Should You Get A Sallie Mae Student Loan?

When it comes to paying for college one of the more popular options has been the Sallie Mae student loan. Sallie Mae offers a number of student loans that you can apply and qualify for, all of which can help you achieve your academic goals by giving you the funding you need to finish your college experience. After you are approved for a Sallie Mae student loan you will be given access to their borrower services which includes the option to manage your loan online.

Types of Loans Available

Sallie Mae offers a variety of federal and alternative loans. It is best to consider the federal loans first since they have the best terms, interest rates and payback policies. The two main federal loans are the Federal Stafford Loan and the Federal Perkins Loan. Sallie Mae also offers private loans if you don't meet the requirements for the federal loans or if they don't cover the cost of your college tuition. These are called alternative student loans since they are personal and generally not subsidized.

Do You Qualify?

So how do you know if you can qualify for a Sallie Mae student loan? The answer isn't always simple and clear, especially when it comes to financial matters. Rather the answer to the question depends on which Sallie Mae student loan you are applying for. There are certain minimum requirements if you are applying for a federal loan such as GPA requirements, a certain income bracket, U.S. citizenship and no prior student loan default.

Although if you are going for a private Sallie Mae student loan then your credit score will be more important than your college standing or level. This is very hard for some students since many college students have little to no credit history. This is why Sallie Mae offers cosigner options for those who want to apply for a bad credit personal signature loan. This allows people to get a lower interest rate and start their credit history off right.

Not For Everyone

However, there are always areas of caution when it comes to financial matters. Always make sure you don't borrow more money than you need for your college costs. If you do this you will have unnecessary debt that increases your chance of buying other things that aren't a part of your college costs. Also make sure your Sallie Mae student loan isn't your only method of paying your college tuition. By looking into grant and scholarship options you can decrease the amount of money you need to borrow.