| While only thirty years ago a four year college | | | | those students who have not defaulted on any other |
| degree was enough to get you into good job in your | | | | student loans are eligible for Stafford graduate |
| chosen profession, times have definitely changed. | | | | student loans, so if you have an earlier loan hanging |
| Now having a Bachelor's Degree may be good for an | | | | over you, you need to clear it up if you want to |
| entry level job in a field you love, but if you want to | | | | fund your graduate school career with a Stafford |
| break into the upper levels of your profession, and | | | | loan. |
| advanced degree is almost certainly required. | | | | If your income is low enough, you may have the |
| And certain careers, especially those in law and | | | | interest on your graduate student loans subsidized by |
| medicine, have always demanded several years of | | | | the government. What this means is that as long as |
| graduate study. Yet the grants, and scholarships | | | | you are enrolled in graduate school, you will not be |
| readily available to college undergraduates seem to | | | | responsible for the interest on your loan. |
| evaporate when one is looking for a way to fund | | | | If your income level is too high, however, the |
| graduate school. Graduate student loans, it seems, | | | | interest on your graduate student loans will |
| are the best way for the financially challenged to pay | | | | accumulate and be included in the principal which you |
| for their graduate degrees. | | | | need to repay. This means that both the total of |
| Stafford Loans | | | | your loan, and your payments, will increase. You will |
| Fortunately, the Federal government does | | | | be able to take out Stafford graduate student loans |
| understand the need for graduate level study, and | | | | totaling $50,000, spread out over the time you |
| offers the Stafford Loans program to provide a | | | | remain in graduate school. |
| variety of graduate student loans. All you need do is | | | | Private Loans |
| complete a free application for student aid, or FAFSA | | | | If you are ineligible for a Stafford loan, you can |
| loan, and then decide which loan avenue to pursue. | | | | always look for a private one, but your success will |
| You may find Stafford graduate student loans | | | | depend on your previous credit history. So you |
| administered by the graduate schools to which you | | | | should do as much as you can to clean up your credit |
| are applying, but they are granted by the | | | | and raise your credit score before applying for any |
| government. One big advantage to accepting a | | | | graduate school loans. |
| Stafford graduate student loan is that you will be | | | | Funding graduate school may be hard work, but don't |
| allowed a six month grace period following your | | | | let a shaky credit history stop you. If you can find a |
| graduation before you need to start your payments. | | | | willing co-signer, your search for graduate school |
| The Federal Stafford graduate student loan program | | | | loans will be simplified greatly. When you see your |
| is also administered privately by banks and other | | | | grad school financial struggles in the light of the |
| commercial lending institutions. If the government | | | | increased earning power an advanced degree will |
| accepts your application for this Stafford loan, you | | | | bring, they are greatly diminished. |
| will be given a list of their approved lenders. Only | | | | |