Nursing Student Loans

About Nursing Student Loans
Nursing Student Loans are loans for students who desire to pursue a career in nursing, but lack the funds to pay for the cost of attending nursing school. With the help of a Nursing Student Loan, aspiring nurses can manage to cover all costs associated with attending nursing school, from tuition to room and board and personal expenses.

Types of Nursing Student Loans
Nursing Student Loans include a wide array of student loans, from both the federal government and private lenders. Federal student loans are preferred to private student loans as they generally have a lower, fixed interest rate in comparison to private student loans, and have more favorable borrowing conditions and easier repayment terms. Private loans, on the other hand, have higher borrowing limits and more customizable repayment terms, and can be very helpful when federal student loans are not enough to cover tuition.

Undergraduate students in nursing programs can apply for subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans. Subsidized Stafford loans are very borrower-friendly, and are given out on the basis of financial need: they have a very low, fixed interest rate, and the government pays the interest on the loan while the student is in school. Unsubsidized Stafford loans are still desirable, but the borrower must cover the interest that accrues while in school. If a student shows exceptional financial need, they could qualify for a Perkins Loan, which is subsidized and has a very low interest rate. Graduate nursing students can also apply for Graduate PLUS Loans. To apply for any of these nursing student loans, a student must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA.

Private student loans are another other option for aspiring nurses, and should only be used when all other sources of funding have been exhausted. Although they may have higher interest rates than federal student loans, they are a very helpful option to pay for your studies once you have exhausted all other financial aid sources. Students can receive private nursing student loans from banks and other financial institutions, and you can search, compare, and apply for nursing student loans by using our student loan comparison tool above.

Applying and Requirements for Nursing Student Loans
Students who are US citizens can apply for Nursing Student Loans from both the government and private lenders. International students could be eligible for private student loans from private lenders, but they will have to have the loan cosigned by a US citizen or a permanent resident. All loans have different requirements, so be sure to review them and understand what you need to provide. Again, to examine the details on different private nursing student loans, you can search for loan options using our tool above, and then compare the fine print on many different loans from many different lenders to find the loan that best suits your financial needs.