# Student Loans **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243 "2004-03-25T01:10:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243/1 "2004-03-25T01:10:38Z")
Hey guys… As a starving college kid earning just enough to cover living expenses, I’ve found myself indebted to this institution of higher learning a little over $2,000 for this term. I’m hoping that some of y’all in a similar predicament might know of any good resources for student loans. The only catch, though, is that I have just about no credit history, and my parents have… well, not the best. This means that pretty much any credit app using them as co-signers is bound to be toast. So I went to the Financial Aid office, and the best they had today was a list of some private lenders that do credit-based aid. I’m hoping to find a program that will allow me (or my parents) to defer repayment until I graduate, at least on the principal. Does anyone have any suggestions for good sources of financial aid that aren’t credit-based? I’ve got a Stafford loan for the maximum amount this semester, as well as a Perkins loan. My parents have PLUS loans, as well, and are repaying those on time, so I don’t think we qualify for much from the government. If anyone has any good ideas, I would appreciate it. Thanks!! ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243/2 "2004-03-25T01:25:39Z")
You might look at the loans through SallieMae ([http://www.salliemae.com](http://www.salliemae.com) - I think). I took one from them for summer classes last year. Not quite a student loan, but not a regular commercial loan either. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243/3 "2004-03-25T01:35:32Z")
**caphis** , Have you filled out a FAFSA form\* at your financial aid office to determine loan/grant eligibility? Were you turned down for financial assistance like Stafford Loans thru the federal government? I qualified for Stafford Loans and Pell grants (Pell grants are free $ for school:) ) this way (even with shitty credit). Now that I am done with school I am on a payment schedule with the federal loan people- easy to afford and I can pay more per month if I want to when I have the extra $$ to do so. If you have not done this stuff yet, I advise you to do so. It takes the worry off having to take out high interest personal loans to pay for school. \*[http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/](http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/) ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243/4 "2004-03-25T01:35:58Z")
> [@Lsura](#): > > You might look at the loans through SallieMae ([http://www.salliemae.com](http://www.salliemae.com) - I think). > > I took one from them for summer classes last year. Not quite a student loan, but not a regular commercial loan either. I think I tried this last semester, and Sallie Mae declined us based on credit. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243/5 "2004-03-25T02:13:55Z")
> [@LVgeogeek](#): > > **caphis** , > Have you filled out a FAFSA form\* at your financial aid office to determine loan/grant eligibility? Were you turned down for financial assistance like Stafford Loans thru the federal government? I qualified for Stafford Loans and Pell grants (Pell grants are free $ for school:) ) this way (even with shitty credit). Now that I am done with school I am on a payment schedule with the federal loan people- easy to afford and I can pay more per month if I want to when I have the extra $$ to do so. > If you have not done this stuff yet, I advise you to do so. It takes the worry off having to take out high interest personal loans to pay for school. Yep- FAFSA submitted and aid received. Next year I hope to receive more government aid based on my parents splitting this past year-- it reduced our EFC tremendously. I’ve got the Stafford loans for, I believe, the maximum amount I can this academic year. How would I find out if I qualify for a Pell grant? In the mean time, does anyone know of any non-credit based other sources of loans? Thanks for the help guys! ---
**Author:** ![Sensualips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7c8e57/32.png) [@Sensualips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sensualips)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243/6 "2004-03-25T02:20:12Z")
Have you tried applying for scholarships? Some of them are soley based on what you want to get into. Your school or public library has plenty of information on these as well as some websites. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243/7 "2004-03-25T02:34:57Z")
> [@Sensualips](#): > > Have you tried applying for scholarships? Some of them are soley based on what you want to get into. Your school or public library has plenty of information on these as well as some websites. Yeah, I’m looking at a lot of scholarship opportunities for next year. Primarily what I was looking for right now was something to take care of _this year’s_ remaining expenses… which I don’t think a scholarship would cover. :-/ ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loans/236243/8 "2004-03-25T03:00:10Z")
Hey!! If you’ve got a good sense of rhythm, you can get a job as a stripper. You’ll have more money than you’ll know what to do with. ::d&r::