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Private Student Loans
Private financial companies including banks or other specialized educational money lenders provide private student loans for students. It is one of the different types of loans available for the students to continue their higher education when they do not have the money to do so.
Private student loans have all the features of various government loans, and can be the best choice for those in search of educational finance. They have higher loan limits with attractive interest rates. Similar to the federal loans, they also have a grace period and students do not need to start repaying them prior to the completion of studies.
The grace periods of the loans vary from company to company and can be from six months to 12 months. Even though private student loans offer lower interest rates, they can be a little higher than the government loan interest rates, but much lower than other private loans. Unlike government loans, there are overhead charges often called origination fees, which are applicable at the time of the loan processing.
Private student loans are based on the credit history of the applicant or of the co-signer. This type of loan is utilized by students who are not able to pay for their educations without a loan but cannot apply for federal loans due to the possession of assets beyond the qualifying limit or due to higher income of the family.
Private student loans are looked as an alternative to federal student loans for parents, known as PLUS (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) loan. Private student loans need not be paid back until graduation, whereas the repayment of PLUS loan starts soon after the procedures. Many international students can also acquire these private loans with the help of a co-signer. The loan amount is paid directly to the school by the lender and the remaining money is given to the student for living expenses. Due to a lower interest rate, these loans are widely used by students. Today, many companies also offer online private student loans.
The Truth About Student Loans
When it comes to getting a college education most people can agree that the costs can be staggering at best. Even the least expensive colleges in the nation can add up over a four or five year period of time creating crippling debt for those who do not qualify for some of the better grant programs of substantial scholarships.
The problem lies in the fact that the parents of most traditional college students make too much money to qualify for the free financial aid that is needs based and very few qualify for the limited number of scholarships that are available to students based on merit. Even among those that qualify competition and fierce and there are no guarantees. Enter the student loan. There are all kinds of student loans and unfortunately with rising costs associated with college attendance and the growing necessity of a college degree for success in this country it is becoming more and more difficult to pay the price that is associated with higher education.
There are three types of loans that are commonly found for college students. They include federal student loans, federal plus loans, and private student loans. Each type of loan has advantages and disadvantages that are unique to that particular loan. Below I will give a little information about each of the loan types and whom they may benefit.
Student loans. There are three different types of student loans: subsidized, unsubsidized, and Perkins loans.
Perkins loans are only available to students who display exceptional financial need. These loans are available at a 5% interest rate and are available to both graduate and undergraduate students. Perkins loans are extended through the university you attend and will be repaid to the university unlike the other types of student loans, which are repaid to the lending agency.
Subsidized student loans are loans in which the interest is deferred until graduation or you cease to be a qualifying student. What this means is that while you are responsible for repaying the loan upon graduation the interest on these loans does not begin to accrue until your begin repayment 6 months after graduation or your cease to be at least a half time student of the university. You must qualify based on your income in order to receive a subsidized student loan. While the needs requirements for these loans isn’t as grave as those required in order to receive a Perkins loan you must still qualify.
Unsubsidized student loans do not require qualification on a needs basis. You must be a student and enrolled at least half time in order to receive an unsubsidized student loan. The good news however for those who do not qualify based on needs for other student loan options is that this type of loan is available to all qualifying students regardless of need. The interest on these loans however begins to accrue immediately, which means they can really add up over time.
PLUS loans are loans that are taken out by the parents of students who need the funds in order to cover educational expenses. The maximum amount that can be borrowed is the cost of attendance minus any financial aid awards the student has already received. The repayment on these loans begins 60 days after the loan is dispersed and the repayment period can be up to 10 years.
In order to cover the costs involved in education that go above and beyond what the government recognizes as acceptable college related expenses you can opt to go the route of private student loans rather then relying solely upon federal financial aid for your student loan source. These loans require that you qualify in order to receive them based on your credit rather than your need and must be used for educational purposes only. With these particular loans you really need to make sure you read all the fine print as different companies offer different conditions and different perks. You should really take the time and compare prices and options before taking out a private student loan and this should be done only as a last resort.
Student loans for many can be the difference in attending college and getting the education you are hoping for and not being able to pay the high costs that go along with higher education. For this reason you should treat them with respect and not take them lightly.