Repaying Student Loans - KnowledgeFirst Student Loans Students who need financial aid to pay for school usually qualify for Federal student loans.
Federal loans have low interest rates and special student repayment schedules.
Some federal loans require repayment to begin immediately, while others require repayment to begin six to nine months after graduation. Some government loans, like the Perkins and Subsidized Stafford loans, are especially great deals, as they do not begin to accrue interest and payments are not due until after the student graduates. For those students who do not qualify for federal loans, or who need more money than they qualify for, private or alternative loans are one way to make up the difference. Check out our Federal Loans at a Glance to see a quick summary of different loan types. For more detailed information, just check below.