Many parents will do anything possible to help their children get a higher education, and that desire to help often takes the form of financial aid. It is estimated that at least 3.4 million individuals have taken out a Direct PLUS Loan to help pay for their child’s college education. Before considering these loans, it is important to be aware of the risks that come with this form of financial assistance.
Direct PLUS Loans allow parents of eligible college students to take out loans for their children’s education through a federal government program. The U.S. Department of Education is the lender, which is why many borrowers believe that these loans offer a safe and secure option to pay for their child’s education.
- Loan Eligibility, Amount Available and Fees. Not all parents are eligible to take out Direct PLUS Loans. First, they must be taken out on behalf of biological and adopted children, although some situations allow for stepparents of dependent students to take out these loans. Parents can take out enough money needed to have their child attend college; minus any amount of financial aid the student receives. Since the tuition and expenses vary from college to college, no maximum amount is set on how much a parent can take out through the PLUS program.Interest rates on PLUS loans are set by the federal government and are currently at 7.6 percent. Since these loans are unsubsidized, this means that interest on the loan begins accruing immediately. Payments on the loans can be deferred by the borrower until his or her child finishes college, but the balance will grow since the interest continues to accrue. If no deferment is requested, the parent will need to start paying right away. Borrowers also will have to pay a loan fee along with interest charges, which varies depending on the year. The fee comes out proportionately from each loan disbursement, but it does not increase the total amount of the loan.
- Limits on Repayment Programs. Parents have a handful of repayment options available for PLUS loan programs. The standard repayment plan involves equal payments made over the course of ten years. Borrowers can also request a graduated repayment plan, which allows the borrower to start off with lower payments, building up every two years over a ten-year period. Borrowers can also pay under an extended plan, which spreads the payments out over 25 years instead of 10. The monthly payments are lower, but the borrower ends up paying much more in interest in the long run. However, parent borrowers are limited on the types of repayment plans they may have in addition to these plans, while student borrowers have more options available to them.
- Repayment Responsibility May Not Be Transferred. Many parent borrowers take out PLUS loans on the assumption that they can eventually transfer the debt to their child upon graduation. However, this option is not available for a PLUS loan. Responsibility for repayment stays with the parent who is the legal borrower. This fact is important for the parent to realize if loan payments present a problem later as the parent approaches retirement age.
- Impact on Credit Score. Any time a borrower takes out a loan, it should be expected that his or her credit score will take a hit, and that includes PLUS loans. If a parent takes out a PLUS loan, he or she should expect the loan, its balance, and payment history on the loan will appear on the parent’s credit score. So long as the borrower makes payments on time, this fact should not cause too much of a problem. However, if the parent is not able to keep up and misses a payment, the damage to the borrower’s credit score could be significant.
- Consequences of Defaulting on the Loan. It is extremely important that the parent borrower be able to handle the payments associated with the PLUS loan. Defaulting on a PLUS loan comes with serious financial consequences and can put the borrower at risk of wage garnishment, as well as offsets on his or her tax refunds or Social Security disbursements.
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For borrowers who are struggling with student loan debt, relief options are available. Many student loan borrowers are unaware that they have rights and repayment options available to them, such as postponement of loan payments, reduction of payments or even a complete discharge of the debt. There are ways to file for bankruptcy with student loan debt. It is important you contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade Garcia McMaken has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.