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Maryland Student Loans

As a high school graduate in Maryland, you are probably considering a number of colleges within the state that you would like to attend, and you've probably been deep in the process of finding financial assistance for tuition for a long time now. Have you remembered to look into Maryland student loans, which can not only help you obtain federal funding at a lower interest rate but also offer your financial assistance above and beyond what the federal government has set aside for you?

In Maryland, you'll look to USA Funds as the primary state-sanctioned loan guarantor, providing a channel between state funding resources, lenders, and other service companies straight into your pocket. As part of its government sanctioned responsibilities, USA Funds handles FFELP loans, Stafford Loans, and PLUS Loans for Maryland residents, as well as the Federal Consolidation Loan. What this means for college bound students is that the agency obtains the funds for the loan and provides them to the student, guaranteeing that the financial obligations of repayment will be met to the lender.

Aside from federal loan assistance, USA Funds also finds alternative loan sources, needed because under many circumstances, federal loans do not cover the cost of a degree sufficiently for a student to continue into college. For example, a Stafford Loan will most likely not be more than $3000, meaning there is a lot of tuition not covered.

Aside from standard loans and low interest private alternative loans that can be obtained through Maryland's USA Funds agency, there are some specialty loans that have recently been added to the list of available funding for college within the state. Sallie Mae, one of the largest national providers of student loans, has partnered with the state of Maryland to provide loans in conjunction with particular areas of interest, mainly programs related to teaching and nursing. The Teach for Maryland and Care for Maryland Loans are available to professionals who graduate college with the intention of staying in state to work in their selected field and can provide credit towards loan repayment for every year spent in service at a Maryland school or healthcare facility.

Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.