If you have passed your graduate record exam, have a major professor and have a thesis or dissertation topic you should be on your way to a masters or doctorate degree. However if you do not have a good stipend or grant then you will have to apply for a graduate student loan. Contrary to popular notion, students who are enrolling for undergraduate studies are not just the only ones who are given the opportunity to apply for educational financial assistance. There are also a number of graduate student loans specifically designed for those who are entering or continuing their graduate studies.
One example is the Graduate Stafford Loan. A Graduate Stafford Loan can either be subsidized or unsubsidized depending on the financial needs of the student. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA must first be completed to avail of this loan. The school will then determine if a student is eligible to apply for a loan and a Master Promissory Note must also be completed. This is the promissory note for the student’s loan. Stafford Loans have a fixed rate of 6.8% for all loans disbursed after July 1, 2006. Typically, the repayment of the loan is in 10 years. However, it can possibly be extended if the student opts for debt consolidation.
Another example of graduate student loans is the Graduate Private Alternative Student Loans. It has low interest rates and fees. Students who want to avail of this loan need not worry about application fee because there is not any. This loan can cover other expenses that a student has to pay for once studying like board and lodging, transportation, books and miscellaneous fees. Approval for this type of loan can be made online and there is a 24/7 account status access.
There is also the GradPLUS Loan for graduate students. Besides from granting low interest, it is guaranteed by the U.S Government. What is good about this loan is that it also covers other expenses beside tuition fees such as room and board, supplies, laboratory fees and transportation, among others. It requires the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. The interest rate of this loan is fixed at 8.5% and repayments are not required while the student is still studying. Graduate student loans can be a big help when working on your PhD when spending long periods of time doing research.
There are also students who use a mix of loans to fund for their college education. When this is the case, once the student graduates, the number of checks to be written is equal to the number of lenders the student owes. This could bring about a difficult situation for the borrower, because the possible income of the student will be spent just repaying the lenders. The graduate student can opt for graduate student loans that will act as a loan consolidation if they wish to effectively manage their outstanding loans from different lenders.