Direct Stafford Loans are federal student loans that are provided on an annual basis to both undergraduate, and graduate students. There are two Stafford Loans—the Direct Subsidized Loan, and the Unsubsidized Loan. The Direct Subsidized Loan is based upon need, and does not accrue interest while you are in school. The Unsubsidized Loan does accrue [...]
Direct PLUS Loans are federal student loans that are offered as part of the Direct Loan Program, and are a bit different than other types of federal education loans in that they are based in-part on credit. There are two kinds of PLUS Loans, and which one you qualify for is dependent on whether you [...]
The Pell Grant is the most popular federal education grant, and it is available to undergraduate students who demonstrate what the Department of Education considers to be an “exceptional financial need”. It is a grant, and can therefore provide you with money that never has to be paid back under most normal circumstances. Here are [...]
in Federal Aid, Financial Aid,
by Jeff Bullock
You must satisfy the federal student aid eligibility requirements in order to become eligible for the financial aid that is provided by the federal government. There aren’t too many of these that you must pay attention to, but it is still important that you survey this list before you go ahead and actually fill out [...]
If you are still wondering if there may be additional federal grants available besides the Pell Grant you are in luck, as there are a number of other federal grants in existence besides just the Pell Grant. These grants can be applied for via the FAFSA form, and they can provide you with a significant [...]
in Federal Aid, Financial Aid,
by Jeff Bullock
Financial need is considered when determining your eligibility for several common federal student aid award instruments—including the Pell Grant, the Subsidized Stafford Loan, and the Federal Perkins Loan. Financial need often goes hand-in-hand with expected family contribution, or EFC, as this is the metric that the Department of Education uses to evaluate your family’s ability [...]
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the universal application for all types of federal student aid that you must complete and submit each year in order to become eligible for government financial assistance. The good news is that the FAFSA is relatively easy to fill out as long as you are [...]