Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Student Loans: What They're All About

By Kim Archer

For students who do not have the cash to directly pay for their college, student loans are commonly used to obtain the money they are needing. Student loans are one of the most common ways young adults use to pay for their schooling after high school.

A lot of parents do not have the money to directly pay for their children's post-secondary education. So a blend of scholarships, grants and student loans is used to pay for the costs of college or university. This usually involves not only tuition fees but the cost of textbooks, living expenses and other fees that come along with post-secondary education.

New students can have access to several kinds of student loans. The most common type found is the federal loan. This financing option has smaller limits, and is typically limited to funding tuition fees only. The federal student loans are highly watched by the government, and can be gained through the school's financial aid packages. They frequently have an extremely small interest rate. The student does not need to start paying back the money owed until they have either finished school or are no longer going to school full time.

When a young adult goes to register for federal student loans, there are a few things that should be kept in mind. To start, there is usually a six month no payment period associated with these kinds of loans. Therefore, from after the point in time in which the student graduates or has cut back to half-time classes, they won't have to begin returning money to the lender for the set amount of time. Interest, however, starts accruing as soon as you finish university or have fallen to half-time attendance. All payments and funding owed show on the student's credit score.

There are also student loans that are granted to adults instead of to the student. Higher maximums are available with these loans. The interest rate may also be higher than the federal student loans that are more commonly issued. As well, interest starts to accrue right from the beginning. This is due to the fact that the guardian is the one responsible for repayment, not the student. This method does not help improve the student's credit rating.

Lastly, there are private alternative student loans. These go outside of the government regulated system, and are frequently reserved for individuals who need more than the amounts given to typical students. Private loans have the highest maximums, and may also bear the highest interest percentages as well. Personal student loans are given either to the guardians or the students, and can be done through a variety of institutions as well as private companies. This option is usually used by individuals attending very high cost universities where federal funding is not enough. Students can use both private and federal student loans at the same time if required. - 15485

About the Author: