The first step in getting the best deal on any student loans is to choose your college of choice and get accepted. Once you're over that hurdle (and it can present some adventures) then it's time to start any student loan process. There are two very good reasons that you need to be accepted to your college of choice before applying for any student loans.
First off, you need to know what your tuition and other education expenses will be for the semester or even first year. Second, the best place to get free help and tons of information is the Financial Aid office of the school you will be attending. Unlike lending institutions, the Financial Aid office has no ax to grind and will have many alternatives to offer.
And many new students don't know that the college is responsible for granting and administrating student loans and financial assistance in most cases. You will deal with them on any ongoing issues and programs that you are eligible for while attending school full time.
But before you even go to the Financial Aid office it's a good idea to come up with a realistic budget for the semester and year. Most financial aid is distributed by semester but you should be looking at expenses on the whole school year to make the transition to the winter semester easy. Some expenses might not be available like books or lab fees but the Financial Aid office can help with those. But try and put in everything else that you know so that you'll have a good set of working numbers before you go in for help.
Another big benefit of the individual schools help is that each one can offer different programs. Plus, most have knowledge of local grants, scholarships, or other ways to help you finance your education. Part time jobs, other students looking to share housing, best places to live off campus, and other information. It's also a great place to meet other students in similar circumstances that can offer some advice.
Speaking of grants, the bill passed last spring on health care had a section on student loans and grants. Don't ask me how this got in a health care bill but the bottom line is the government raised the limits on grants to lower income students. The grants were limited to $5300 per school year but have now been raised to $6000. Other changes in this same bill were designed to make the government student loans much easier to apply for and also changed the payment terms to ease the burden on students after graduation.
Student loans, grants, scholarships, and other methods of financing your education can be intimidating. Always remember that you are signing a contract and will be responsible for any and all things you agree to in the contract. Carefully read each and every paragraph and if you don't understand something, ask for further explanation until you do understand.
Getting an education is important and can give you a solid foundation for your career for the rest of your life. But you still need to understand that you will be paying back any money borrowed. And there may be other requirements for grants and scholarships like maintaining a specific grade point average and even conduct clauses (if you get arrested or accused of misconduct by the school as an example). So read everything in any of these agreements or contracts carefully.
And there is no age limit on students. If you have recently been laid off or your industry has suffered due to the current financial upheaval and want to go back to school you may be eligible for financial aid just like any 18 year old freshman. But you will still need to go through the same process but it will be worth the time and trouble.
First off, you need to know what your tuition and other education expenses will be for the semester or even first year. Second, the best place to get free help and tons of information is the Financial Aid office of the school you will be attending. Unlike lending institutions, the Financial Aid office has no ax to grind and will have many alternatives to offer.
And many new students don't know that the college is responsible for granting and administrating student loans and financial assistance in most cases. You will deal with them on any ongoing issues and programs that you are eligible for while attending school full time.
But before you even go to the Financial Aid office it's a good idea to come up with a realistic budget for the semester and year. Most financial aid is distributed by semester but you should be looking at expenses on the whole school year to make the transition to the winter semester easy. Some expenses might not be available like books or lab fees but the Financial Aid office can help with those. But try and put in everything else that you know so that you'll have a good set of working numbers before you go in for help.
Another big benefit of the individual schools help is that each one can offer different programs. Plus, most have knowledge of local grants, scholarships, or other ways to help you finance your education. Part time jobs, other students looking to share housing, best places to live off campus, and other information. It's also a great place to meet other students in similar circumstances that can offer some advice.
Speaking of grants, the bill passed last spring on health care had a section on student loans and grants. Don't ask me how this got in a health care bill but the bottom line is the government raised the limits on grants to lower income students. The grants were limited to $5300 per school year but have now been raised to $6000. Other changes in this same bill were designed to make the government student loans much easier to apply for and also changed the payment terms to ease the burden on students after graduation.
Student loans, grants, scholarships, and other methods of financing your education can be intimidating. Always remember that you are signing a contract and will be responsible for any and all things you agree to in the contract. Carefully read each and every paragraph and if you don't understand something, ask for further explanation until you do understand.
Getting an education is important and can give you a solid foundation for your career for the rest of your life. But you still need to understand that you will be paying back any money borrowed. And there may be other requirements for grants and scholarships like maintaining a specific grade point average and even conduct clauses (if you get arrested or accused of misconduct by the school as an example). So read everything in any of these agreements or contracts carefully.
And there is no age limit on students. If you have recently been laid off or your industry has suffered due to the current financial upheaval and want to go back to school you may be eligible for financial aid just like any 18 year old freshman. But you will still need to go through the same process but it will be worth the time and trouble.
Learn more about how to apply for student loans. Find out the best way here: Apply For Student Loans. Find out how to get government student loans here: Direct Student Government Loans.
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