The Parent Plus loan is a federal unsubsidized loan for parents to help pay education costs. In October 2011, the eligibility criteria was tightened to deny loans to parents with delinquent accounts in collections. This led to increased denials and unexpected costs for many students. While an appeals process was added, the policy changes left some students unable to complete their degrees due to a lack of funding. The effects were discussed at a New America panel on improving the Plus Loan program.