Some of you are looking for very low interest rates with a student loan because things are financially difficult. This might be the case because money is tough right now and you are willing to pay longer if it means that you get to have more flexibility with payments now while money is tough.
This is a great strategy for those of you that are planning on going into a career where funds are going to be hard to come be and raises are not common or large. This was originally the case for me because I was a broadcast journalism major and I knew that my income was going to be low even though I was in love with my career. You just have to decide what your priorities are, but if you are looking for frugality early on then the Federal Perkins Loan is what you should get.
This has a low interest rate of 5%, but you need to prove that you have impressive financial needs in order to get this type of loan. It is decided on a school by school basis to find out who is in the biggest financial crisis. This loan will be provided for students that are not only undergraduates, but also graduate students that are in a bind.
As with your other federal loans, this loan is conducted in your financial aid department and they should be able to help you get started to fill out an application known as the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA). If you are chosen then the government will give the school finds and they will divide them proportionately with some of their funds added on top of it.
Undergraduates can obtain up to $4,000 a year with a total borrowed of $20,000 over the course of your undergraduate experience. That probably won't be enough for a full year for a lot of schools out there when many average a good $5,000 at least for a year's worth of tuition. You might need to look at some other federal options or even potentially private funding.
For Graduates they can only allow up to $6,000 loaned out per student each year and a maximum of $40,000. These amounts are decided based on the school's level of funding and tuition and your own financial circumstances. Contrary to what you may think, they want to give more money out to you, not because you have to pay them a lot more money back, but because education leads to creative financial streams of income and a better economy.
