Be advised that this grace period «interest subsidy» was eliminated
for Direct subsidized loans made on or after July 1, 2012 and before July 1, 2014.
Government will pay the interest
on Direct Subsidized Loans while you are in school on at least a half - time basis or on authorized deferment
However, they differ from
Direct Subsidized Loans in that interest that accrues while the student is enrolled in school remains the responsibility of the student and is capitalized and added to the principal amount of the loan when the student enters repayment.
Federal student loans
include direct subsidized loans, direct unsubsidized loans, federal Perkins loans and direct PLUS loans (for graduate students and parents).
Student borrowers
with direct subsidized loans are able to show a financial need at the time of application, and up to $ 5,500 per year is made available to eligible borrowers.
However, this grace period «interest subsidy» was eliminated for
Direct subsidized loans made on or after July 1, 2012 and before July 1, 2014.
Federal loans
like Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans all offer borrowers a six - month grace period.
Note: If you receive
new Direct Subsidized Loans or Direct Unsubsidized Loans when you return to school, you won't be able to make qualifying PSLF payments on those loans while you are in school.
While they both come from the Department of Education and serve the same purpose, there are some distinct differences
between Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans, or sometimes referred to as Stafford Loans or Direct Stafford Loans.
Direct subsidized loans typically have slightly better terms to help students with financial need while they were in school, as students do pay interest while attending college at least part time (6 credits).
What
sets direct subsidized loans apart is the fact that the federal government pays the interest on the loans while you are enrolled at least half - time in school, during the first six months after you leave school (your grace period), and during any period of deferment.
Student borrowers
with direct subsidized loans are able to show a financial need at the time of application, and up to $ 5,500 per year is made available to eligible borrowers.
Whether you
receive Direct Subsidized Loans or Direct Unsubsidized Loans, or both, it is important to understand the differences between the loans as well as the criteria of both.
Although you could voluntarily make payments on your
new Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans while you are in school or during your grace period, those payments wouldn't count toward PSLF.
During deferment, you are generally not responsible for paying the interest that accrues on certain loan types such
as Direct Subsidized Loans and Federal Perkins Loans.
Certain types of enrollment may cause you to become responsible for the interest that accrues on
your Direct Subsidized Loans when the U.S. Department of Education usually would have paid it.
Direct Subsidized loans that are in deferment while a student is still attending school accrue interest, but this is paid by the federal government, making them more affordable for borrowers who have a financial need.
With
Direct Subsidized loans, undergraduate students that have a financial need can borrow from the Department of Education so long as they are attending school at least half - time at an accredited college or university.
The interest rate for
direct subsidized loans is currently fixed at 3.76 %.
Direct Subsidized Loans are one of the best options for borrowers because you get a break on interest charges.
Direct Subsidized Loans are offered to students who demonstrate financial need.
Deferment is doubly helpful for
Direct Subsidized Loans, as it stops interest from accruing.
With a deferment, you aren't responsible for interest charges that accrue on your loans if you have
Direct Subsidized Loans.
Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidiz...
As we explored in Part 1 of this series, the federal loans that deliver the most bang for the buck are
direct subsidized loans.
If you have a Direct Consolidation Loan or a Federal Consolidation Loan, you may be eligible for forgiveness of the outstanding portion of the consolidation loan that repaid an eligible
Direct Subsidized Loan, Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, or Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan.
The good thing about these types of college loans is you can borrow more money compared to
Direct Subsidized Loans.
For the Federal
Direct Subsidized Loan, you will have a six - month grace period before you have to pay for your loan.
The weighted average for
the Direct Subsidized Loans in this example would be 32 % x 3.76 % + 48 % x 3.76 % % + 19 % x 5.00 % = 4.00 %, with no need to round up.
Graduate and professional students don't qualify for
direct subsidized loans, so Perkins and direct unsubsidized loans will be the best options.