitting the increase request, and it created a whole separate loan application that caused confusion at the financial aid office. Took weeks to sort out!

To summarize what everyone has shared: 1. Your original $18,000 PLUS loan is secure regardless of the increase decision 2. No additional credit check for same academic year 3. Check with your university for their specific process and deadlines 4. Make sure the same parent borrower submits the increase request 5. Processing typically takes 1-2 weeks One additional tip: When submitting the increase request on studentaid.gov, you'll enter only the ADDITIONAL amount needed ($5,000), not the new total. The system will combine them afterward. Good luck with your request!

As someone who works in financial aid administration, I can confirm everything that's been shared here is accurate. Your original $18,000 is completely safe - the system treats increases as supplemental requests. One thing I'd add: when you submit the increase request, keep a screenshot of your confirmation page with the request number. If there are any processing delays, having that reference number will help expedite things when you call FSA. Also, once approved, the additional funds typically disburse within 3-5 business days after your school certifies the amount. Given your 3-week timeline, you should be in good shape!

I went through this exact situation last year with my daughter's Parent PLUS loan! Your original $18,000 is absolutely safe - they can't take that back once it's been disbursed to the school. The increase request is processed separately, so worst case scenario is they deny the additional $5,000 but you keep what you already have. I'd recommend calling your son's school first to confirm their internal deadlines for loan increases - some schools need the paperwork submitted to them by a certain date even if FSA approves it later. Also, when you log into studentaid.gov to request the increase, make sure you're selecting "request additional loan amount" rather than "modify existing loan" - I accidentally clicked the wrong option initially and it delayed my processing by a week. You've got plenty of time with 3 weeks, but definitely get that request submitted ASAP to avoid any last-minute stress!