But can Parent PLUS Loans be forgiven? Short answer: Technically, yes—there are a couple ways to have your Parent PLUS Loan forgiven, one with more conditions than the other. But let's dig into the details of both options so you can make the best decision for your situation.
Parent borrowers may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) after making 120 qualifying payments (ten years). Parent PLUS loans are eligible if they are in the Direct Loan program or included in a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan. The borrower must work full-time in a qualifying public service job.
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.
In addition, parent PLUS loans aren't eligible for some other types of federal student loan forgiveness programs. To get around this, some borrowers go through two or more federal consolidations to hide the origin of the loans, then request an IDR plan. This process is often called the double consolidation loophole.
While parent PLUS loan forgiveness isn't as widely available as forgiveness for student borrowers, a few options do exist. Some options include the Income-Contingent Repayment plan (forgiveness after 25 years of payments) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (forgiveness after 10 years), as well as other methods.
You will lose repayment plan options and restart the clock on PSLF and other forgiveness programs. You can learn more about the consolidation process here . Act quickly to avoid default. Default can result in consequences like garnishment of your wages, federal tax return, or Social Security.
There is no forgiveness available to Parent PLUS Loan borrowers looking to retire. Remember that Parent PLUS Loan forgiveness is only possible through the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan or PSLF after first consolidating your Parent PLUS Loan into a federal Direct Consolidation Loan.
Parent PLUS loans account for $111 billion
Currently, 3.7 million parents have $111.3 billion in Parent PLUS loans outstanding. The average parent PLUS loan is roughly $30,000. Parent PLUS loans also come with an interest rate of more than 8%, compared with 5.5% for undergraduate student loans.
Key Takeaways. PLUS loans are federal loans that parents can take out to cover their child's college costs. The parent, not the student, is responsible for repaying the PLUS loan. PLUS loans don't qualify for all of the income-driven repayment plans that student loans do.
“It's abusive,” Lloyd, who lives in Detroit, said of Parent Plus loans, a program with $111 billion in outstanding debt held by 3.7 million people. “The interest rates are predatory. The payments are high.
But when it comes to student loan debt and divorce, the person who took out the loan is typically responsible for paying the loan, even in divorce. Only one of the spouses can sign the promissory note on Parent PLUS Loans, so technically that's who is responsible for the student loan in the case of divorce.
If you have a parent PLUS loan, you can only get student loan forgiveness through Public Service Loan Forgiveness or the Income-Contingent Repayment plan, and borrowers must meet certain requirements for each option, such as making 120 payments or working for a qualifying employer.
Parent PLUS loan borrowers can consolidate into a Direct Consolidation Loan, even without another loan, and have access to Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR).
Rather than being in the student's name — as other federal loans are — parent PLUS loans are in the parent's name, and the parent is ultimately the one responsible for repaying the debt.
Direct PLUS Loans are federal loans that parents of dependent undergraduate students can use to help pay for college or career school.
Similar to other federal student loans, parent PLUS loans are nearly impossible to discharge in bankruptcy. Parent PLUS loan borrowers in default face the full range of draconian government collection powers, including wage garnishment, Social Security offsets and tax refund offsets.
A consumer's age may also influence how much debt they carry on their credit card accounts. According to the most recent Transunion data from Q1 2023, those aged 40-49 had the highest average credit card balance of $7,600. The age group with the lowest average credit card balance was those under 29 at $2,900.
Here's the average debt balances by age group: Gen Z (ages 18 to 23): $9,593. Millennials (ages 24 to 39): $78,396. Gen X (ages 40 to 55): $135,841.
At what age do student loans get written off? There is no specific age when students get their loans written off in the United States, but federal undergraduate loans are forgiven after 20 years, and federal graduate school loans are forgiven after 25 years.
Income-contingent Repayment
Parent borrowers, however, have access to just one IDR option: income-contingent repayment (ICR). Under this plan, parent PLUS loans are forgiven after 25 years of repayment. To qualify, borrowers must convert their PLUS loans into a federal direct loan by consolidating their student debt.
The student must be a dependent of the parent borrower and must be under 24 years of age. Students 24 or older are not eligible to receive PLUS loan funds, but may borrow an unsubsidized Direct loan in the same amounts as listed above for a PLUS loan denial.
Parent PLUS loans are the financial responsibility of the parents, not the student. If the student agrees to make payments on the PLUS loan, but fails to make the payments on time, the parents will be held responsible.
And yes, that would've included Parent PLUS Loans. But in June 2023, the Supreme Court blocked Biden's forgiveness. So, if you were banking on this plan to free you of your Parent PLUS Loans . . . know it's not happening.
If the loan is paid in full, the default will remain on your credit report for seven years following the final payment date, but your report will reflect a zero balance. If you rehabilitate your loan, the default will be removed from your credit report.
PSLF allows qualifying federal student loans to be forgiven after 120 qualifying payments (10 years), while working for a qualifying public service employer.