What Is The Difference Between Graduate Loans And Undergraduate Loan?

What Is A Graduate And An Undergraduate Student?

An undergraduate is a person who is studying for a first degree at a university. Undergraduate simply refers to less than a 4-year degree such as a BA or BS or AA or AS degree. Here you would be taking freshman through senior courses.

You must complete a 4-year degree prior to entering graduate school for an additional two to three years or more of study. The graduate student now begins working on a Masters or Doctorate degrees.

Undergraduate Loans

Undergraduate students have many college loan options to finance their college careers. Loan types range from those available to students themselves, as well as those available to their parents. There are private and alternative loans, as well as federal loans to help out. Any of these loans or a combination of all could work for the student.

Undergraduates usually rely on a mix of grants, loans and scholarships. The student can sometimes take out these loans alone or with the help of their parents. Also, the student and the parents can work together as a co-borrower or co-signer.

There are various types of undergraduate student loans including federal loans that are made directly to students like the Perkins Loan, subsidized Stafford Loan or Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. There are also federal loan solutions for parents or undergraduate students like the Plus Loan.

And of course there are many alternative or private loans for student’s an/or their parents.
These loans are made to the students and their parents by banks or other lenders and can help meet the costs of going to college.

Graduate Loans

Graduate education loans are available to students who choose to continue their studies in a graduate degree program. This can include business school, law school, medical school, and more.

Graduates often have fewer options for scholarships and grants just when tuition fees rise. One aid that is available to them is a teaching and/or research assistantship. These positions though have low pay rates and you are required to work long hours.

Graduate and continuing education students have financial needs that are different from those of other students. While they continue their education, they also continue to take on more student debt. And often these graduate school loans are added to the undergraduate debt that they already have.

Graduate students may be eligible for certain types of federal graduate school loans. This includes the Perkins Loan and both the subsidized Stafford Loan and unsubsidized Stafford Loan. The basic rules and qualifications of the undergraduate versions of the loans will apply, but the maximum amounts to borrow are higher.

For subsidized Perkins Loans during the 2007-2008 school year the loan limits for graduate students are $6,000 per year and $40,000 overall. It is best to note here that the $40,000 must include any undergraduate Perkins Loan totals as well.

For the 2007-2008 school year the Stafford Loans limits are $20,500 per year with a total limit of $138,500 including all undergraduate Stafford Loans. And no more than $65,500 may come from subsidized Stafford Loans. Luckily graduate students are able to defer their remaining federal undergraduate loans along with any new federal graduate loans.

Most private graduate school loans also allow students to defer payments until they finish school. Private lenders like banks, credit unions and online lenders have many continuing education and graduate school loan options. Some lenders have loan options that will cover the needs of both graduate and continuing education students.

For all students, the more you research, investigate and explore all of your options the happier you will be when the time comes. Or perhaps, when your school years have ended,