Student Loan Options Case Study: Chase Student Loans

There are a number of different ways to fund a college education. The federal government offers a few loan options and an array of financial aid services for students in different situations, and there are many different grants and scholarships available. The financial aid office at your school can help you find out which of these may be available to you. After federal funding, if you still need more money to pay for your education, you need to start looking into private loans. Many different companies offer many different services, but let's take Chase student loans as a case study.

One service Chase and many other lenders offer is to help you through the process of applying for federal Stafford and PLUS loans, for undergraduate and graduate students, respectively. Chase can offer a slightly lower rate than the standard government rate for paying back these loans, reflected not in a lower monthly payment but in fewer total payments. They can also help with student loan consolidation.

Federal loans and financial aid are often not enough to cover the cost of getting an education. Private lenders step in to make up for the rest of the cost of studying. Chase offers a couple of different private loan packages; their program is fairly standard, so it provides an idea of more or less what you'll be dealing with.

Chase private student loans pay up to $40,000 per year at an interest rate which depends on the applicant's credit rating. A cosigner is encouraged as this can lower the interest rates, but is not required as long as the recipient is creditworthy. Recipients begin paying back the loan 45 days after receiving the money but they do have the option of deferring payment of the principle or the principle and accumulating interest until after they finish school.

Chase Select loans are available for graduate and undergraduate students, covering up to the cost of attendance minus financial aid received (COA-Aid). These expenses must be approved by the school.