what is subsidized vs unsubsidized loans
As you now already now, Stafford Loans are Federal Aid awarded to students based on financial need. These are loans and not grants so they do need to be repayed to your lender, which of course means they accrue interest. What most students dont know is that there are two types of Stafford Loans, Unsubsidized Loans and Subsidized Loans. Subsidized Loans are awarded to the students with a greater financial need for the loan. The government pays interest on these loans while the student is in school.
With an unsubsidized loan, students are charged interest during the time they are in school. They can pay that interest while studying or have it rolled into the loan. As with the subsidized form, students don't have to start repayments until six months after they cease being a half-time student.