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.
Repayment. If you receive a Direct PLUS Loan as a graduate or professional student, you don't have to make any payments while you're enrolled in school at least half-time, and for an additional six months after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment.
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.
Yes. Direct PLUS Loans are made to graduate or professional students and to parents of dependent undergraduate students. Like other Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans are eligible for PSLF.
What loans qualify for forgiveness? Only loans you received under the Direct Loan Program are eligible for PSLF. Loans you received under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program, or any other student loan program are not eligible for PSLF.
How much can I borrow in Direct PLUS Loans? There are no set annual or aggregate limits. You may borrow up to your full cost of attendance, minus any other financial aid you receive (including Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, scholarships, and certain fellowships).
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.
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.
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.
When does Parent PLUS Loan repayment begin? You start repaying your loan once it's fully disbursed — or paid out — to the school for that academic year. The specific timeframe depends on the school. Generally speaking, colleges with a two-semester academic calendar will receive two loan disbursements from lenders.
You must complete a Direct PLUS Application for each year you wish to receive a parent PLUS loan. Complete the Direct PLUS Loan Application.
If you're a parent who's taken out a Parent PLUS loan to support your child's higher education expenses, you have a chance to reduce your tax bill for the tax year through this specific deduction, potentially saving up to $2,500 per year.
Key takeaways. To qualify for a parent Direct PLUS loan, your child must be an undergraduate student enrolled in an eligible college at least half time. You also have to pass a credit check or you may have to apply with a cosigner.
According to the most recently available data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average loan amount for Parent PLUS loans in 2019-2020 was $34,630. When adjusting for inflation, that's $37,970 in 2021-2022 constant dollars.
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). Was this page helpful?
Parent PLUS Loans can impact your credit score, but as long as you use the debt responsibly, you likely don't need to worry about anything negative in the long run. That said, there are other reasons to consider avoiding Parent PLUS Loans.
The $100,000 Loophole.
With a larger below-market loan, the $100,000 loophole can save you from unwanted tax results. To qualify for this loophole, all outstanding loans between you and the borrower must aggregate to $100,000 or less.
You can get out of Parent PLUS Loans through forgiveness programs like PSLF or, in rare cases, by discharging the loan in bankruptcy. Otherwise, refinancing or consolidating may help lower your payments, but won't remove your obligation to repay.
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.
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.
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.