Direct Loans Rhode Island

1. Get to know what a Direct Loan is. A Direct Loan is a loan for students wherein the college gets money directly (no pun intended) from the federal government. Not all colleges participate in this program. Direct Loans for students are usually called Stafford Loans. When the parent of the student takes out the loan, it's called a PLUS Loan. (Note: there's another similar loan called the FFEL Stafford Loan.)
   
   
2. Differentiate between a subsidized or unsubsidized loan. There are two categories of these loans: subsidized loans and unsubsidized loans.
   
   A subsidized loan means you aren't charged interest until it comes time to pay the loan back. You get a subsidized loan if you qualify on the basis of need. The government calculates "need" as what your family can contribute, plus other sources of payment (scholarships, etc) plus Pell Grant Eligibility all subtracted from what it will cost you to attend.
   
   Unsubsidized loans, on the other hand, will cost you interest right from the start until you pay it off in full. You don't need to qualify on a need basis for an unsubsidized loan, rather, you just need to be a regular student (in school to earn a degree or certificate) in an "eligible program" (school that is in the Direct Loan Program) and meet some other eligibility requirements and things like "dependent" vs. "independent" student status.
   
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Author: B. Danesco