Private Loan » Scholarships

How to Apply For Private Student Loans

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:38:13 +0000

So you’re Joe College and you have elected not to pursue federal student financial aid, for any of a number of reasons. That’s fine, but what are your other options? You could try to apply for private student loans, for one thing.

As with most other things, when I am hunting down information, my starting point is always the Internet. Do a search online, using any of the major search engines, using the words ‘private student loans’ and you will turn up at least 50,000 related websites. Keep in mind, however, that not all of these will be pertinent. Typically the first fifty or so websites will be helpful, and fifty different sources of information is pretty good in anyone’s book!

Now you have searched and turned up a sufficient number of sources – good for you, a lot of the work has been taken care of…but you still have to sift through the sites. You need to establish a set of criteria when applying for private student loans.

The requirements for private student loans are fairly simple. You need to have at least a 27 month history of credit of some sort, whether repayment of a small loan over a period of time or regular payments on a credit card. The main thing to avoid are late payments or a history of running up a large credit card bill as those will reflect negatively on your credit history.

Since it is more than likely that you are a very young person, you will probably be required to provide a co-signer. That is someone who also has a good credit rating and has proof of sufficient income and a low debt load, who is willing to guarantee repayment of the loan in the unlikely eventuality that you may be unable to repay the loan yourself.

I would always advise students to first seek grants and scholarships as these do not have to be repaid, but the truth is that not everyone is eligible for a scholarship or grant, and it is a blessing that those persons can obtain student loans to finance their education. And helping someone find private college loans is a worthwhile endeavor!

Try to avoid borrowing more than you will be able to repay within a reasonable period of time. When you apply for private student loans, remember to look for those with a low interest rate and at least a partial forgiveness clause.

By: Louis Z.

Private Loans For Students

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:45:53 +0000

So how to get private loans for students? It can be very tricky to get a loan to pay for college when you are a student. Most students don’t have any sort of credit history and this can make it tough to qualify for any non-government loan for college.

Now, as you may know, you can get either a federal loan or private student loans. Federal loans are offered by the government while private loans are offered by private lenders looking to make money. The interest rate on federal loans is very low and such loans are no cosigner and no credit check loans. However, there are cases where a student may opt to get a private loan for students.

Getting loans to help go to school are easy enough to find, but you really have to know what you are looking for. Because there are so many different college loans you can get to pay for your schooling, it’s vital that you have a clear understanding about the advantages and disadvantages for each sort of loan. Thus is important that you do plenty of research.

It’s tough if you don’t have the required credit to get private loans for students. But this is not the end of the line in terms of getting a loan to pay for college. There are plenty of college loan options and plenty of other ways to pay for school such as grants and scholarships. Do your research and spend the time knowing your options. You will find a solution.

By: Jon Snow

The Benefits of Federal Loans Vs the Benefits of Private Loans

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:46:25 +0000

There are some very significant difference between federal loans and private loans, and students who think they are the same simply because they are both loans and both types have to be paid back the same way are making a potentially grave mistake. While it is true that private loans can be very beneficial, it is vitally important to understand the difference between the two types of loans before making a decision concerning what type of loan to choose. Consider this: if given the choice to pay someone twenty dollars or fifty dollars, which is better? The repayment rate for some private loans can be substantially higher than the payback rate for federal loans. That is why it is crucial for students to complete the FAFSA form, which can be filled out right online. By doing so, students can find out whether or not they are eligible to receive federal loans such as the federal Stafford loan, which has a lower fixed interest rate than most private loans. This is not to say that private loans are not without benefits as well, simply that it is important to compare the two of them and decide what will be best from there.

One of the more prominent differences between federal loans and private loans is the fact that, in order to qualify for federal loans, a student must fill out and submit the FAFSA form, while students applying for private loans do not have to submit the FAFSA. Furthermore, most of the federal loans offered are need based scholarships, meaning that only students who demonstrate acceptable levels of financial need can receive them. Private loans, however, are generally awarded based on the potential borrower’s credit history; a cosigner may be necessary to receive a private loan.

Federal loans are disbursed directly to the student’s school and thus have to be used only for the COA. With private loans, the funds go straight to the recipient of the loan, usually within five business days. The things for which the money is used is left up to the borrower’s discretion.

There is a cap on how much money the federal government will allow a student to have for any given loan each year so there are no guarantees that a student’s financial aid package will meet all of his or her college expenses and needs. In general, borrowers can receive substantially more money from private loans, as there is no annual cap.

With federal loans, students are guaranteed a grace period of six months following graduation or withdrawal from an institution. If necessary, there are other opportunities for deferral as well, provided that deferment is approved. Conversely, the recipients of private loans can seek deferment only while they are in school. Private lenders offer no grace period and it is much more difficult to receive a deferment after the borrower has finished with school.

There are circumstances under which federal loans can be forgiven, canceled, or discharged. Furthermore, in cases of financial and economic hardship or of the student going back to school, federal loans offer the opportunity for substantial deferments. With private loans, there are no opportunities for forgiveness; requirements for deferment options are much more strict and tightly regulated.

With federal Perkins loans, federal Stafford loans, and PLUS loans for parents, there are fixed interest rates. Private loans, on the other hand, come with variable interest rates, which can be as much as five percent higher than the interest rates offered by federal loans.

Lastly, the average repayment term for federal loans is ten years. Private loans determine the repayment term according to how much money the loan recipient has borrowed.

By: Gary Marjani

How to Apply for Private Student Loan

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 01:04:20 +0000

Private Loans

After you have taken advantage of all other available forms of
financial aid, such as grants or scholarships, you may need
supplement funding to cover the difference between your
education costs and expenses.

Private student loans are available from a variety of sources to
help cover the differences. These loans are not sponsored by
government agencies and are offered by banks or other financial
institutions so the interest rates can vary greatly. It is of your best interest to compare what is available to get the best possible loan. Investigation and research is the key. It is also wise to apply to a few different lenders at the same time. Each lender has their own credit qualification criteria. This can vary depending whether the borrower is a student or parent, or whether the loan is backed by a cosigner.

Find out if you will qualify for a private loan. Pre-approval
eliminates uncertainty up front and can save a lot of time as you
will know that you qualify and the amount you can expect to receive before you go through the full loan application process.
In some cases, you can find out if you qualify in less than 30 seconds.

Once you complete and submit your student loan application,
your school Financial Aid Office will certify your loan application and forward it to the Disbursing Agent for final approval, guarantee and disbursement. You will receive your loan funds at the beginning of each school terms.

By: Ally Too