To lower Parent PLUS loan payments, consolidate them into a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan to qualify for the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan, which caps payments at 20% of discretionary income. Alternatively, consolidate twice to access other Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans (like SAVE), refinance with a private lender for better rates, or use extended repayment plans.
By taking action now, you can make your Parent PLUS loans eligible for an Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan, which sets payments as a portion of your income each year and offers many people lower payments compared to the Standard Repayment plan.
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.
The government doesn't forgive Parent PLUS Loans when you retire or draw Social Security benefits, but it has programs that will wipe out your remaining balance after you've made a number of student loan payments under an income-driven repayment plan.
Defaulting on a Parent PLUS Loan can have serious financial consequences for student loan borrowers. Here's what happens if you haven't made a payment in more than 270 days: Immediate Consequences: Credit Score Impact: Your default will be reported to credit bureaus, which can significantly lower your credit score.
However, Parent PLUS Loans will be capped at $20,000 per student per year and a $65,000 lifetime limit beginning July 1, 2026. Parents who borrowed before that date can continue borrowing under the current limits for up to three additional years or until their student completes their program. Good news.
You can achieve Parent PLUS loan forgiveness by consolidating into a Direct Consolidation Loan, enrolling in an eligible repayment plan (usually ICR), and meeting specific program requirements, such as employment in public service for PSLF, documented total disability, borrower defense eligibility, or other qualifying ...
No, a Direct PLUS Loan made to a parent cannot be transferred to the child.
Borrowers with Parent PLUS loans who consolidate by July 1, 2026, can access more affordable IDR repayment plans. Parent PLUS Loans are not eligible for IDR plans unless you first consolidate into a Direct Consolidation Loan.
Parent PLUS Loan Override is the process through which the Financial Aid Office performs a case-by-case basis evaluation to award additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan funds to a dependent undergraduate student when parents are unable to borrow Direct PLUS loans due to adverse credit or other exceptional circumstances.
For loan discharge, the borrower must be disabled and not a family member. 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.
Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge
This can be a physical or a mental disability. If you get a TPD discharge, you don't have to repay any of your federal student loan(s) or complete your Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant service obligation.
The "$100,000 loophole" for family loans refers to a tax rule where lenders avoid reporting imputed interest if the total loan amount (plus any other outstanding loans to that borrower) is $100,000 or less, and the borrower's net investment income is $1,000 or less; otherwise, the lender's taxable imputed interest is limited to the borrower's actual net investment income, avoiding the higher Applicable Federal Rates (AFR) normally required, making it a way to offer lower-interest loans with minimal tax hassle for the family.
The "7-year rule" for student loans generally refers to when negative marks, like defaults, are removed from your credit report (around 7 years after the first missed payment or default date for federal loans, 7.5 years for private loans), but the debt itself doesn't disappear and must be paid off; it's also a benchmark in bankruptcy proceedings where federal loans can become dischargeable after 7 years from when payments were due, though proving "undue hardship" is required and difficult.
First, check if you qualify for lower payments
Consolidating your Parent PLUS loan will make you eligible for the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan. Use the Education Department's Loan Simulator to estimate your payment on the ICR plan. The minimum payment on ICR is just $5.
Drawbacks of the Parent PLUS Loan
Discharge: Federal parent PLUS loans are rarely discharged for financial difficulties resulting from unemployment, age-related or other illnesses and injuries, or bankruptcy. Nontransferable: Parents cannot transfer the PLUS loan to their student to repay after they finish school.