Student Loan Calculator

Types of Student Loans

In the U.S., there are several types of student loan providers: government and private. Federal and state governments provide the lion’s share of student loans in the country and offer the considerable advantage of being subsidized. This means that students are not required to pay interest on their student loans while they are still considered students. Therefore, the cost of public, subsidized loans is lower than those offered by the private sector.

Federal Student Loans

Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans (sometimes referred to as Stafford Loans): Direct Subsidized Loans are need-based and dependent on Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to determine the loan amount. Because they are subsidized, there are 6-month grace periods after a person completes their studies before mandatory payments of the interest on the loans begin. Direct Unsubsidized Loans, on the other hand, are not need-based and interest on the loans begins accruing immediately after approval.

Private Student Loans

Private student loans mostly originate from banks and loan companies; as a result, applicants will be expected to go through the full underwriting process that includes checking credit histories and debt-to-income ratios. Also, almost all private student loans are not subsidized; interest payments usually must be made for the life of the loan.

Repayment Options

It is not uncommon for new graduates to struggle to repay their student loans. For federal student loans, there are some alternative solutions that can aid in dwindling down student loan payments. Income-based repayment plans can potentially cap the amount that students repay each month based on available income if they find that their student loans become increasingly harder to pay off.