Subsidized

Interest is paid by the government while you’re enrolled either half-time or more.

Unsubsidized

Interest accrues every day. You are required to disburse the interest or defer it till you graduate or are not enrolled any longer or not in deferment. You aren’t, however, required to disburse the interest till the loan is ready for repayment. As soon as the loan is ready for repayment, any interest that is unpaid will be included in the loan’s principal amount.

Fixed rate of interest- 6 percent for Subsidized and 6.8 percent for Unsubsidized

• Up to twenty-five years for the repayment depending upon total amount borrowed.
• Obtainable by Undergraduate students and Graduate Students.
• Maximum of $10,532 Subsidized and $14,868 unsubsidized for a sum of $25,400. The loan limit for Graduate Health Professional is $38,500.
• The payment starts six months after your graduation or enrollment on less than half time basis.

Stafford Loan Interest Rates

Note: Graduate Stafford Loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized) have a fixed interest rate of 6.8% through 2013.