How To Get A Loan With Little Or No Credit

Many students fear that they won’t get a student loan or a good rate with a student loan because they have little or no credit and it is a valid question. I am going to take a look at a few different types of loans and some things you can do to improve your credit.

Stafford Loans

There are no credit checks done for a Stafford Loan when subsidized or not. You are limited in how much they can give you based on your age and circumstance. If you are a freshman you can get $3,500, Sophomores $4,500, any other year $5,500. If you are over 24, or married, serving for the military, or if your parents are struggling with their own finances and credit then an additional $4,000 could be offered.

Perkins Loans

This is where the worse your situation is the better you are. They will look at your credit, your financial income, your parents financial situation, and anything else that can give them a good idea if you are struggling or not. I suggest that you go to your financial aid office to find out information on what they can offer you, but it could be up to $4,000 to help you to get going.

PLUS Loans (Parent loans for Undergraduate Students)

This is something that your parents are going to be checked and not you. This could very well cover the remaining portion of your tuition or other school funds to help you move through your education without having that responsibility on your shoulder.

School Certified Private Loans

This is an example of where your credit will matter. You are going to need to have a minimum of a 620 FICO score to get the student loan for the entire process. Otherwise I would look for a parent or a trust friend or family member that is willing to trust you with their credit.

Direct to Consumer Private Loans

So many people look for loans like this because not only is tuition taken care of but funds are sent directly to the student so you decide how the funds are spent on room and board, food, school supplies, dates, etc. Many schools also give direct loans to students, but whether it is private or federal student loans, you are probably going to want to make sure you are in the 700’s when it comes to your credit. This shows you are responsible, so don’t screw it up. This also may be a good example where you should be extra kind to mom and dad to get some co-signing help.

How To Improve Your Credit

Some of you may have some time before you have to worry about this or there may be some parents out there that want to help their kids out by making sure their credit is good enough that they don’t have to co-sign. One of the best things that you can do is get a credit card and use it wisely. Make normal purchases on it that you can easily pay off with your own funds. Make sure you never miss a payment. Set up an automatic payment system.

The next thing you can do is make sure that you get a checking account and start paying some bills like a cell phone bill or rent or whatever. This may take a few months or maybe a year, but it is worth it and you are going to buy stuff anyways. It might as well be noticed by national credit bureaus. If you can make sure to make even multiple monthly payments to help your credit score improve. You would be surprised what it does if you make weekly and bi-weekly payments.