pguard wrote:
if your unsubisidized portion is only $20,500, where do you go for the remainder of the funds?
Have any of the international students identified resourses for loans yet? All the schools say they're confident the loans will be available but I haven't seen any programs yet.
The way I understand it these are the loan options, in order of most to least attractive:
1. subsidized Stafford - subsidized (interest doesn't accrue until you graduate), low interest rate, max amount of $8,500
2. unsubsidized Stafford - unsubsidized, low interest rate, max amount of $20,500
3. federal Grad PLUS loans - higher interest rate, no maximum amount. See the following:
https://www.salliemae.com/get_student_lo ... grad_plus/4. Miscellaneous - some schools offer other funding options. For example, Kellogg allows you to apply for Northwestern student loans. I don't think everyone qualifies, but I don't know much about that though.
5. Outside sources - private lenders that you find on your own.
I don't think you have to start paying on any of these options until you graduate.