Saturday, March 15, 2008

Education Loans For Part Time Students

Attending college even part of the time can be an expensive venture. Unfortunately the only way most individuals can go to college is by getting a student loan. That's because tuition is expensive, not to mention the high costs for books and materials.

When looking for a loan, it's hard deciding which loan is best for you. One great option is the continuing education student loan. It's a terrific means of paying for all these expenses. But to get this loan, you have to meet the requirements.

For example, you must be a citizen of the US and have a well-established credit history. So if you have little or no credit, or a bad credit rating, then this might not be the loan for you. But if you can get a cosigner who has good credit to sign for the loan, then your chances are much better.

Another loan requirement is that the state's department of education must accredit the college where you would be spending these funds. And most of these loans are designed for students not enrolled full-time in a college, but only half-time or less.

One great advantage of the continuing education loan is that as you pay the loan off, your interest rates and fees will get decreased. Very few student loans offer this sort of advantage. In addition, you can adjust your repayment schedule for up to fifteen years. That will result in lower monthly payments to be made.

These types of loans incur no prepayment penalty. This is great, in that you can prepay some of the principal of the loan, which would of course lower the interest. Also, you don't have to pay back the loan while you are attending college.

Continuing education student loans might not be the best choice for everyone. The best choice is no loan at all. Another is work-study grants that allow you to work for the college to help pay for it. But if a loan might be the answer, please research all loan options before choosing what to do.