Deferred student loans are student loans in which the payments are postponed or suspended for a period of time. Federal loans, such as federal subsidized Stafford loans and the federal unsubsidized Stafford loans are examples of this type of loan.
In the case of a federal subsidized Stafford loan, repayment of the educational or student loan is deferred until the student has already graduated from the course, has a job, and is ready to begin paying off the loan. The beauty of the federal subsidized Stafford loan is that the government itself pays for the interest during the course of the student's education. The federal subsidized Stafford loan also gives the student a longer period of time in some cases as much as thirty years, within which to pay off the loan. This has the effect of significantly lowering the amount of the monthly repayments making them a lot easier to cope with.
In order to qualify for the subsidized Stafford loan, one does not need a good credit rating. In fact, Stafford loans are usually not credit-based. However, to be able to obtain a subsidized Stafford loan, one must at least belong to a family demonstrating severe financial need. Students belonging to families with an annual income that is less than $50,000 are more likely to be given priority than students belonging to families with an annual income of $100,000.00. Because of this, and also because it presents lower interest rates, and easier and better terms and conditions, the subsidized Stafford loan is usually the first and ultimate choice of many students.
The federal unsubsidized Stafford loans are also a kind of deferred loan. Just like the federal subsidized Stafford loan, repayment of this type of loan may also be deferred or postponed until the student has already graduated from college. However, the student himself shoulders all the interests accrued during the period of schooling. The accumulated interest is then added to the principal loan amount, so the total loan amount becomes higher than the original amount applied for. Nevertheless, one is allowed a considerably longer grace period to be able to settle the amount in full.
Deferred student loans enable a student to fulfill his dream of completing a college degree without having to worry about educational expenses while he is still in school. The mere fact of going to college may already be quite burdensome and anxiety-provoking. But the burden and anxiety may be significantly lessened if one does not have to worry about money matters, like paying for his education, for instance.
Deferred student loansmay just be the best option for student loans there is. Not surprisingly, therefore, many students prefer to apply for this type of student loan first before applying for other types of loans.
