As noted earlier, many schools will grant emergency loans free of interest to students who have not yet received financial aid
Once the application for your Stafford Loan has been approved by the lender, the funds will automatically be transferred back to your school for disbursement. Before receiving your loan money, you must sign a promissory note agreeing to pay back the entire amount you have borrowed. Typically, there is a small loan fee that is taken out of the loan before you receive the money. The disbursement of loan money is either credited to your account by the school, or paid directly to you, or both. The number of payments you receive is based payday loans Marianna AR on your academic calendar. If you attend a school on the quarter system, you will usually be paid three times a year at the start of each quarter (not including summer quarter). Schools that operate on a semester system pay their students twice a year, at the beginning of fall and spring terms. Payments ount of your loan. Students who are studying overseas can arrange to receive their funds directly.
TIP…Borrowers always have the option of loan consolidation when the time comes around to start paying back loans. A consolidation loan program enables you to combine several educational loans into one new bank loan from a single source and take more time to repay the debt. If interest rates are lower when you consolidate than they were when you originally took out the loans, this can be not only a convenience but a financial advantage to you.
Undergraduate students in their first year of study who are also first-time Stafford Loan borrowers must wait thirty days after the start of school to receive their first loan installment. This also applies to borrowers attending an institution with a default rate over 25 percent. Contact your financial aid office for more information. Because of this waiting period, it is very important that you make arrangements to have your tuition and expenses covered until you receive your installment.
Payment Terms
The interest rate on the Stafford Loan varies. The rates cannot exceed 9 percent and you will be notified by the organization carrying your loan whenever the rate changes. If you have a Stafford Loan and have received federally funded loan money, contact your lender for the current interest rate.
Students who have Stafford Loans based on need are not responsible for making interest payments until after graduation. These types of loans are subsidized, meaning that the federal government supports or pays the interest on these loans while the borrower is in school. Typically, non-need, or unsubsidized loans will accrue interest while the student is in school and during deferment periods. Borrowers with unsubsidized loans may have the option of letting interest accumulate until they are out of school or until deferment ends.
Your payback plan usually goes into effect six months after you graduate, leave school, or reduce your enrollment to less than half-time. If you have a subsidized Stafford Loan, you are not responsible for interest payments during this six-month period. If your loan is unsubsidized, interest will continue to accumulate.
If your status changes, you must notify the organization carrying your loan. Often this organization will be different from the original lender, because many lenders sell the loans they carry to other companies who handle the collection process.
TIP…Almost all lending institutions are willing to make alternative payment plans if you are having trouble meeting your repayment schedule. If you foresee financial difficulty, contact the agency carrying your loan immediately to explain your situation. Do not just skip a payment without explanation.
