Sunday, December 28, 2008

How To Get Bad Credit Student Loans

By Dave Davidson

If you are seeking to further your education by attending college, most likely you can't afford the tuition costs on your own. You might need some assistance to make ends meet and realize your dream of attending college. But what if you have bad credit or even no credit history at all?

People often wonder if they will need to establish a better credit history before they apply for student loans. The answer is almost always no. There are some great federal programs that are available to individuals that have both good and bad credit.

There are loans available based on need and there are also loans issued even if there is not a financial need. Most of these loans are backed or issued by the government. If you can prove a financial need, you may be able to qualify for a Federal Stafford loan or Perkins loan. The Stafford loan issued based on financial need is a subsidized loan. With this loan, the government pays the interest on the loan while you are in school and for the first six months after you graduate from college.

If you are a person that has a lot of need for financial assistance, you may be able to qualify for Pell grants and/or Perkins loans. These types of financial assistance are available for people that have bad credit and need to pay for education. Credit actually isn't part of the process of applying for these loans so go ahead no matter what type of credit you have.

You are not expected to repay any of the money you receive. Some people may qualify for a Federal Pell Grant, but not in the amount to cover all of their tuition and college expenses so they may take out a loan in addition to the grant.

Even if you're not able to qualify for the loans that are backed by the federal government, there are other options available. Unsubsidized Stafford loans are available to almost anyone, even people that don't have that much financial need. Credit isn't part of the approval process for these loans.

With unsubsidized Stafford loans, the government doesn't assist at all with the repayment. However, these loans generally have pretty good interest rates. Bad credit history won't disqualify you from getting this loan type. - 16732

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