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Rhode Island Student Loans

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States, but the cost of tuition at a college or university in the state is certainly not any smaller than the bills at other colleges throughout the country. That means that, even for residents aspiring to a college degree who choose to stay in their home state to attend school, cost can be a major issue. In response to need, the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority can help to provide Rhode Island student loans and complete packages for college at a low cost to the student, making education more affordable.

Some of the loans provided by the RISLA are specialized and based on career pursuits, catering to students in programs for law, education, or healthcare. In fact, the Nursing Reward Program, Pharmacy Reward Program, and Teacher Reward Program are all set aside for students who agree to work in a Rhode Island state facility where the need is great upon graduation, acting as a loan forgiveness program. Others are state-funded forms of federal loans, offered at lower interest rates and without fees due to the fact that these can be funded with tax exempt state educational bonds. Students who take advantage of these opportunities can also receive greater rewards of interest rate cuts for paying on time regularly or having the payment debited directly from the bank.

Of course, federal government dollars are limited, and most of the time, they will only cover a fraction of the college bill, leaving students to find other sources of funding. RISLA also offers a group of alternative Rhode Island student loans that are created specifically to fill this gap with similar low interest rates and long term repayment plans. Here are a few of the options:

The Rhode Island Family Education Loan — for Rhode Island students in amounts of up to $35,000 per student per academic year. The loan includes a fixed interest rate and the opportunity to drop the cosigner after a period of consecutive on-time payments.

The College Bound Loan is offered to ‘preferred' borrowers with excellent credit and can offer excellent interest rates.

The College Bound Bar Review Loan is for law students at Roger Williams University especially to help offset the outrageous cost involved in law studies.

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.