Parent plus loans are not approved based on the amount they are borrowing, just on whether they meet the requirements of not having a bankruptcy in the last 5 years, being current (90 days) on debts, and not being in default on any government obligations (prior defaulted student loans, FHA loans, etc).
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.
To apply for the Parent PLUS Loan, only ONE parent who wishes to borrow the funds should follow the instructions below. Only ONE parent may apply per student per academic year. Before starting, please note that parent will need to use their own FSA ID to login.
Parent PLUS loans are loans taken out by the parent and the responsibility for repayment falls entirely on the parent. Even though the loan is helping pay for the child's education, the loan is fully in the parent's name. The child does not have to cosign a parent PLUS loan or share responsibility for making payments.
How to Use the Double Consolidation Loophole: The key to using the double consolidation loophole is to consolidate each of your Parent PLUS Loans twice. In this scenario, a borrower can have as few as two Parent PLUS Loans.
If the student's parents are divorced, both the custodial parent and the noncustodial parent are eligible to borrow from the PLUS loan program, provided that the combined amounts borrowed do not exceed the cost-of-attendance minus aid received cap.
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.
Parent PLUS loans can potentially be forgiven after 10 years under specific conditions, such as through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program after consolidation into a direct consolidation loan. Parent borrowers must enroll in the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan to qualify for PSLF.
If you're not a parent as defined above, you can't take out a Direct PLUS Loan on behalf of a dependent undergraduate student. Learn more about parent PLUS loans. Was this page helpful?
What Are Some Reasons to Avoid PLUS Loans? First, PLUS loans have no automatic grace period. Then there's the fact they aren't eligible for most IDR plans. Then, borrowing too much is easy to do, and finally, they're nearly impossible to get out of, even in bankruptcy.
The Parent PLUS loan application is based on the borrower's credit history; no loan officer will look at your income or other debt or otherwise evaluate whether you can afford to make the payments. It is your responsibility to make sure you aren't borrowing more than you can afford to pay back.
What happens to my parent's PLUS loan if my parent dies or if I die? Your parent's PLUS loan will be discharged if your parent dies or if you (the student on whose behalf your parent obtained the loan) die.
Under certain circumstances, a stepparent can apply for this loan. You cannot have an “adverse credit history.” While there's no minimum credit score requirement, loan defaults, bankruptcies, tax liens and certain other negative marks on your credit report could disqualify you.
You, the parent borrower, are legally responsible for repaying the loan.
How long does processing take? Due to the value of PLUS applications at peak times (particularly summer and the start of the Fall term), PLUS loans can take 4 weeks for processing and for the loan to be posted on the student's financial aid summary.
Generally, you'll have from 10 to 25 years to repay your loan, depending on the repayment plan that you choose. Your required monthly payment amount will vary depending on how much you borrowed, the interest rates on your loans, and your repayment plan. Choose a repayment plan that best meets your needs.
Based on the information from Federal Student Aid, as of 2022, the average Parent PLUS Loan debt is $29,528. Although that might not sound like a huge amount, it depends on the parent's income.
Direct PLUS Loans for Parents
If there is money left over, the school will pay it to you. In some cases, with your permission, the school may give the leftover money to your child.
To qualify, borrowers must have a dependent child enrolled at least half time in an eligible school. Unfortunately, grandparents and other relatives can't get a parent PLUS loan unless they legally adopt the student. While you don't need excellent credit to get a PLUS loan, you can't have an adverse credit history.
The monthly payment is set at 20% of your discretionary income, which is defined as the amount by which your income exceeds 100% of the poverty line. After 25 years of payments under income-contingent repayment, the remaining balance will be forgiven.
Can more than one parent borrow a PLUS Loan? If a student's parents are divorced, both the custodial and non-custodial parent may borrow a PLUS Loan for their dependent, undergraduate student.
To be eligible for a Direct PLUS Loan for parents, you must be a biological or adoptive parent (or in some cases a stepparent), not have an adverse credit history, and meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid (which the child must meet as well).
A dependent student whose parent has been denied a PLUS loan during the current aid year may be eligible to receive Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans at the independent level with proof of PLUS loan denial from the lender.
Parent PLUS loans are made directly to parents for their child's education. Under the current rules, parents cannot transfer these federal loans to a child, and they are solely responsible for paying back the loan.