Now that you came to the conclusion a higher education is definitely in your future, you need to start looking into precisely how your planning to pay for it. While looking for student loans you are likely to discover both government loans in addition to private programs. Each of those two groups, have a number of different types of loans to select from. It will require some time, however, it will likely be time wisely spent if you learn the differences concerning all of the types of programs being offered in each groups.
The very first type we'll discuss is the Federal loan programs being offered. Let's start with the Stafford loan. To qualify for this one your FAFSA application must verify that you have a financial need. This is a Federal subsidized loan, but instead of borrowing the money directly from the government, you borrow from a tradition lender. With this program you are giving time after you graduate to get a job, before you actually need to start paying the money back.
The Perkins loan is another option that might be available to you.. To qualify for this loan the student most likely will come from a low income family and show a real financial need. What makes this loan one of the best to qualify for, is the fact that it is a low interest loan. Like the first option we talked about this loan also has a grace period before you need to start making payments.
The next type of loan we'll cover is the Plus loan, and it is available not only to the student, but to the parent of the student also. The families income will determine how much money is available to the student and the parent. Because these loans are available to both the parent and the student at low interest rates, they allow the family to contribute to the burden of paying for the child's education.
The next group we'll mention are Private student loans, and the terms of this type of loan are dependent on the lender. The problem with most of these loans, is they are given based on the students credit score, which most high school age students will not have much of a credit history. The signature student loan is available to those students with good credit or those with less than a good credit score may still qualify with a qualified cosigner. These loans should be the loans of last resort, and a student and their family should take advantage of any of the Federal loans or grants that they qualify for, before they apply for a Private loan.
If you are thinking about going to a tech or trades school, you could qualify for the Career Training Loan that is available from Sallie Mae. While the loan is given based on credit history, it is also available for on line courses which makes it worth looking into. The money from this loan could be used for educational expenses other than tuition. Sallie Mae offers flexibly payment plans with no early payment penalties.
The most important thing to remember is that you should start early and research all the different loan options that might be available to you and your family. The cost of a higher education means that most students graduate with substantial debt, so it is important to get loans with the best available terms.
