Will marriage affect my ability to get full Parent PLUS loan for daughter with split custody?

The Parent PLUS loan works differently than need-based aid. For need-based aid, your income + new spouse's income would definitely impact eligibility and amounts. But for Parent PLUS loans, approval is primarily based on your credit history, not income. The important factors for Parent PLUS loans are: - You can't have adverse credit history - The maximum amount is cost of attendance minus other financial aid received As for the custody situation - for the 2025-26 FAFSA, the parent who provided the most financial support during the past 12 months should complete the form, not necessarily who she lived with more. If you're providing most of the financial support, you should be the one completing the FAFSA.

i went through somthing similar when i got remarried last year. dont worry to much about the parent plus loan amounts - they let you borrow up to the full cost of attendance no matter what your income is. its not like the pell grant where they look at your income to decide how much u get. the only thing they check is your credit score to make sure you dont have major negative stuff like bankruptcy or defaulted loans

Your situation highlights some important distinctions in how FAFSA approaches different aid types: 1) For need-based aid (Pell Grants, subsidized loans, work-study): Yes, marriage would impact your daughter's eligibility since your household income determines her Student Aid Index (SAI). Your new spouse's income would be factored in. 2) For Parent PLUS loans: The amount you can borrow is capped at cost of attendance minus other aid received - NOT based on income. However, they do perform a credit check. 3) For the custody question: Under the new FAFSA rules for 2025-26, it's the parent who provided the most financial support in the past year who should complete the FAFSA, not necessarily who had physical custody more often. Since you're planning to take full responsibility for her education costs through PLUS loans, your remarriage shouldn't impact your ability to borrow the full amount needed. Your ex-husband's non-participation doesn't matter for Parent PLUS loans, as long as you're providing more financial support than he is.

Wait I'm confused. So if the daughter lived with the dad more, doesn't HE have to fill out the FAFSA? My friends daughter is going thru this right now and they told her the parent who has her the most has to do it. This is so frustrating!!!!!

Just wanted to share that I was in a very similar situation last year with my son. I kept calling the FSA number on studentaid.gov for days and could never get through. The website wasn't clear about my specific custody situation either. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed that even though my son lived more with his dad in high school, I could still be the parent who completes the FAFSA and takes out the Parent PLUS loan since I was providing more financial support. Saved me so much stress!

The financial aid system is completely rigged against parents in your situation. It's RIDICULOUS that they would count your new spouse's income when he has ZERO obligation to support YOUR child from a previous marriage!!! This is why so many people end up delaying marriages or even getting divorced just to qualify for financial aid. The system PUNISHES remarriage. And don't even get me started on how your ex can just refuse to contribute while YOU have to shoulder the entire burden. The fact that he had more physical custody but won't help financially is just PERFECT example of how broken this system is. I've seen friends have to turn down PARENT PLUS loans because they couldn't afford the payments, but the schools still counted that "offered" amount against the student getting independent loans. IT'S A TRAP.

Hey i forgot to mention something important - make sure you fill out the FAFSA as early as possible!!! i think it opens october 1st for the 2025-2026 year. some schools have priority deadlines and if you miss them you get less money. also dont forget to check if her schools need the CSS profile too, some private schools require it

my cousins mom got married right befor he went to college and it totally messed up his financial aid. they didnt get as much free money and had to take out way bigger loans. idk about parent plus loans specificly but getting married def effects the fafsa!!

Thanks everyone for your help! I feel much better knowing that getting married won't prevent me from getting the Parent PLUS loan to cover her education. I'll definitely fill out the FAFSA as soon as it opens in October, and I'm going to try that Claimyr service to speak with someone at FSA directly about my specific situation with the custody arrangement. One more question - does anyone know if I need to get any documentation from my ex-husband stating that he's not contributing financially? Or can I just proceed with the FAFSA and PLUS loan application on my own?

I'm going through something very similar right now! My daughter is also starting college next year and I'm the only parent willing to help financially. From what I've learned through this process, you should be fine with the Parent PLUS loan even after marriage. A few things that might help ease your mind: - Parent PLUS loans are approved based on credit, not income, so your new spouse's income won't disqualify you - You can borrow up to the full cost of attendance minus any other aid she receives - Since you're providing the financial support (not just physical custody), you should be the one completing the FAFSA I'd also suggest having a backup plan ready - maybe look into private parent loans as an alternative option, just in case. Some have better interest rates than Parent PLUS loans anyway. Don't let this financial stress overshadow what should be an exciting time for both your daughter's college journey and your upcoming marriage!

I understand your stress completely! As someone who works in financial aid, I can confirm what others have said - Parent PLUS loans are credit-based, not income-based, so your marriage won't prevent you from borrowing the full amount needed. However, there's one nuance worth mentioning: while your new spouse's income won't affect Parent PLUS eligibility, it WILL impact your daughter's need-based aid calculation. This means she might receive less in grants or subsidized loans, which could increase the amount you need to borrow through Parent PLUS. But the good news is you can still borrow up to the full cost of attendance. For the custody situation, definitely keep records showing you provide more financial support than your ex. This includes things like health insurance premiums, medical expenses, clothing, school supplies, etc. The "financial support" rule is newer and many people (including some school counselors) still think it's about physical custody. Don't postpone your wedding over this! You'll be able to cover her education costs either way. Just be prepared that you might need to borrow slightly more if she loses some grant eligibility due to the higher household income.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago! I was also worried about getting married before my son started college, but it worked out fine with the Parent PLUS loan. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - even though your new spouse's income won't affect the Parent PLUS loan approval or maximum amount, it's still worth having a conversation with your fiancé about expectations. My husband and I agreed upfront that my kids' college costs were my responsibility, which helped avoid any future tension about the loan payments. Also, since you mentioned your daughter's father refuses to contribute - make sure you're not counting on him to cosign anything or provide tax information if needed. I learned the hard way that it's better to assume you'll handle everything yourself from the start. You should definitely go ahead with your February wedding plans! The Parent PLUS loan system is designed to let parents borrow what they need regardless of income level. Best of luck with both the wedding and college preparations!