Education Loans Come in Many Shapes and Sizes
- 54 percent of all financial aid comes in the form of loans.
- Some loans are need-based—meaning that they're awarded when the family demonstrates financial need.
- Other education loans are not need-based. Instead, they're designed to help pay the family share of costs.
Some Advice
Need-based loans tend to have better terms, so you should consider those loans first.
Student Loans
There are four main types of college student loans:
Private student loans : A number of lenders and other financial institutions offer private education loans to students. These loans are not subsidized and usually carry a higher interest rate than the federal need-based loans. The College Board private loan program is an example of a private education loan for students.
College-sponsored loans : Some colleges have their own loan funds. Interest rates may be lower than federal student college loans. Read the college's financial aid information.
Other loans : Besides setting up scholarships, some private organizations and foundations have loan programs as well. Borrowing terms may be quite favorable. You can use Scholarship Search to find these.
source : http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/loan-center/433.html