Financing your graduate education

As you consider how best to finance your graduate education, you will find many types of loans are available. We cut through the noise and provide you with the most common, and reliable, private and federal loan sources.

All federal loans require completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They do not need to be repaid until after graduation or if your enrollment status changes to less than half time. The interest rate is fixed and often lower than credit card interest rates. Most federal loans do not require a cosigner.

Many private student loans require payments while you are still in school. They can have variable interest rates, with some greater than 18 percent. Private student loans are not subsidized. Following are some typical federal and private loan sources that are popular among students.

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