by :
Gerd C. Pacher
Students who are looking for an instant student loan to help defray college expenses have a wide variety of options to choose from. Most instant student loans are available over the Internet. The first thing to understand is that federal student loans such as Perkins and Stafford loans are never instant. All federal student loans require the completion of the FAFSA form and while these forms can be completed on line-the results are far from instant.
That said, all instant student loans are from private institutions. A quick search of the Internet will provide a plethora of options. The first and most important thing to remember when shopping for instant student loans is to be patient and do your homework.
First choose three lenders to begin making comparisons. Try to choose lenders that have a known reputation for good service.
Many conventional banks such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Citibank have online applications and provide instant results. Avoid institutions with names you've never heard of.
Second read each website carefully. Note the rate of interest for each loan. Determine when the loan must be repaid. Do payments begin immediately upon graduation? In particular look for hidden fees, and terms and conditions that would raise the interest rate, or add fees.
Once you've done the comparison, taken an objective look at the borrower's credit standing. While there are a few private student loans based entirely on need, most require that the borrower have good credit or can obtain a co-signer with good credit.
Next, if a co-signer is required, look for loans that will release the co-signer after a few years of regular payments.
Armed with all information retrieved from your research, finding an instant student loan on line is easy. Finally, remember to pick the best institution for your credit rating, if you are denied credit, and apply for credit somewhere else-it will reflect on your credit score.