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 2025-2026 range from 6.39% to 8.94%. Consider maxing out federal ...

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 ...

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

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 ...

After years of steady increases and record highs, federal student loan interest rates will finally soften this summer — making college slightly more affordable for student borrowers in the upcoming ...

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

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans are often the cheapest borrowing option, followed by Direct Plus Loans and private graduate student loans Written By Written by Staff Loans Writer, Buy Side Emily ...

The U.S. Department of Education will restart involuntary student loan collections on May 5. Borrowers in default for 270 days or more will face collections from paychecks, tax refunds, and Social ...

The Federal Reserve's expected to hold the federal funds rate steady after its first meeting of 2026 this week — this after three consecutive rate cuts last year. That said, if you have a ...