Your parent PLUS loan may be discharged if you (not the child) become totally and permanently disabled, die, or (in some cases) file for bankruptcy. Your parent PLUS loan also may be discharged if the student for whom you borrowed dies.
If approved, the student can pay off the Parent PLUS loan with their new loan and begin making payments on the new loan. Transferring a Parent PLUS loan to a student involves refinancing through a private lender. The student must apply for a new loan to pay off the Parent PLUS loan.
The Bottom Line. So, can Parent PLUS loans be transferred to a student? It is possible… if you refinance your Parent PLUS loan to your child. They'll then take over responsibility for their educational debt, and it could help them build credit.
Refinance/Consolidation
For those who do not have the option of obtaining a cosigner release, refinancing or consolidating their loans may be the only way to remove a cosigner from his/her obligation.
The Bottom Line
Yes, borrowers with Parent PLUS Loans can have their debts forgiven after 10 years (or 120 eligible monthly payments) with the PSLF program.
Note: You can request an increase in the amount of a Direct PLUS Loan you previously requested if it's for the same school, same award year, and same student. The loan can't exceed the cost of attendance (COA) minus other aid.
In this scenario, a borrower can have as few as two Parent PLUS Loans. By consolidating the Parent PLUS Loans into two separate Direct Consolidation Loans, and then consolidating the two Direct Consolidation Loans together, the final Direct Consolidation Loan will be eligible for the SAVE plan.
If you're a parent or graduate student seeking a Direct PLUS Loan, one of the requirements to qualify is that you must not have an adverse credit history. If your application is denied because of an adverse credit history, don't give up. You still have options.
You, the parent borrower, are legally responsible for repaying the loan.
Defaulting on a Parent PLUS Loan can lead to serious consequences, including wage garnishment, credit score damage, and the loss of federal benefits. But you can recover through loan rehabilitation or consolidation with the U.S. Department of Education.
Parent PLUS Loans are eligible for total and permanent disability discharge if the parent borrower, not the student for whom you borrowed, is totally and permanently disabled. For more information on TPD eligibility: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/disability-discharge.
The double consolidation loophole is a way of making your Parent PLUS Loans eligible for the generous repayment terms of the SAVE program. You can do this by changing the source of your loan through multiple consolidations, changing it from an ineligible Parent PLUS Loan to an eligible Direct Consolidation Loan.
If you want to know how to transfer a parent PLUS loan to a student, the answer is simple: Your student can take on the loan by refinancing it in their own name. As long as the student can qualify to refinance on their own, they can assume full responsibility for the debt.
If a borrower dies, their federal student loans are discharged after the required proof of death is submitted. The borrower's family is not responsible for repaying the loans. A parent PLUS loan is discharged if the parent dies or if the student on whose behalf a parent obtained the loan dies.
Refinance in your name
If your parent has federal loans, the only way to transfer parent PLUS loans is to refinance with a private lender. This will replace your parent's loan with a new private loan in your name. Refinancing student loans can save you money by lowering your interest rate and shortening your loan term.
Yes. One or both parents may apply and borrow a PLUS loan.
The Education Department doesn't forgive loan balances for parents when they retire. It will keep sending bills and adding interest until you pay off the debt, die or become totally and permanently disabled, or qualify for one of the department's student loan forgiveness programs.
Unlike all other federal student loans, there are no explicit borrowing limits for parent PLUS loans. Parents may borrow up to the full cost of attendance, which is determined by the institution, not the government, and includes books, travel and living expenses. There are no ability-to-repay standards for PLUS loans.
Before your loan money is disbursed, you may cancel all or part of your loan at any time by notifying the school. After your loan is disbursed, you may cancel all or part of your loan within certain time frames.
You must complete a Direct PLUS Application for each year you wish to receive a parent PLUS loan.
No, a Direct PLUS Loan made to a parent cannot be transferred to the child.
Refinancing. If you have good credit and enough household income to qualify, you may also be able to refinance your Parent PLUS loan to a lower interest rate through a private lender, which can potentially save you money.
A refund is issued to the parent-borrower 7-10 days after the loan has been disbursed to the student's account. The parent-borrow may elect to receive their refund via Digital Disbursement via Zelle or by Paper check.