Perkins Loan Overview: The US Department of Education gives a specified amount of money to each college or university. These colleges and university then give out the money in what is called a Perkins Loan.
Eligibility: In order to receive the Federal Perkins loan, students must meet certain requirements. A few of these are: being a US citizen, enrolling in school at least half time and an accredited school.
Both graduates and undergraduates can apply for the Perkins Loan. The Perkins Loan is a wonderful option for students who are in great financial need because it only has a 5% interest rate. Plus, the federal government will pay the interest while the student is in school and during a 9-month grace period after graduation.
Applying: To apply for a Perkins Loan the student must submit a free application for Federal student aid (FAFSA). This can be done at FAFSA.com. The student may or may not receive the loan depending on the time in which they apply for the loan, their college's funding capacity, and their degree of financial need. Their school will determine which students have the greatest needs.
When a student is given a Perkins loan, they are obligated to maintain it. In order to do this the student must show academic progress.
How Much Can I Borrow?: If you are an undergraduate you are able borrow up to $4,000 per year and $20,000 in all. Graduates are permitted to borrow up to $6,000 a year and $40,000 in all.
After You've Been Granted a Loan: As soon as you are granted a Perkins Loan, your college or university will send you a check in the mail or directly deposit it into your school account. Your school will typically make two installments per academic year.
You will not be charged any extra fees for the Perkins Loan except in the case of late, missed, or partial payments.
To summarize, the Perkins student loan is a low interest rate loan given to students via their college or university. Undergraduates may borrow up to $4,000 a year and interest is not paid until nine months after they have graduated.
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