For many students across the country, taking out a student loan is the only way they can afford to get the education they want and need.
While other options, like scholarships or financial aid, are available for students meeting the criteria for others whose parents can help them or can’t cover the entire four-year tuition, student loans can bridge the gap and are a necessary evil.
However, not all student loans are the same. Understanding the financial agreement you’re signing up for and knowing how to find the best student loans can empower you, giving you the control to avoid some of the common pitfalls of student loans and make more informed decisions. So here goes.
Government student loans play a significant role in providing financial assistance to students who aspire to achieve their academic goals.
Education is a key investment in one’s future, and for many students, financing their education becomes a crucial aspect of pursuing higher studies. With so much confusion these days over which government loans are best and what the difference is, I felt it was time to simplify it for you and create a list along with the specifics on each.
Following are the various types of government student loans available to students in the United States.
Paying for college today can be stressful. Reading all the posts from parents on Facebook underscores the fact that college is expensive and parents are trying to pay for it without borrowing or graduating with massive student loan debt.
Today’s guest post is by Bob Collins, VP of Financial Aid at Western Governors University.
WGU students graduate with half the debt of their peers nationwide
Education is linked to the eradication of poverty and the promotion of prosperity, but evidence that college students graduate with excessive debt continues to pile up year after year. With student interest rates at their highest in the last decade, our current economy serves as a reminder that students should make informed decisions to borrow wisely.
Western Governors University (WGU) was established in 1997 with a mission to expand access to high-quality, online and affordable higher education. WGU serves more than 150,000 students nationwide and has more than 340,000 graduates in all 50 states.
With consumer finances facing further turbulence following the announcement of the August resumption of U.S. student loan repayment, young Americans are bracing themselves for a financial squeeze in advance of the holidays.
With evidence that shoppers are already showing caution – the savings experts at SimplyCodes have put together some practical money advice for young consumers on how to navigate an increasingly compressed disposable income and how to better manage student loan repayments being back on the list of monthly expenses.
Those two little words, “financial aid” can be music to a parent’s ears. I know they were to mine. But I had no idea the different types of aid available or the varying awards that colleges can make when they offer admission.
I was surprised to find that private colleges tend to be generous with their merit aid because they have institutional funds available; while public universities will offer less aid because of their strict budgets and large student populations. That’s why private colleges can often cost less than a public university even though their price tags are higher.
When my daughter applied to college we knew we were going to need help paying for it. Since we were not in the financial category that would receive federal grants, we hoped for other types of aid in the form of college grants and scholarships. Some of the colleges she applied to were private universities and some were public. When accepted, she received varying degrees of financial aid awards from the different colleges, both public and private.
One state university offered her aid in the form of student loans, but no grants or scholarships. Another private college offered her a full-ride in the form of a four year scholarship meeting 100 percent of the financial need. Her first choice college, a private university, offered her student loans, work study and parent loans, which did not meet the balance of our EFC (Expected Family Contribution). This is called “gapping” and colleges often do this to students who are accepted but do not qualify for merit aid. The college she chose offered a combination of awards: college grants, honor scholarships, student loans, and work study that met the difference between the cost of the college and our EFC. It wasn’t the full-ride or her first choice, but it was her second choice and was a perfect fit for her.
It’s exhausting searching and scouring the internet for the right information when it comes to helping your student prepare for college. But what if you could use ONLY ONE RESOURCE and find everything you ever wanted to know about college prep? Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Here it is. I’ve done the research, examined the links and their resources, and compiled a list of 100+ college prep resources for you. (If you know of others, please leave them in the comments and I will add them to the list!)
Financial aid can be a confusing part of the college application process. Even if you can afford to pay for college, it’s a good idea to learn what aid is available and apply for it. You aren’t obligated to accept it, but most students qualify for some form of aid and, if it’s available, why not use it?
What is financial aid?
Financial aid is intended to make up the difference between what your family can afford to pay and what college actually costs. With college tuition rising rapidly, more than half of the students currently enrolled in college receive some sort of financial aid to help pay for college. The system is based on the premise that anyone should be able to attend college, regardless of financial circumstances. However, students and their families are expected to contribute to the extent that they are able.
There are two types of aid: need-based, and non need-based. Need-based aid includes grants and scholarships that are issued based on the family’s ability to contribute to education costs. Non-need-based aid is allocated solely based on availability, not need.
There are three main types of financial aid: grants and scholarships, loans and work study.
What is “free” money?
Not all aid is equal and the best aid is the aid you don’t have to pay back. It’s like getting a huge coupon of savings to use for your college education. Here are the types of aid you can receive that you won’t have to pay back after graduation:
Federal Grants – These are grants given by the federal government.
Pell Grant – This grant is given to students with exceptional financial need.
College Grants – These grants are awarded by the individual colleges based on financial need.
State Grants – These grants are given to students who plan to attend college in their own state (and states are strict about residency).
Private Scholarships – There are a multitude of private scholarships available awarded by private organizations and businesses for every type of student.
Institutional Scholarships – These scholarships are given by individual colleges based on the student’s qualifications or financial need.
Federal Scholarships – Scholarships funded by government agencies.
Tuition Waiver – This waiver is offered by colleges to students who meet specific criteria (e.g. child of a POW/MIA)
There are two types of government-based loans: subsidized and unsubsidized. Subsidized loans have lower interest rates and are awarded based on the student’s financial need with interest deferred until after graduation. Unsubsidized loans are awarded without regard to financial need with interest payments beginning immediately and regular payments due after graduation. Following is a brief description of each:
Stafford Loan – Government based loans that can be either subsidized or unsubsidized.
PLUS (Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) – This loan is for creditworthy parents and has payments due beginning 60 days after it is disbursed with relatively low interest rates.
Private Loan – Loan offered by private lenders usually with higher interest rates than government loans.
Institutional Loan – A loan in which the school is the lender.
Once you have chosen the loan that best fits your needs, do the research and educate yourself about repayment, interest rates and grace periods.
To learn more about work study, the FAFSA, the EFC and award letters, read the entire article I wrote for TeenLife Online Magazine here.
With a new school year quickly approaching,
many parents are figuring out how their child is going to afford college.
According to CollegeBoard, the average student budget for the 2019-20 academic
year was $26,590 for students attending a four-year university. This figure
includes the cost of living on campus, which may be required of incoming freshman students.
This means your child’s education could cost
well over six figures. And no parent wants their child to start their adult
life with that amount of debt.
As a parent, you can help guide your child to make smart decisions
that will impact their finances for years to come. This begins with choosing an
affordable school.
There are also other ways to help pay for the
cost of attendance and living expenses. Here’s how to help fund college costs
and ways to borrow wisely.
Apply for financial aid
opportunities before borrowing
Before you or your child
take on debt to pay for college, you should exhaust all other available
resources.
Your child can access financial aid opportunities, like grants, scholarships and work-study programs, by
completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA filing window
is October 1 to June 30 for each upcoming academic year. Keep in mind that some
financial aid is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and cutoff
deadlines vary by state. Encourage your child to complete their application as
early as possible.
Also explore third-party
scholarship opportunities through your employer, local community organizations and
online databases. Each additional scholarship or grant — even if it is only for
a few hundred dollars — can prevent your child from taking on more student loan
debt.
How to borrow wisely for college
Once your family has explored all financial
aid opportunities and pooled existing resources (e.g. 529 college savings plan
and other family contributions), your child may still need to turn to student
loans.
Whether your child is taking out loans in
their own name or you’re borrowing on their behalf, it’s important that your
family only borrow what is needed to fill the remaining financial gap.
The first way to approach student loans is
through federal loans. Federal loans have more flexibility and have certain
protections and benefits. This is why it’s best to maximize federal loan
opportunities before taking out private loans.
For example, your child can enroll in a
repayment plan that matches their financial situation and may be eligible for
loan forgiveness opportunities.
Your child should borrow funds in this order:
Direct Subsidized Loans.
Subsidized loans typically have the lowest rates, and the government will
cover any interest that accrues while your child is in school.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans.
Unsubsidized loans aren’t need-based, so any student can qualify for them.
However, your child is responsible for the interest that accrues during
school.
Private loans. Your child
will likely need a cosigner to qualify for a private loan. Shop around
with various private lenders to find the lowest rate and best terms for
your credit.
You may also have the option to take out a
federal Parent PLUS loan in your name to help fund your child’s
education.You’ll be solely financially responsible for the loan — not your
child.
Make a debt repayment plan
Student loan borrowers
should always be aware of interest charges that will accrue during school and
after graduation. These charges should be included in their overall financial
plan.
Your child should also start making a debt
repayment plan as soon as possible. Popular student loan repayment methods
include enrolling in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan or refinancing student loans after graduation to
get a lower interest rate.
When considering refinancing federal loans
into private student loans, it’s important to understand the consequences of
losing out on federal benefits and protections, like loan forgiveness and
forbearance.
The earlier your child plans for their educational costs, the more likely they can save money during their college experience and beyond.
Our guest post today is by Travis Hornsby, CFA, and Founder and CEO of Student Loan Planner. He lives with his wife in St. Louis, MO, where he loves thinking up new student loan repayment strategies and frequenting the best free zoo in America. As one of the nation’s leading student loan experts, he has consulted on $500 million of student debt personally.
I
received an email from a concerned parent whose student was going to be
attending orientation next week. In the email, he confessed that he might need
some help with information regarding financing his son’s college education. I was
surprised that he waited so long. Unfortunately, I had to advise him that at
this point his only options were private loans and advise his student to apply
for scholarships over the summer.
Parents should consider college funding even before their student applies to college. The inevitable result of lack of planning is parents and students borrowing to pay and usually borrowing more than they can repay after graduation.
What
do the statistics say?
With
school starting shortly, student loan borrowing often appears in the news. It’s
especially prevalent now with presidential candidates promising to erase
student loan debt. Wherever you stand in the political landscape, it’s clear
from the statistics that students have borrowed more than they can repay.
According
to a 2018 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as many as 44.7
million Americans have student loan debt, that’s one in five adult
Americans. The total amount of student loan debt is $1.47 trillion as
of the end of 2018 — more than credit cards or auto loans.
How
do you make wise financial choices?
Before applying to college, you and your student should investigate the cost. You can gather the information either on the college website or by using College Navigator. When viewing these figures, you should also research the college’s financial aid statistics—what percentage of students are awarded aid, how much aid is awarded and how much do students typically borrow. Since every family’s financial situation is different, these figures should help determine if the college is affordable to attend.
How
does financial aid play into the equation?
If
you complete the FAFSA, your student will receive some form of financial aid.
The most common is student loans, but colleges also award grants and merit aid
as well. Always complete the FAFSA, even if you don’t think you will qualify
for aid. Colleges use the information on the FAFSA when awarding scholarships
and grants. No FAFSA, no aid.
What’s the key to avoid borrowing too much?
Use repayment calculators before you sign on the dotted line. The rule of thumb is that students should only borrow as much to pay for college as their first year’s salary. By keeping your debt under one year’s salary, you won’t have to put more than about 10% of your income towards student loan payments. Borrowing more than your student can afford to repay sets them up for overwhelming debt after graduation. Your student can look at salary comparisons for their anticipated career at PayScale.com.
How
can you avoid borrowing to pay for college?
The key to not borrowing to pay for college is to receive merit aid, grants, and outside scholarships. Your student should apply to a college at the top of his or her applicant pool. This means the college will be more likely to award aid to attract your student. Grades and standardized test scores are also a key factor in awarding aid. Your student should focus throughout college to pursue excellence in these areas. And, don’t forget outside scholarships. Your student should focus time and effort in applying to every scholarship he or she qualifies for. This means starting early and planning to submit the best application. Click here for scholarship application tips and see how your student can win enough money to pay for college.
Finally, borrow wisely. Only borrow what you need. Your student can borrow the maximum amount, but only borrow what is necessary. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Choose the loans with the lowest interest rates first.
