Graduate school scholarships in the form of fellowship and assistance provide two facets to the benefits a student can acquire: financial and academic. With these programs, students would no longer have to worry about finding a source to pay through their college and other entailing costs, such as learning materials and costs of living.
Graduate school fellowships are awarded to graduate students and there are several programs offered depending on the specific field of study you intend to be a part of. For instance, graduate studies to teaching courses can avail of tuition benefits and a monthly stipend. And the good news is, there is no need to repay them.
Graduate school is often the apparent next step for undergraduate students who have a mind in advancing their career and credentials. Yet nowadays, paying for the high cost of graduate school seems a tremendous feat. This seems more impossible when you've got bad credit standing in your way of getting a financial loan. Fortunately, there's a way to get around in getting a graduate student loan even with a bad credit status.
The first source you can tap for financial aid is the United States government's Financial Student Aid. This type of federal loan often provides better interest rates than private loans. However, students can only borrow a set amount of money due to the limited resources of the capital Federal fund. You will need to accomplish a FAFSA Application form if you want to apply for the Financial Student Aid.
Critical need loans are another type of student financial aid you can tap for graduate school. Critical need loans are available for students who are taking up courses or advance studies in fields that are in high need. Nowadays, the health and medical sciences, particularly nursing and primary care programs, are in high demand. If you are in one of these fields, it might be easier to get approved for this loan despite your bad credit.
Federal funding is typically not enough to cover all the expenses of graduate school. Other graduate students turn to private loans and lenders to supplement federal funding that they've received.
Take care to research each lending company first before making a commitment. Make sure that you are dealing with a reputable company and avoid predatory lenders as these can do more damage than good to your credit.
Try to get somebody with a good credit standing or reputation to cosign your loan. Your parents may be some of the best people to be approached for this. A Cosigner is another party that agrees to pay back a part of your loan. This is one of ensuring the approval of your loan even if you have bad credit.
Of course it is also possible to go through graduate school without applying for a student loan at all. Look into your school for scholarship grants, fellowships, and assistantships. Unlike loans, scholarships and grants do not need to be braid back. In addition, these are awarded based on merit so your credit history need not be an issue.
You can use this opportunity to improve your credit standing. You can also use private credit counseling services to manage your debt and loan consolidation to help you payoff your debt.