Having bad credit may be very disappointing when you apply for a loan and are turned down for this reason. It is even more disappointing for a student with bad or poor credit, who is trying to make a good start in life with a university or college education. As we shall see, not all is lost from the very beginning.

 

Special Design

There are specially designed loans for students with poor credit or no ratings at all and whose parents have a poor credit rating as well. Private institutions as well as the government grant college loans to students with bad credit. These loans are designed to favor further education for these students, by having good loan conditions, long payback terms and a greater flexibility.

 

Student Loans Granted By The Government

These are generally made available through the college, but they are backed or guaranteed by the government. There are two types of government loan: The Federal Stafford Loan and the Federal Perkins Loan, with some differences between them which we shall see below.

Both have certain features in common, like federal guarantee, eligibility based mainly on high school performance and a grace period, which gives the student time to finish studies and start repayment. The grant of these loans has basic requirements such as the real need for a loan and determined high school grades as a minimum condition.

 

The Federal Stafford Loan

As all loans, it is constructed on a determined payback term, closing fees and a certain interest. Interest rates fluctuate between 6.5% and a maximum of 8.25% and the payback terms start at a 10-year period and have an extended period of up to 25 years.

 

The Federal Perkins Loan

This is a more benign student loan, but with stricter eligibility requirements. The interest rate is fixed at 5% and there are no closing fees. In addition to these conditions, the grace period is longer.

 

Not Eligible

In the event of not being eligible for these government-backed student loans, there are private lending institutions that grant loans to students who do not qualify for the federal loans. However, the interest rates are higher, since there is no federal guarantee and the amounts granted are higher, supposedly as a condition to make the loan worth while for the lender.

 

Some Students Have To Add Loans

In some cases, the amount of the loan is not enough to cover the cost of college and other necessary college-life expenses. In these cases, they have to take a loan from a private lender, in addition to the Federal Loan.

However, if desired and available, there are private loans with enough allowance to cover all expenses, which are subsidized. A sensible suggestion is to look out for these before you resort to any other private lender.

 

They Are Still Student Loans

Private lenders, although they grant loans for a profit, establish interest rates that are lower than the standard personal loan and the repayment conditions are a lot more flexible. Nevertheless, in order to be considered at the time of financial hardships, it is always convenient to be ahead of the situation and state your case before the payment is past due.