Student Loans
When you receive a student loan, you are borrowing money to attend a college or career school. You must repay the loan as well as interest that accrues. It is important to understand your repayment options so you can successfully repay your loan. Loans made by the federal government, called federal student loans, usually have more benefits than loans from banks or other private sources.
Learn more, visit Federal versus Private Loans.
Types of Federal Student Loans Available
- DIRECT SUBSIDIZED LOANS are loans made to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help cover the costs of higher education at a college or career school.
- DIRECT UNSUBSIDIZED LOANS are loans made to eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, but eligibility is not based on financial need.
- DIRECT PLUS LOANS are loans made to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required. Borrowers who have an adverse credit history must meet additional requirements to qualify.
- DIRECT CONSOLIDATION LOANS allow you to combine all of your eligible federal student loans into a single loan with a single loan servicer.
NOTE: What is a Stafford Loan? LEARN MORE
Visit Federal Student Loan Programs. to learn more.
Learn about different types of Student Loans in the Life Events section of Finance Your Future, a free online financial literacy
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for the future.
Managing Your Federal Student Loans
Understanding the details of repayment on your federal student loan can save time and money. These resources will help you learn about the repayment process:
Federal Student Loans: Repaying Your Loans.
Understanding Student Loan Repayment
Time-limited opportunity
If you are a full-time employee of a U.S. federal, state, local or tribal government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
Now there is a time-limited opportunity for borrowers to receive credit for student loan payments that previously did not qualify for PSLF. This change will apply to student loan borrowers with Direct Loans, those who have already consolidated into the Direct Loan Program, and those who consolidate into the Direct Loan Program by Oct. 31, 2022.
Check out the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Frequently Asked Questions to see if you are eligible and for other related information.
It is now easier than ever to create a personalized path to affordable monthly student loan payments with the use of the CFPB's Student Loan Payback Playbook. This is a tool that helps borrowers gain a better understanding of the repayment options available to them for paying off their student debt.
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