What Happens To My Parent Plus Loan If I Die

Federal Loans Die With You

The federal loan dies with the borrower, and its very simple.

The surviving people fills out a Death Discharge to officially notify the Department of Education that the borrower has passed away. Youll usually have to send in a certified copy of the death certificate to the school or to the loan servicer .

The school or servicer verifies the information and the loan goes away. It should not affect the estate.

Seeking Forgiveness For Private Student Loans

In some cases, private student loans can be forgiven or discharged.; If you are concerned about leaving a student loan debt to someone who cosigned for you, or to a spouse, you can see if your loan qualifies for any type of forgiveness.; The chances are slim as there are not many forgiveness programs for private student loans, but its worth looking into.

Private Student Loan Refinancing Companies Offer The Same Death/disability Protections

What’s more, most of these student loan refinancing companies actually provide a similar benefit to the federal government! I asked all of my student loan refinancing partners to participate in this exercise and have listed the responses received below.

As you can see, most offer forgiveness for death and some offer forgiveness for disability. And they may not even send you or your estate a 1099 for the amount forgiven!

Note that links on this page are affiliate links, so if you refinance your loans after going through them I get paid. That’s okay, you get paid too. Not only do you get a lower interest rate, but you usually get several hundred dollars in cash back too that you wouldn’t get if you went directly to the company.

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What Happens To Federal Student Loans When You Die

If you have federal student loans and pass away, your family can apply for loan discharge due to death and have the remaining balance forgiven. Federal loan discharge for borrowers applies if you have any of the following federal student loans:

• Direct consolidation loans

To qualify for loan discharge, your family member or another representative will have to submit documentation of your death to the loan servicerthe company that manages your loan and repayment. Acceptable documents include an original death certificate, a certified copy of the death certificate or a photocopy of the full death certificate.

How To Get A Death Discharge

The executor of the estate or someone managing affairs for the deceased person will need to contact the Parent PLUS or regular federal student loan servicer and advise them of the death. They will have to supply an original death certificate when requested. A notification alone is not going to be sufficient.

Document all communications with the servicer and send items requested by some means that provides proof of delivery.

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Parent Plus Loans Vs Private Loans

Prospective borrowers should compare parent PLUS loans and private parent loans for college. Both loan types award only the funds learners need to cover attendance costs.

Parent PLUS loans and private loans have differences that may affect repayment. Private loans may offer a low introductory variable interest rate that rises over time. Federal loans require the FAFSA results annually. Fees and repayment options also vary. See the chart below for details. You can also visit the Federal Student Aid website to learn more.

Will My Family Owe Taxes On Discharged Loans

With some types of loan forgiveness or discharge, the borrower may owe income taxes on the discharged amount. Depending on the loan balance at the time of discharge, the tax bill can be significant.

Previously, loans discharged due to death or disability were subject to income taxes. However, the Tax Cuts and Job Act changed that when it was passed in 2017.

Under the new rules, student loans discharged due to death or disability are not included as taxable income. The new rules apply to loans discharged between Dec. 31, 2017, and Jan. 1, 2026.

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Federal Parent Plus Loans

Parent PLUS Loans are federal loans geared specifically for parents of college students looking to bridge the financial gap between funds the family has on hand and the funds the family needs to fully pay for college. They are borrowed by parents, who are responsible for paying off the loans and have the loans in their names.;

If a mom or dad dies after taking out a Parent PLUS Loan and hasnt repaid it, the following scenarios unfold.

The loan is discharged, but not without some significant paperwork first.;

Parent PLUS Loans are automatically dissolved when the parent whose name appears on the loan passes away.

To have the loan eliminated, a family member or designated family trustee has to contact the loans servicer, and generate proven documentation in order to have a Parent PLUS Loan discharged. Families can get death certificates either directly from the state or from the funeral home that handled the funeral service.

Student loan lenders will accept an original death certificate, a certified copy of a death certificate, or a high-resolution photo copy of a death certificate.

The loan will be discharged for the death of the borrower, or the college student.;

U.S. Department of Education will dissolve a Parent PLUS Loan in the event the parent borrower passes away, or the college student who receives the funds passes away.;

If the federal loan is refinanced into a private loan, the loan may not be discharged.;

Applying For Disability Discharge

You should let Nelnet, the Department of Educations contractor, know that you want to apply.You can do this by phone or email.; You can call seven days a week at 888-303-7818 or email at .; You can also let Nelnet know you are applying by using the online disability discharge application.; You can designate a representative to apply on your behalf.; You must fill out the representation designation form available in English and Spanish on the Departments disability discharge web site.

Once you let Nelnet know you are applying, they are supposed to do the following:

1.; Provide you with information you need to apply for a discharge if you do not already have it.

2.; Identify your federal student loans and/or TEACH Grant service obligation that may qualify for a discharge.

3.; Contact your loan holders and instruct them to suspend collection activity on your loans for a period of up to 120 days.; This means that during the 120 day period, you will not be required to make payments on your loans.; This gives you time to complete the discharge application, but collection will start up again if you do not submit an application within the 120 day period. The Department says that the suspension of collection does not include administrative wage garnishment or Treasury offsets.; The Department or guaranty agencies for FFEL loans may, however, stop or reduce offsets during this period.

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Consider Parent Plus Loan Deferment Or Forbearance

In certain situations, you can enter your loans into deferment or forbearance. That means you can temporarily stop making payments without becoming delinquent on your debt.

Parent PLUS loan deferment or forbearance may be an option in the following situations:

• If you or the student for whom you took out a Parent PLUS loan is enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school
• If you are unemployed or facing significant financial hardship
• If you are serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces
• If you are serving in the Peace Corps
• If you are in a full-time rehabilitation training program for people with disabilities

The amount of deferment or forbearance you receive for your payments depends on your situation. Interest generally will continue to accrue on the loans, though with deferment on some types of loans you may not be responsible for paying the interest that accrues. Still, deferment or forbearance can give you time to get back on your feet.

This Is What Happens To Student Loan Debt When You Die

Jun 21, 2021 Discharging private student loans. Private institutions that loan money to students arent required to discharge your debt upon your death.

What happens to payments If a borrower dies before theyve paid off their Student Loan, any balance may be written off by Inland Revenue. Any other payments;

Jun 23, 2021 If you or a loved one with federal student loans pass away, the loans wont transfer to another person. Relatives can notify the loan servicer,;

Aug 29, 2018 If you still have federal student loans when you die, they will be discharged and your estate will not need to pay them. This includes Direct;

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What Disabilities Qualify For Student Loan Forgiveness

If you are permanently and totally disabled per the government’s definition, then your direct federal student loans are forgiven. Curious what it takes to be permanently and totally disabled? Well, you can meet VA guidelines. Or you can meet SS guidelines. Or you can get a physician to certify that

You are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity due to a physical or mental impairment that

• leaves you permanently and totally disabled
• has lasted for a continuous period of at least 60 months; or
• can be expected to last for a continuous period of at least 60 months.

Substantial gainful activity is a level of work performed for pay or profit that involves doing significant physical or mental activities, or a combination of both.

Prior to 2018, this forgiveness was TAXABLE, so your estate would owe a tax bill there. Essentially, the government would send your estate a 1099. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed the law such that starting in 2018, forgiveness of federal student loans in the case of death or permanent disability is now tax-free.

How Parent Plus Borrowers Can Qualify For Forgiveness

Since Nate is a public school teacher, he would qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness , and after making 120 qualifying payments, he would get his remaining loan balance forgiven tax-free.;

Since Nate is pursuing forgiveness, there is one more important thing he can do to further reduce his monthly payments. Nate can contribute more to his employers retirement plan. If Nate contributed $500 a month into his 403 plan, the amount of taxable annual income used to calculate his monthly payment is reduced, which further reduces his monthly payments to $232.;

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What Happens To A Parent Plus Loan If A Parent Dies

In trying to bridge the gap of paying for higher education, some parents take out federal Parent PLUS loans to supplement their students’ financial aid packages. Generally considered last-resort loans, Parent PLUS loans are recommended only after all other avenues for financing have been exhausted. A Parent PLUS loan is a federal loan made strictly to the parent; students bear no responsibility for repayment.

Like with other federal student loans, there is no statute of limitation on a Parent PLUS loan, meaning there is no set amount of time when a creditor can take legal action to collect and sue a borrower for outstanding debt when he or she fails to make payments. However, a parent who takes out a Parent PLUS loan enjoys many of the same protections as a student with federal student loans, including an important provision saying if the signer should die before the loan is repaid, the loan will be discharged.

But this debt cancellation, while guaranteed, is not automatic.

Upon a parent’s death, a family member or other representative must contact the loan servicer and provide documentation in order to have the loan discharged. An original death certificate or a certified copy of the death certificate are usually required, but some servicers may accept a photocopy of either one.

Most funeral homes handle getting death certificates for the family. If not, or if more copies are needed, families can request death certificates from the state where the death took place.

Parent Plus Loans After You Die

So you did a good thing and helped someone go to school. You may have taken out a Parent PLUS loan or even consolidated more than one into a new Direct Loan and opted to repay it under the Income Contingent Repayment program.

As it stands right now if the holder of a Parent PLUS loan dies or the student dies who received the benefit of the loan the loan can be discharged.

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If You Have Federal Student Loans

My husband still had federal student loans when he died. Making them disappear was simple: I called the company that serviced the loans and sent them a copy of his death certificate.

Federal student loans all come with an important piece of protection for borrowers: If the person whose education was financed with the loan dies, the loan is forgiven. The persons estate is not responsible for paying the loan, regardless of what type of loan it is.

This is also true of;Parent PLUS loans, which are a type of federal student loan. However, parents whose child dies before the Parent PLUS loan has been repaid will get a form 1099-C after the debt is canceled, and the canceled debt will be treated as taxable income. This can lead to an unforeseen and substantial tax liability.

If you live in a;community property state;and you or your spouse acquired federal student loans during your marriage, you are likewise not responsible for the loan balance. It will be discharged as soon as you send in your spouses death certificate.

If You Have Parent Plus Loans

Federal Parent PLUS borrowers are also eligible for a death discharge in two scenarios:

• Youre the student and you pass away, cancelling PLUS Loan debt borrowed in your parents name
• Youre the parent and your child passes, cancelling the PLUS Loan debt in your name

Parents previously received a 1099-C form from the IRS after their debt was cancelled and, in some cases, had to face a hefty tax bill.

Fortunately, parents of deceased children wont have to face tax consequences associated with the death discharge of a Parent PLUS loan. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 made student loan discharge due to death non-taxable. And more recently, the student loan stimulus in March 2021 also made all forms of forgiveness tax-free through 2025.

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A Spouses Student Loans

Generally, a living spouse will not be held legally responsible for repaying student loans that belonged to the deceased spouse. However, there are some exceptions, such as when the spouse has co-signed the loan.;

A spouse might also be required to repay a deceased partners private student loans if they reside in a community property state. These states include Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.;

In community property states, the surviving spouse might have to use community property or shared assets to repay the deceased spouses student loans.

How To Get Parent Plus Loan Forgiveness

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There are two main ways to get parent PLUS loan forgiveness: through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and through the Income-Contingent Repayment plan.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness involves a lot of red tape but is the better option if you qualify. Income-Contingent Repayment forgiveness takes a long time. Stick to;the standard 10-year plan to; if you can afford to. Its faster and will likely cost less overall.

If you do want to pursue parent PLUS loan forgiveness, heres how.

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is available to all federal student loan borrowers, including parent PLUS loan holders, who make 120 qualifying payments while working full time in a government position, or for an eligible nonprofit employers.

Only payments made on the standard and income-driven repayment plans qualify for PSLF. Because the standard plan pays off the loan in 120 payments, parent PLUS borrowers aiming for PSLF should enroll in the Income-Contingent Repayment plan .

If you’ll qualify for forgiveness, skip the so you start making eligible payments right away.

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There are a few other circumstances that could cause your to be discharged:

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What To Do About Your Student Loans Now

As long as youre drawing breath, you can do something about your student loans. And if you know someone with student loans who has died, start with contacting their student loan service provider to address the debt. We also created a helpful checklist to follow in case someone dies.

If youre facing a terminal illness, you can apply for a terminal and permanent disability discharge , which will forgive your loans. Youll need to present a physicians certification that your illness is expected to result in death, that youve been seriously ill or are expected to be seriously ill for the next 60 months.3

If youre healthy, attack your debt by making more than the minimum payment and serve Sallie Mae her eviction notice. You can do it! Currently, student loan payments are on pause until Sept. 30, 2021.4 You can make some major headway paying down your principal balance in that time.

You may also want to consider refinancing your loans in exchange for a lower interest rate. Variable rates can send your student loan payment sky-high over time. Check out our trusted service for student loan refinancing.

And for the step-by-step plan to pay off your student loans fast, check out Anthony ONeals Quick Read Destroy Your Student Loan Debt.

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