I cannot stress my situation enough… I’m an undergrad at the University of San Francisco. My mom has informed me if I go back to SF I will be handling financials on my own. Her Parent PLUS loan for Spring 2026 (~$20,113) has already disbursed & she plans to cancel it within the 14-day window, meaning that money will be refunded directly back to her. Classes start in one week, and once that happens I’ll have no $$$ support & no ability to do payment plans. I’ll be financially independent in practice (even if FAFSA still sees me as dependent).
#1) I’m trying to create a plan immediately for how to stay in school once that $20,113 is removed and how to work something out directly with the university that puts me in the least amount of debt possible.
What do I even say to USFCA Financial Aid and Student Accounts??! Every uni – especially USFCA- is money hungry & expensive… What language do I use to get them to step in with institutional funds for a single semester? Also I just need overall support moving forward.
#2) At the same time, I’m trying to help my mom not get buried by the ~$48,845 in Parent PLUS loans already taken out. She’s an LVN, currently taking prerequisites for RN school (possibly an accelerated program), and works in nonprofit healthcare.
From what I’ve researched, consolidation + ICR with the goal of PSLF seems like the safest long-term path, but I’m still trying to understand realistic payments, timelines, and what mistakes to avoid before July 2026.
I’m doing all of this by myself and trying not to make the wrong move under pressure. I’m not afraid of debt but I don’t want to get stuck in the wrong kind of debt. This is very time sensitive, & any insight from people who’ve navigated Parent PLUS loans or staying enrolled when funding collapses last minute would really help. Even some nice words will help me keep my head up. Thank you!
PLS Help Me Stay in School w/ no Parent Plus Loan
byu/Dependent_Edge4300 inStudentLoans
Posted by Dependent_Edge4300
2 Comments
commenting to boost. just surfing and saw this. you got this, dude.
The least expensive route is to withdraw before you get charged for the semester. To be blunt: you cannot afford this school. How far along are you? If this is your first year, go back home and go to a community college to do the last part of your first year and whole second then transfer to an in-state school. If not, you may need to work and go to school part time or take some time off to work and save and return to school when you are considered independent. That may be difficult in a HCOL area like SF, though.