Ever since Credit 911 confirmed that we could settle unsubsidized student loans, we have spent quite a bit of time explaining what the difference between the two types of loans are.
In short, subsidized student loans are when the Federal Government paid the interest on those loans while the individual was attending school. The Federal Perkins Loans are an example of a subsidized student loan. The interest rate is locked at 5% and the Federal Government pays the interest while the student attends school, there is a 9 month grace period following graduation, and an additional grace period during deferments.
Perkins loans, however, are limited in dollars to those students who show the greatest need.
Most students then turn to the Stafford Loan program for additional funding, these loans fall into our two famous categories – Subsidized and Unsubsidized. Again, the subsidized Stafford Loan is based on need, while the unsubsidized Stafford Loan is not.
Most Stafford Loans interest rates range from 4% to 6% depending on what year the student took out the loan. As an example loans taken in 2009/2010 were fixed at 5.6 percent while loans this year are expected to be 4.5%. For the subsidized Stafford the government pays all that interest during your education plus the 9 months discussed above. Additionally, students receiving subsidized loans must be minimally enrolled as a half time college student to remain eligible for the funding.
Those that did not qualify for subsidized loans AND those that needed more money would move on to unsubsidized Stafford Loans. Neither subsidized nor unsubsidized loans obtained through financial aid require a credit check, no collateral was needed, what was most important is that you were somehow able to fill out the very complicated Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly referred to as the FAFSA.
The FAFSA is know for being long and complicated, but the good news is that if you happened to fill this out and you weren’t in terrible financial shape at the time you probably have a mix of subsidized and unsubsidized loans or all of your loans are unsubsidized.
That should provide you with a basic understanding of the difference and borrowing guidelines between subsidized and unsubsidized student loans. However, for those of you who wish to know a little more about the "education maze" please visit us at www.credit911online.com/blog
