Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Important Information About Student Loans

By Pat Lowe

For those who cannot afford to directly pay for their college, student loans are typically used to provide the cash they are lacking. Student loans are one of the most frequently used methods students use to fund their education after high school.

Many parents do not have the cash to directly pay for their children's post-secondary education. They might use a mix of student loans, grants and scholarships to finance the cost of university or college. This includes tuition, books, housing fees and other expenses associated with higher education.

New students can use several types of student loans. The most frequently found is the federal loan. This financing option has smaller limits, and is usually limited to paying for tuition fees only. The federal student loans are tightly regulated by the government, and can be obtained through the university's financial aid packages. They typically have an extremely low interest rate. The student does not need to start paying back the amount owed until they have either finished school or are no longer going to school full time.

When a student goes to apply for federal student loans, there are several things that should be remembered. First, there is usually a six month no payment period associated with these kinds of loans. Therefore, following the point in time in which the student finishes school or has cut back to half-time attendance, they won't have to start returning money to the lender for the set period of time. Interest, however, begins building as soon as you graduate from school or have fallen to part time enrolment. The payments and amounts owed affect the student's credit rating.

There are also student loans that are given to adults rather than to the student. These loans have higher maximums. You'll find that the interest rate is frequently higher than the typical federal student loan. As well, interest starts to accrue right from the beginning. This is due to the fact that the adult is the one responsible for the loan, not the student. Choosing this route does not help improve the student's credit history.

Finally, there are private alternative student loans. These fall outside of the government regulated process, and are usually saved for people who require more than the limits granted to standard students. Private loans have the greatest maximums, and may also bear the highest interest percentages as well. Personal student loans are granted either to the adults or the students, and can be done through a variety of institutions as well as private lenders. This option is typically utilized by people attending very expensive schools where federal money is not sufficient. Students can use both private and federal student loans at the same time if necessary. - 16036

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