We filed BK May 05, discharged Jan 06. DD is in pre-nursing and had an ROTC scholarship last year (no military or financial obligation for the student's freshman year) and has made the difficult decision to not formally sign this fall. I won't go into the reasons but it was a very difficult decision and I'm very proud of her. After her father's extended unemployment and our financial problems she was determined not to incur college debt, but now is going the traditional route. We simply don't have the money to help her and therefore need to file for a parent Plus loan, hopefully get turned down so she will qualify for more unsubsidized Stafford money (do I have this right?) Her school recommended we go through Sallie Mae.

1. With the BK, will we be considered credit unworthy?
2. Is there a chance they will approve us with a cosigner? There is NO ONE in our family who can help us.
3. Should DH apply? He is presently unemployed but has signed a teaching contract and starts work Monday, August 7. Technically, if he applies tomorrow, he has no employer. I am a teacher and have been able to get some new credit since the BK but there is no room for me to take on new debt.

What do you ladies recommend? Basically, we need to be turned down for this. I'm sick that I can't help her. Thanks so much for your advice.

I don't think you'll be approved no matter which of the two of you applies for it. Go ahead and try it ... I doubt you'll get anywhere but turned down - which is what you want!

With the BK, you will be turned down. To be double sure, have your DH apply.

Thank you both so much. I felt kind of guilty saying he's unemployed, but technically he really is. Hopefully once he gets some money rolling in he can help a little but it won't be much. She's been working 2 jobs since she was a senior in high school. All the ROTC stuff was at another campus in the downtown of a large metropolitan area. Some days she had to drive cross town back and forth three times a day...5 am for PT, 11:00 or early afternoon for class, 6:00 for study hall. Inbetween she had classes at her regular school plus her jobs. She's totally burned out. Wouldn't mind being a navy nurse at all, but thinks she would be better off signing up after she graduates.

I really appreciate the fast response. We're applying online tonight!

We were turned down and in the long run it didn't matter who applied. The paper form we had asked for employer, references, etc. so we went ahead and had DH do it but online all Sallie Mae wanted to know was SS #s, address, phone numbers. They sent out a denial in record time! Said we would get cosigner info with the official denial letter, but that is certainly not going to happen. I called Sallie Mae today and they said the school had access to the information online which is good.

Thanks so much again for the help last night. I was panicked because although FAFSA was done we are doing everything else so late since she decided not to do the ROTC.