If you’re just applying for college you probably haven’t needed credit before and therefore have no credit history. Loans for a student with no credit are hard to find as most lenders require a well-rated credit history. However, if you need a loan purely to fund your education, you can apply for Federal Student Aid.
Although they will provide loans for students with no credit, there are a number of criteria which must be met before a student is eligible for a loan and these are:
- The applicant must be able to prove their need for a loan.
- The student must be a US citizen, a US permanent resident or other eligible non-citizen with a valid social security number. You can find an exhaustive list on the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) website (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/index.htm).
- Male students aged 18 to 25 need to register with the Selective Service. The organisation keeps a record of males eligible for draft in the event of a national emergency.
- Once approved, a satisfactory level of attendance and academic progress must be maintained.
- The student must be able to prove an educational background and certified level of achievement, to qualify them for post secondary education. Full details of acceptable certificates, diplomas and other qualifications can be found on the FAFSA website.
- The applicant must not already be in default of a student loan, and must certify that any loan granted will only be used for educational purposes.
If you meet with the above criteria, you should complete an online application form, which will enable the calculation of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This is a slightly misleading term as it is not an indication of how much your family must contribute, but an indication to colleges as to how much you would be eligible to receive. An EFC below a certain figure makes you entitled to a Federal Pell Grant, which unlike a loan, does not need to be repaid.
A formula is then applied to determine how much you need to borrow, which is your cost of attendance less your EFC, your Federal Pell Grant and aid from other sources.
You will need to provide evidence of your cost of attendance which will comprise your tuition fees, accommodation, food, books, stationery, transport, loan repayments and miscellaneous supplies (including a realistic sum for a PC or laptop. In fact, you can include anything that can reasonably be demonstrated that you need in order to carry out your studies.
If you have a disability or special medical needs, some further costs related to these may be admissible.
As for any other loan, loans for students with no credit must be paid back in a timely fashion. When your loan is granted find out from the National Student Loan Data System who the provider is, and contact them or consult their website to find out how and when you need to make your repayments.
There are severe penalties for late payment or default, so if at some time you feel that you can’t meet your repayment schedule, consult with your lender. They will probably rearrange your schedule or agree to defer payments for a period of time. Whatever you do, do not default. I hope this has answered some of the questions you may have had on applying for loans for student with no credit.