The federal government offers the Stafford loan program to graduate students. Repayment begins six months after the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time. Interest payments can be paid monthly, quarterly, or can be capitalized and added to the loan principal.
Borrowers can receive both subsidized and unsubsidized loans for the same loan period.
Stafford Loan eligibility is affected by changes in credit hours taken and in the amount of outside and department aid received. Interest rate, processing fees, and repayment options are the same. The total amount borrowed cannot exceed the student's cost of attendance minus all other aid received. In order to be eligible for a Federal Stafford Loan, a graduate student need not be a full-time student, but must maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of his or her degree program. Satisfactory progress is generally defined as registering for a minimum of six credit hours per semester and maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 or better.