Which type of student aid should be your last resort for funding?

Asked by: Rod Rau  |  Last update: April 12, 2025
Score: 4.5/5 (37 votes)

A private student loan should be funding of last resort. We encourage you to exhaust all financial aid sources before pursuing this option.

Which type of aid should be your last resort to paying for college?

Private student loans

These are loans offered by non-government institutions such as banks, credit unions and colleges. They're usually more expensive and less flexible when it comes to repayment, so they should be your last resort after exhausting all other options.

What type of student loan should be your last resort when searching for loans?

Unlike federal subsidized and unsubsidized student loans, private student loans require an application process, and approval is not always guaranteed. Private student loans should be the last option you consider after maximizing all other types of financial aid.

Should student loans be a last resort?

Private loans generally should be taken out only as a last resort. Here are some steps you should complete before taking out a private loan: Research the various loans that are available. Carefully compare the terms and conditions of each loan, from interest rates and borrower benefits to fees and repayment plans.

What are the 3 types of student financial aid?

Types of Aid
  • Grants: Financial aid that generally doesn't have to be repaid.
  • Loans: Borrowed money for college or career school; your loans must be repaid with interest.
  • Work-Study: A federal work program through which undergraduates and graduate students at participating schools earn money to help pay for school.

Private Student Loans as a Last Resort

41 related questions found

What is the difference between Pell Grant and FAFSA?

As previously mentioned, the FAFSA is an application that students must fill out if they are interested in applying for any federal student aid including scholarships, work-study, grants, and federal student loans. A Pell grant is a type of aid, awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional financial need.

What is the most appropriate type of financial aid?

Grants and scholarships are the most desirable forms of financial aid because they come in the form of free money, often with no strings attached. Some grants and scholarships are applied right to your bill - you often see this with federal and school-based aid.

What should be considered a lender of last resort?

The Federal Reserve System serves as a “lender of last resort” for insured financial institutions in the US by providing liquidity to commercial banks, thrift institutions, credit unions, or US branches and agencies of foreign banks.

Which type of student loan is best?

A subsidized loan is your best option. With these loans, the federal government pays the interest charges for you while you're in college. Here are the types of student loans. (Keep in mind that not all students are eligible for every loan.)

Who is the last resort to get a loan?

The Fed, or the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, is the nation's lender of last resort because it has the ability to support financial institutions in distress by providing them with financial assistance, usually loans, to prevent their collapse and economic contagion.

What is the loan of last resort?

A facility, often referred to as lender of last resort, where banks can borrow short term from the Federal Reserve to meet their liquidity needs, normally using Treasury securities as collateral. The interest rate charged for these advances, a tool of monetary policy, is called the “discount rate.”

Why are private student loans the last type of financial aid you should utilize?

Students should not use private student loans until their federal loan options have been exhausted, as federal loans typically have lower interest rates. There are a variety of private student loan options, and students must research which option is best for them.

What is subsidized vs unsubsidized?

Subsidized Loans do not accrue interest while you are in school at least half-time or during deferment periods. Unsubsidized Loans are loans for both undergraduate and graduate students that are not based on financial need.

What type of financial aid for college must usually be repaid?

A loan is money you borrow and must pay back with interest. If you apply for financial aid, you may be offered loans as part of your school's financial aid offer. When you receive a student loan, you are borrowing money to attend a college or career school. You must repay the loan as well as interest that accrues.

Which type of aid is the least desirable?

"The rule is: free money first (scholarships and grants), then earned money (work-study), then borrowed money (federal student loans)," the US Department of Education writes on its website, adding that private loans should be the last resort.

What are the three types of federal student loans?

Federal student loans are issued by the federal government and offer benefits such as fixed interest rates and income-driven and flexible payment plans. There are four types of federal student loans: Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS Loans and Direct Consolidation Loans.

Which type of student loan usually has better terms?

Differences Between Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans. In short, Direct Subsidized Loans have slightly better terms to help out students with financial need.

What is a Type 4 student loan?

If you're a Scottish student who started an undergraduate or postgraduate course anywhere in the UK on or after 1 September 1998, you'll be on repayment Plan 4. This means you'll pay 9% of the income you earn over the threshold to the Student Loan Company (SLC).

What is stafford unsubsidized?

Stafford loans are a type of federal student loan that are either subsidized, meaning the government pays the interest while you're in school, or unsubsidized, meaning you pay all the interest. Stafford loans are a type of loan issued under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP).

Why is lender of last resort important?

Abstract. “Lending of last resort” is one of the key powers of central banks. As a lender of last resort, the Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) famously supports commercial banks facing distressed liquidity conditions, thereby mitigating destabilizing bank runs.

What is a lender of last resort select the correct answer below?

A lender of last resort is an institution that provides short - term emergency loans in conditions of financial crisis.

What is lender of last resort in?

In India, RBI is the lender of last resort.

What is the best type of financial aid to accept?

Choosing the Best Financial Aid to Accept
  • Money you don't have to pay back first (e.g., scholarships, grants)
  • Earned money second (e.g., work-study)
  • Borrowed money last (e.g., federal student loans)

How much does the average student pay after applying for gift aid?

In general, after a student applies gift aid to public college fees, they get to pay less than $3,000. Gift aid refers to financial support towards one's education that they do not have to pay back.