Do you have all of the money you need to start your college education and finish it? Did you know that 66 percent of all college students don’t have all the money they need to finish? Most students apply for undergraduate student loans in order to continue their college education.
If you have to take out a loan, the easiest and cheapest loans to apply for are the federal Stafford loans. There are two types of Stafford loans for undergraduates, the subsidized and the unsubsidized. You have to prove you have a financial need in order to receive the subsidized loan, while that isn’t necessary on the unsubsidized loan.
According to StaffordLoan.com, a student must meet these requisites to be apply for a subsidized Stafford loan. He must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. He must have completed high school or taken his GED test and be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited institution. He will need to have a FAFSA pin number, and he must not be behind in his payments on any existing federal loans. Besides these personal requirements, the school where he is attending must acknowledge that the student has a financial need.
Did you know that no payments are required, and no interest is accrued on the loan while you are in school? These are the two main benefits of a subsidized Stafford loan. Two other advantages are low interest and no required credit check.
There are three important differences between the subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans. The unsubsidized loans are not based on need. The moment the loan is approved and the money is dispersed to your school, the loan company begins to charge interest, although, you aren’t obligated to make any payments until six months after you finish your education. The fixed interest rates are slightly higher for this type of loan.
One advantage of the unsubsidized Stafford loan is that you can apply for $2,000 more than the total available from the subsidized Stafford loan. Once you receive this loan, it would be wise to make monthly payments to pay off the interest you are being charged each month while you are still in school. If you don’t make any payments, the interest is added together and applied to the total amount of the loan. Interest is then accrued on the total of the loan and interest combined when you begin to repay the loan.
The financial solution for many college students is a loan. Loans should only be considered after you have exhausted the possibility of free money. In order to make a wise choice concerning the undergraduate student loans you need, consider your financial condition and how the loan will affect your future.
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Tags: loan, undergraduate student loans, personal finance, student loan, College