Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Marguerita is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor ...

Federal Direct Loans are originated by the federal government and don’t come with credit criteria. Federal student loan rates for the 2025-2026 school year range from 6.39% to 8.94%. Consider maxing ...

On January 9, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) published an overview examining the history and legislative evolution of federal student ...

Graduate students may apply for Federal Direct Loans and Federal Direct PLUS Loans. Additional information about each type of loan can be found at studentaid.gov. Federal Direct Loan Direct Loans are ...

The Federal Direct Loan Program includes both subsidized and unsubsidized student loans. Subsidized loans have no interest charged while you are enrolled at least half-time. Eligibility is based on ...

College expenses are higher than ever, with the average cost of college in the United States now amounting to around $38,270 per year when accounting for tuition, books, supplies, housing, and daily ...

Federal student loans come from the Education Department and don't always cover the full cost of attendance at college or graduate school. For undergraduate dependent students, federal Direct ...

Preston Cooper at AEI recently published an analysis of the latest federal student loan data, and the results were sobering: ...

Explore the limitations of Federal Direct Loans, including fewer subsidized options for grads, bankruptcy challenges, and funding limits. Learn before you borrow.