If there is money left over, the school will pay it to your parent, usually by check. In some cases, with your parent's permission, the school may disburse the leftover money to you.
The school will first apply the loan funds to the school account to pay for tuition, fees, room and board, and any other school charges. Any additional loan funds will be paid to the student as a credit balance (with your authorization) or sent to you. All loan funds must be used for education expenses.
It will go to the school. They'll apply it to any balance you have with them. If there's an overage, it'll be refunded to you. As far as whether that happens by check or by direct deposit, you need to contact your school.
The parent-borrower will have the option to choose "Me" or "The Student." If they choose "The Student," any available refund will be issued to the student. If they choose "Me" (refunds go to the parent-borrower), we are required to issue the refund to the parent- borrower.
Can the loan be transferred to the student? No, a Direct PLUS Loan made to a parent cannot be transferred to the child. You, the parent borrower, are legally responsible for repaying the loan.
You must repay the loan in 10 years. Extended Repayment Plan—Under this plan, you can choose to make fixed or graduated monthly payments for up to 25 years.
Leftover student loan money might feel like a windfall, but it's really not. Remember—you borrowed that money and you'll have to pay it back with interest when your loan is due. Consider sending the leftover funds back to your federal or private student loan servicer as a loan payment.
Federal loan funds that are returned within 120 days of disbursement will have all origination fees and accrued interest negated off of the amount returned. Returning monies this way will directly reduce the principal of the loan.
Other essentials that a refund check can be used for are investing in a college fund for graduate school or using it to pay off other debts, such as credit card debt. Remember, your school gave you financial aid because they thought you'd need it. Don't feel bad about spending your refund check if you have to.
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.
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.
Your Last Resort: Private Loans
These loans have different repayment options than federal loans and will most likely cost you more in interest. Also, they may not have the same kinds of protections in case of disability or death as do the federal loans. Private loans generally should be taken out only as a last resort.
Parent PLUS Loans can be forgiven when you retire
Parent PLUS Loan borrowers can have their debt forgiven after 10 years of working full-time for the government, nonprofit, or other qualifying employers.
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.
How student loans affect your credit score. Student loans are a type of installment loan, similar to a car loan, personal loan, or mortgage. They are part of your credit report, and can impact your payment history, length of your credit history and credit mix. Paying on time could help your score.
The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you've satisfied the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments (10 years) under an IDR plan while working full-time for an eligible employer.
Grants and Student Loans
Any money left over is paid to you directly for other education expenses. If you get your loan money, but then you realize that you don't need the money after all, you may cancel all or part of your loan within 120 days of receiving it and no interest or fees will be charged.
Approximately half of student loan debt holders say their debt has impacted their life choices. One third say it has impacted their ability to continue their education (33%) while 14% say it has impacted their decision to start a family.
Remember: any unused student loan money is still part of your loan and must be repaid. You are responsible for paying interest on the unused funds, even if you don't use them at the original disbursement date.
This repayment plan leads to loan forgiveness after 25 years under normal conditions, but borrowers pursuing PSLF could have remaining debt forgiven after 10 years (if you still have a balance left).
Pay Off High-Interest Loans First
With this approach, you pay off your loans from the highest interest rate to the lowest. You make the minimum payments on each balance except the highest-rate loan. You also make an extra monthly payment based on how much you can put toward the debt.
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.