Will my parents get student loan forgiveness?

Asked by: Damian Oberbrunner  |  Last update: December 10, 2023
Score: 4.4/5 (3 votes)

Parent borrowers may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) after making 120 qualifying payments (ten years). Parent PLUS loans are eligible if they are in the Direct Loan program or included in a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan.

Does student loan forgiveness apply to parent loans?

"If it holds, Parent PLUS loans can be forgiven up to $10,000 for individuals who make $125,000 or less, or couples who make $250,000 or less," says Shock. If the student was a Pell Grant recipient, then the parent could have an additional $10,000 of debt erased, he adds.

Do parents inherit student loan debt?

You can't inherit student loan debt

The only exception is if the loan was cosigned. In that case, the cosigner may find themselves responsible for repaying what's left. But for the most part, this type of debt stays put.

Are parent PLUS loans eligible for borrower defense?

Borrower defense discharges apply only to federal student loans that are Direct Loans or can be consolidated into a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan, including but not limited to Federal Family Education (FFEL) Program loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

At what age will my student loans be forgiven?

Unfortunately, American lawmakers haven't provided student loan borrowers with age-based forgiveness. Like millennials burdened with student debt, you're expected to keep paying your education loans until they're paid in full, forgiven, or you die.

Student loan forgiveness: How parents can take advantage of Biden’s debt relief plan

40 related questions found

Will my 30 year old student loans be forgiven?

The balance of your loans will be forgiven after 20 years if you first borrowed after July 1, 2014, or 25 years if you borrowed before then. Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plan: In most cases, your payment is set at 20% of your discretionary income. Your balance can be forgiven after 25 years.

How will I know if my student loan will be forgiven?

Under IDR plans, borrowers become eligible to have any remaining balances forgiven after 20 or 25 years of repayment, depending on the loan type and when it was taken out. The regulation stipulates that borrowers make 240 or 300 monthly payments to qualify for forgiveness.

Will parent PLUS loans qualify for Biden?

Borrowers with direct loans or those made through the Federal Family Education Loan, or F.F.E.L., program and held by the Education Department may qualify, including borrowers with Parent PLUS loans.

Can parent PLUS loans be put in child's name?

As a parent PLUS borrower, can I transfer responsibility for repaying the loan to my child? No, a Direct PLUS Loan made to a parent cannot be transferred to the child.

Can a parent defer a parent PLUS loan?

Parent PLUS Borrower Deferment

You may qualify for this deferment if you're a parent who received a Direct PLUS Loan to help pay for your child's education, and the student you took the loan out for is enrolled at least half-time at an eligible college or career school.

What happens if you never pay your student loans?

If you default on your student loan, that status will be reported to national credit reporting agencies. This reporting may damage your credit rating and future borrowing ability. Also, the government can collect on your loans by taking funds from your wages, tax refunds, and other government payments.

Do student loans go away after 20 years?

Any outstanding balance on your loan will be forgiven if you haven't repaid your loan in full after 20 years (if all loans were taken out for undergraduate study) or 25 years (if any loans were taken out for graduate or professional study).

Do I inherit my wife's student loan debt?

In most cases, marriage does not make you automatically responsible for your spouse's student loan debt. In fact, unless you live in a community property state, refinance your loans together, or decide to be a cosigner for their loans, you are not legally obligated to repay their debt.

Does student loan forgiveness affect parent plus?

Parent PLUS student loan borrowers can potentially qualify for this forgiveness plan. However, under the standard 10-year repayment plan — which is the only repayment plan available to Parent PLUS borrowers — there will be no balance left to forgive after 120 payments.

Can you transfer student loans from parent to child?

There's no federal program that allows you to transfer a parent PLUS loan to the student who benefitted from that loan. If you take out a federal PLUS loan, you're responsible for it until it's paid in full. However, there are other options if you're determined to transfer the debt.

How do I get parent PLUS loan forgiveness?

You'll need to meet the following criteria:
  1. Work full-time at a qualifying employer, like a government entity or nonprofit.
  2. Repay your loans on the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan.
  3. Make 120 qualifying payments (these do not have to be consecutive and extra payments do not count toward the 120 qualifying payments).

Am I responsible for my parents parent PLUS loan?

As a parent PLUS loan borrower, can I transfer responsibility for repaying the loan to my child? 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.

How do I get my parents off my parent PLUS loan?

Refinance in your name

If your parent has federal loans, the only way to transfer parent PLUS loans is to refinance with a private lender. This will replace your parent's loan with a new private loan in your name. Refinancing student loans can save you money by lowering your interest rate and shortening your loan term.

Who qualifies for student loan forgiveness july 2023?

Under such plans, borrowers are eligible for forgiveness if they made 240 or 300 monthly payments, which is the equivalent of 20 or 25 years on an IDR or standard repayment plan.

Who qualifies for Biden loan relief?

Eligibility for Biden's Student Loan Cancellation Plan

You must have current outstanding debt on federal student loans, including parent PLUS loans, obtained before June 30, 2022. You must earn less than $125,000 a year for individuals, or $250,000 for married couples and/or head of households.

Who will benefit from student loan forgiveness?

Borrowers who will benefit from the new round of automatic loan forgiveness include those with Education Department Direct Loans or Federal Family Education Loans who have reached the forgiveness threshold of payment credits.

Who gets student debt canceled?

The 804,000 borrowers whose debts will be eliminated are those who, after the adjustments, have made the required 240 or 300 monthly payments (depending on their payment plan) to have their remaining debt forgiven.

Will student loans automatically be forgiven or do you have to apply?

For borrowers who qualify, student loan forgiveness may be automatic. U.S. News & World Report stated that nearly 8 million borrowers may qualify for automatic forgiveness.

Did Joe Biden forgive student loans?

Biden administration forgives $39 billion in student debt for more than 800,000 borrowers. The Biden administration announced it would automatically cancel education debt for 804,000 borrowers, for a total of $39 billion in relief.

What age group owes most student loan debt?

Federal Student Loans by Age

Unsurprisingly, younger people hold the majority of student loan debt. Borrowers between the ages of 25 and 34 carry about $500 billion in federal student loans—the majority of people in this age group owe between $10,000 and $40,000.