Most of time when people talk or write about student loans they mostly talks about undergraduate study only. While graduate students are also having bills to pay for their college. There is no doubt in that graduate college expenses are more than undergrad study expenses so for that getting reliable financing is so much important.

The Federal Graduate PLUS Loans are only available for that student which is pursuing a graduate or professional degree. The government guarantees Grad PLUS Loans and it haves very low interest rates. Grad students can borrow this loan on their own names and can build excellent credit with a federal loan.

Benefits of Grad PLUS Loans

Grad PLUS Loans are having so many benefits such as:

· You can borrow amount equal to your total cost of education. Like tuition, books, lab fees and such other college expenses.

· Grad PLUS Loans are not need-based loans, while its based on your credit history. It means that you should have a decent credit before borrowing the Grad PLUS Loan otherwise you can borrow it with a co-signer.

· Grad PLUS Loans are having fixed interest rate of 8.5%. This low interest rate allows you to payback the loan easily in monthly payments.

· Credit check for Grad PLUS Loans is pretty light that’s why you don’t need any collateral in order to qualify.

· You can postpone the loan repayment when you still in college. Same like other federal loans you can postpone any or all payments until you graduate from college. But you will be responsible for the interest that accrues on your principal. On later part you can get a student loan consolidation at a better rate.

· The interest you pay on your loan can be tax deductible.

How to Apply for Grad PLUS Loans

Same like other federal aids for this loan you also need to file FAFSA. When you will file the FAFSA then you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) through mail, which will determine the amount of money you are expected to contribute to your education. After that you will get your award letter if you had qualified for any type of federal aid that letter will be having its detail then. It is in this letter that you should notice qualification for the Grad PLUS Loan. If you are qualified then indicate it on the award letter that you are accepting this form of aid and then return it back.

After that you will submit a promissory note stating that you agree with the terms of the loan. If you are borrowing this loan directly from the federal government then you will file it in the Department of Education and your school.

Finally the entitled money for you will be sent directly to your school of choice and set against the total tuition balance. Still if any amount left from it then you can use it for buying books or other education related expenses. There is no doubt in that federal loans are the best way to pay for college. So never hesitate from grabbing this affordable opportunity.

Though its possible to get private student loan with low interest rate but still best choice is federal student loans. There is no doubt about that lower interest rate student loan is more beneficial because lower interest rate means lower payments and shortened repayment period and more money in your pocket.

Another beneficial aspect of low interest student loans is the subsidized federal student loans. If you get a Stafford Loan or Perkins Loan then government will pay the interest while you are in school and even up to nine months after you graduate.

Two Major Types of Low Interest Loans

The major type of Low Interest Student Loan is a federal, now we will look which types of federal student loans offer extremely low interest rates and other benefits to students.

Stafford Student Loan

Stafford Student Loan is a low interest rate student loan that allows the students with to no credit to afford college. As federal student loan Stafford Loan has different requirements than standard lender like bank. This loan is not based on your credit score; it is based on whether or not you fall within the eligible income bracket. In its basic requirements is that you will attend school at last half time and if you have never defaulted on a loan before.

There is a limit of interest rate on Stafford loan that how high it can be. Currently interest rate on that is 8.2% though most people get a rate that is lower than this. The main benefit on Stafford Student Loans is that it’s subsidized, meaning that the government will foot the bill for the interest that accrues while you are in school. Stafford Loans are also available unsubsidized but the low interest rate still applies.

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Qualifying for grant is good but that doesn’t mean that grants will cover your entire tuition costs, books, dorm fees and the cost of living in general. That’s why loans are needed to counter those financial needs in college. This is the main reason also for which students are knee deep in debt when they graduate.

Federal student loans are the most affordable loans for students and the Perkins Loan is a major component in the federal student loan arsenal. Perkins Loans have plenty of benefits and features that make it an excellent loan for eligible students.

Perkins Loans are having following major features:

• Low cost and interest rate
• Need based
• Available through participating colleges and universities
• There is optional loan cancellation for eligible borrowers
• Available for eligible undergraduate and graduate students
• Grace period of 9 months
• No-Fee
• No credit check is required

Explanation of Federal Perkins Loan

The Perkins Loan program is a campus based financial aid and it’s available for both undergraduate and graduate eligible students. Annual Federal Perkins Loans are received by participating in colleges and universities. The schools determine which are the most financially deserving students for Perkins funds. Money is awarded on first come, first served basis so it’s necessary for students to accept as early as possible when they qualify for the Perkins Loans. Some of schools pad the Perkins loans with their own funds so that more students can qualify. Perkins Loans are fee-free with 9 months grace period unlike other federal loans, which are usually having 6 months grace period.

When you accept the Perkins Loan then you can borrow from any campus of your choice. This is a subsidized loan; means that government will the interest that accrues on your loan while you are in school and during the grace period. An undergraduate student is limited to $4,000 per year with a lifetime limit of $20,000; and for a graduate student limit is $6,000 a year and $40,000 lifetime limit.

Most of students qualify for a Stafford Loan and not all colleges and universities participate in the Perkins program, while in the grand scheme of things the Perkins Loan may be the lowest cost loan available.

Requirements for a Perkins Loan

The main requirement for qualifying for a Federal Perkins Loan is showing exceptional financial need. However aside from income brackets there are also few other requirements you need to know about. Such as:

• You must be enrolled in school at least half –time.
• You must be enrolled in that college or institution that participates in the program.
• You must be a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident or a non-citizen that is eligible.
• You won’t be having any defaulted history on an education loan in the past.
• You must be registered with the Selective Service.
• You must be having at least satisfactory grades.

Applying for a Perkins Loan

As for all federal aids its necessary to file FAFSA, same its necessary to file FAFSA in order to be considered for a Perkins Loan. After filing FAFSA government will determine your eligibility, you can request Perkins Loan assistance. When you will submit your FAFSA then you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail. Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is outlined in the SAR. The EFC is amount of money that you will pay out of your pocket or with loans for your tuition. After few weeks you will also receive award letters from the colleges to which you had applied detailing the types of financial aid you have qualified for, may be included with Perkins Loan. You must have to return the award letter indicating what financial aid you are accepting in order to receive any money.

If you will be approved for Perkins Loan funds then you must let your school know and the sooner the better; funds are limited and often disbursed on a first come, first served basis.

Repayment of the Perkins Loan

In the last few months of your college education your school provides you with loan repayment information related to Perkins Loan. You will be having 9 months grace period so that you can get settle and get a job before your repayment kicks in.

Loan Cancellation for Teachers

Students who go into public teaching jobs may qualify for Perkins Loan cancellation on whole or a part. If you are having plan to teach in a low income public school district, teaching special education students, teach in a shortage area, or teach a subject designated as a shortage (science, math, foreign language) then your Perkins Loan will be partially canceled for every year you served.

There are two types of Federal Student Loan programs, one the Direct Federal Loan Program and the other Federal Family Education Loan Program. Both of them are key components of successful college financial aid strategy.

Federal Student loans should have to be a very first step they take in the financial aid process:

• U.S. Department of Education administrates the Direct Federal Loan Program and also acts as lender for the Program.
• The Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) consists of the Stafford Loan, PLUS Loans and Federal Consolidation Loan. This program allows federal loans to be availed through private lenders such as Sallie Mae and Nelnet. Because of private lenders more student gets access to federal loans.

Federal Students Loans are guaranteed by the government that mean if you default on any loan repayment then the government will back the lender financially for the loss.

Best thing about federal loans is that they are affordable and almost everyone qualifies for some aid.

Here are some advantages of the Federal Student loans that make it apart from private loans and other loan types.

Though the student loan application process is confusing but that’s the requirement for all students.

There will be only few students who can afford college without federal student loans and private loans.

The Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA)

The federal Loan application FAFSA is having a long and confusing form and there is no other alternative application form that you fill out and still get federal student loans.

Anyhow help can be provided to students and parent for filling out the FAFSA.

The FAFSA can help you to qualify for federal grants like work study programs and federal loans. For different reasons millions of students unfortunately fails to complete the FAFSA. As a matter of fact failing to complete FAFSA means missing easiest college money to come by.

How to Complete the FAFSA

The FAFSA is available in an online version, which you can download and print off, or you can send for a hard copy of the application. But majority of students mostly choose to file with online version. Before completing the FAFSA it’s required to apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from which you can create a virtual account.

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Financial aid award letters from the colleges where you had applied and been accepted. Now there are several different financial aid offerings. So the question is that how to know that which school package is right for you and what the terms in that package meant? Which package is better than another for you?

Features included in financial aid award letters

Here are the main features that are mostly included in college financial aid award letters:

• Cost of Attendance
• Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• Federal Grants
• Subsidized federal loan offer
• Unsubsidized federal loan offer
• Institutional grants and scholarships
• Unmet need

Learn and try to understand each of these award letter features and compare them.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

College award letter will always give you an exact figure of the cost to attend the college. It is not cost of tuition. Cost of Attendance (COA) is comprised of following features:

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