Education Loans

Education loans are a blessing in disguise, what with the costs of college for four years almost as high as the purchase of a nice car or, say, half a house in suburbia. And education loans are not just for high-end superachievers who need only one alternative or supplement to their jobs. There are a variety of venues from which to acquire loan money for school. Here are the first four sources from which you can obtain a college loan.

FEDERAL LOANS – come in two kinds, need-based (like the Stafford Loan, with affordable, low interest rates, deductions, and discounts) and non-need-based (like the Federal Plus Loan, a loan for parents with undergraduate student children, with borrowing allowances up to 100% of the total college costs, with discounts, and with tax-deductible features) are probably the most affordable education loans.

I tout the benefits of going the government student loan route because I have seen hundreds of needful students benefit: students who have only one living parent have been granted monies for finishing college; students with elder or aging parents have been awarded loans to continue their excellent work; and students who are on their own have been loaned government money that helped them get through the rigors of college programs when the money was important enough to distract them when they didn't have it.

PRIVATE LOANS – are student loans for students going to private k-12 schools or private colleges, loans which can take the place of or supplement federal aid. And with deferred interest while students are still in school, budget-friendly repayment options, and smooth application processes, private education loans make for a viable option.

TEEN ESTEEM LOANS – are those of a program started by the Teen Esteem Foundation to reduce teenage drug abuse, pregnancy, and suicide. These are offered by the primary loan institutions who also emphasize involved, concerned support of families and who offer a smooth-going financial aid process.

CONSOLIDATION LOANS – are those loans which are available after college: they help the borrower/graduate reduce payments on education loans by enabling him/her to combine all of the educational loans together using one loan institution. And even better for those who have already consolidated, some loan sources enable the borrower to refinance the loan bundle at the more current and more affordable rate(s). So be sure to ask!!!

That is, once you wrap your brain around the numbers, percentages, statistics, and requirements, and once you have an eye on the most beneficial of education loans, ask as many questions as you need to before you sign on the dotted line. And while you’re filling out forms (of which, be forewarned, there are many), start filling out scholarship applications, too!