Federal Undergraduate Student Loans 101

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.

The federal Stafford loans are one of the simplest and more common loans that you can apply for as an undergraduate because of their low, fixed interest rates. Subsidized Stafford loans are based solely on the financial needs of the undergraduate student, while unsubsidized Stafford loans are not based on need.

Are you aware that you have to have finished high school or taken your GED test in order to apply for a subsidized Stafford loan? They, also, require you to be a citizen of the United States or at least have your permanent resident papers. Before they process your application, they will check to see if you have any outstanding payments on other federal loans you may have borrowed. If all of your payments have been made, they will continue the application process.

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.

The unsubsidized Stafford loans are different from the subsidized loans in three important ways. Interest is charged monthly immediately when the money is released, they have higher fixed interest rates and you don’t have to prove you have a financial need to receive one.

The unsubsidized Stafford loan gives you the additional benefit of being able to apply for $2, 000 more than you can with the subsidized Stafford loan. Before you think about applying for one, you need to realize that interest will begin to accrue immediately. If you don’t pay the monthly interest while you are in school, the total will be added to the loan premium six months after you finish school, and you will be charged interest on the new total of the loan.

One of the fastest ways to receive financial help in college is to apply for subsidized or unsubsidized Stafford loans. Look at the requirements for each of these loans, consider your financial condition and then choose the type of undergraduate student loans that will meet your financial needs in the best way.

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