Federal Student Loans

The federal government offers loans to those with financial need. All loans must be paid back with interest and may be subsidized by the federal government to reduce the cost of the loan for low-income students. The following is a list of federal loan options:

• Perkins Loans: Designed to help students with the most financial need. They have a fixed interest rate and do not start accruing interest until repayment begins.
• Stafford Loans: Subsidized and available to most students with significant financial need. Both subsidized and unsubsidized loans have borrowing limits. 
• Student PLUS Loans for Graduate and Professional Students: No financial need requirement but applicant must have a good credit history. 
• Parent PLUS Loans: Similar to the Student PLUS loans, this loan is available to parents of dependent undergraduates. 
• Federal Consolidated Loans: Allow students to consolidate all outstanding federal student loans into one loan to make payments more manageable.
• Federal Loan Program Fact Sheet