Indeed, in the US, 70% of university students finance their higher education through student loans. Therefore, if you consider joining this group, you must understand how student loans work.

This is the only way to avoid unnecessary fees and costs.

Well, student loans are a specific type of loan offered by some banks and credit agencies. Unlike personal loans, these can only be used for a specific purpose: to pay for your studies and related expenses.

In fact, students or parents of students can apply before starting higher studies or during the course.

These can also be applied for by students who already have more than one loan and wish to consolidate all loans into one.

Typically, the interest rates available for this type of loan are lower than for personal loans, for example. Some loans cover all college tuition and some related costs (housing, food, books, and allowances).

Other students are eligible for loans that cover only part of these expenses. Here are the rates and terms common to most student loans to understand how they work:

The following are the main terms of a student loan agreement:

In fact, most students finish high school without ever having taken out a loan or used a credit card, for example. Hence, these do not have sufficient credit scores to apply for a loan independently.

That way, many rely on the help of a co-signer. A co-signer with credit agrees to be co-responsible for the loan. Many federal agencies and private companies accept orders with guarantors.

This is a great way to increase your chances of getting loan approval on better terms.

This term defines when you will repay the loan (during or after college). In addition, it defines when you must finalize payments. Indeed, federal loans do not define a maximum time for loan repayment.

Below, learn how the main student loan rates work:

In effect, this is the cost that banks or credit agencies charge for borrowing money. Interest is a percentage (fixed or variable) calculated on the total loan amount that you incur daily.

However, to facilitate calculations, they are presented as annual interest rates. This value is added to the initial value. This is the rate you need to be most concerned about.

This is a one-time fee also calculated against the initial loan amount. Typically, this value is between 1% and 5%. Some lenders do not charge this fee.

This is a fee charged for each monthly installment of your loan that is not paid by the set date. Typically, this fee is up to 6% and is charged after a delay of 90 days.

Other fees are prohibited by law from being charged on student loans. The prime example of this is the prepayment penalty, a penalty for prepaying installments on loans.

If your loan is granted by a federal agency (Federal Student Aid), your loan will have limited amounts.

The loan amount per year for undergraduate students is from $5,500 to $12,500 (depending on your academic year and dependency status).

If you are a graduate/professional student, this annual limit is $20,500. On the other hand, private student loans work differently: they offer anywhere from $1,000 to 100% coverage of your study costs.

In effect, student loans exist to finance your college tuition. However, this is not the only cost these can cover. You can often find loan options that also cover study-related expenses.

Among these, we can consider:

In addition to knowing how student loans work, it is important to know how these are available in the market. Below, learn about the types of student loans and how they differ from each other:

In fact, the US federal government has programs to fund the higher education courses of selected students. In practice, this works like a conventional student loan.

However, these have a feature that makes them very interesting. Check them out below:

The main types of federal loans most commonly used are:

In this modality, your loan is not charged interest while you are in college. Only six months after completion of the course, interest begins to be charged.

In effect, this generates great savings. This modality is available mainly to needy students.

This modality is available to most students regardless of financial conditions. In this case, interest begins when your college pays federal funds.

Typically, federal loans have a cap on the amount borrowed. If your application exceeds this amount, you can count on other types of loans that are also federal: GRAD PLUS and Parent PLUS.

These interest and origination rates are higher than direct or subsidized direct loans.

These are loans offered by non-federal institutions (banks, credit agencies, credit unions, and others). These may offer fixed or variable interest rates. In this modality, interest is not subsidized.

So these are incurred as soon as you get to benefit from this feature. Typically, to be eligible, you need a guarantor.

Indeed, student loans are the only way to gain access to college for most people. However, you may have heard the story of an alumnus struggling to repay a loan after graduating.

These debts accumulate, get bigger and bigger, and can limit your credit for a long time. Thus, getting a good mortgage, another loan, or financing for a car will be extremely difficult.

And believe me, it will be harder to get a job because some companies are reluctant to hire employees with bad credit.

So, think about the three questions below before signing your student loan agreement:

If the last question left you in doubt, see the article below and learn how to improve your credit easily!