Tag Archives: graduate
Federal Student Loans vs. Private Student Loans (Page 1 of 2)
Few students can afford to pay for college out of their savings, so they use student loans to pay for school. Two major categories of student loans include federal loans and private loans. Because we believe that it is important to understand your education-funding options, this article investigates the difference between federal and private student loans.
These days, there are very few students who can afford to pay for college without some form of education financing. Two-thirds of undergraduate students have some debt, while 88% of law students need to borrow to finance their education. A typical undergraduate may graduate with more than $20,000 of debt, while graduate students may have significantly higher indebtedness. Law school students may graduate with an average of $80,000 in student loans. Typically, students have acquired both federal and private debt, but what are the differences between these types of loans? And is one better than the other? Read on for an explanation of both categories of student loans.
Many students rely on federal student loans to help finance their education. The most common federal loan is a Stafford Loan. These may be issued directly from the government to the student, or they may be issued by a private lender, such as a bank or credit union, belonging to the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Either way, these loans are guaranteed against default by the federal government.
Something else to remember about Stafford Loans is they may be subsidized or unsubsidized. If you are eligible for a subsidized Stafford Loan, the government will pay the interest while you are in school. Subsidized Stafford Loans are generally given to students who can demonstrate financial need. If you receive an unsubsidized Stafford Loan, you will be responsible for paying all of the interest, although you may have the payments deferred until after graduation. If you choose to defer paying the interest until after graduation, the interest will be capitalized, or added to the loan amount. To qualify for an unsubsidized Stafford Loan, you do not need to demonstrate financial need.
The amount of your Stafford Loan will vary depending on your year in school. However, graduate students may borrow up to $18,500 each year (with $8,500 being subsidized) with a combined limit for graduate and undergraduate federal loans of $65,500 for dependent students. If you are an independent student, the cumulative limit you may borrow is $138,500 for your graduate and undergraduate studies.
Stafford Loans have variable interest rates, based on the 91-day T-bill, and this interest rate is adjusted each year on July 1. Stafford Loans have an interest rate cap of 8.25%. All lenders offer the same base rate for Stafford loans because the interest rate is predetermined by the government, although many lenders offer payment incentives and/or discounts to help you reduce your interest rate further. Another benefit of federal loans is you may lock in a fixed interest rate if you choose to consolidate your federal student loans. That way, you will not be affected by adjustments in the interest rate each year.
Graduate Student Loan Rates (Page 1 of 3)
Few students can afford to pay for college without some form of financing, and graduate and professional students borrow even more than undergraduates, with the additional debt for a graduate degree ranging from $27,000 to $114,000. Fortunately, graduate student loan rates are low. Federal law sets the maximum interest rates and fees that lenders may charge for federally-guaranteed loans. Nothing prevents a lender from charging lower fees, and many lenders offer a variety of discounts to attract borrowers.
Grants, scholarships, work-study, and other forms of gift aid just do not cover the full cost of a college education. Many students find that they must supplement their savings with government and private loans. The Federal education loan programs offer lower graduate student loan interest rates and more flexible repayment plans than most consumer loans, making them an attractive way to finance your education.
How can you figure out how much your graduate student loans will cost when the interest rate is often variable? You’ll be pretty safe if you figure on a rate of around 8%. That’s more than the current rate for federal student loans right now, but rates may go up, and most loans are capped at 8.25% to 9%. (If you’re a parent using a home-equity loan, your rates were fixed when you borrowed the money. If yours is a home equity line of credit, however, your rates are variable, so use an 8% interest rate to be conservative.)
At 8%, each $1,000 you borrow will cost you about $12 a month to repay, assuming a 10-year loan. If you’re a graduate student and you borrow the maximum allowed under current federal student loan programs $23,000 in subsidized and unsubsidized borrowing for undergraduates who are still their parents’ dependents your monthly payments will be around $276.
The rate for PLUS Loans disbursed on or after July 1st, 2006 is fixed at 8.5%, while the rate for Stafford Loans disbursed on or after July 1st, 2006 is fixed at 6.8%.
Shop for graduate student loan rates in order help manage your future debt burden. Your school’s financial aid administrator can help you consider all of the important factors when comparing loan programs. The guidelines for Federal Stafford and PLUS loans are established by the federal government; however, there are some lenders that make adjustments to the terms in order to provide savings to borrowers. For example, many lenders discount fees on Federal Stafford Loans (that normally would be deducted from the amount disbursed to the borrower). And some lenders offer borrower benefits or payment incentives on Stafford and PLUS loans. Be sure to compare lenders before borrowing your federal student loans.
When choosing a private graduate student loan, there are many things to consider. You should investigate the features of several private loans and prioritize which factors are the most important for you, including the overall cost of the loan, credit criteria and approval rate, monthly payment, grace period, deferment, and forbearance, reputation of the lender, customer service, and other services.