Alabama Student Loans

The high cost of higher education just keeps getting higher.  With this down economy, it is becoming increasingly harder for students to cover the costs in the traditional ways like working and scholarships.

This need for school funding is causing a lot of heartache for students who can’t go to school without the proper funding.  For students in Alabama, there are some great student loan options that might not be available in other places.

Of course there are the regular federal student loans available to Alabama students. These include Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, PLUS Loans, and the grants available through the FAFSA application. However, there are a few more tricks up the sleeve of the Alabama State educational system as they have some programs that are meant to help the students who are from Alabama and who plan to go to school in Alabama.

If you are an Alabama student planning to attend an Alabama college, then here are some steps you can take to take advantage of the Alabama Student Loan opportunities.

1. Fill out the FAFSA.  The main purpose of the FAFSA is to get you applied for the Federal programs, but they also have a data base of the scholarships and grants that are available to each state, and since part of the FAFSA requires filling out where you are from and where you are going to school, some of the Alabama student loan options will show up on this.
2. Talk to the Financial Aid office at your school.  The financial aid offices are one of the first places Alabama State student loan opportunities will send information to.  The people working in that office should have a pretty comprehensive list of the Alabama State student loans out there for you.
3. Ask about the Gulf Shore Protection Program.  As Alabama is right along the gulf shore that has been affected by so many harmful disasters as of late like Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil fiasco, there are some programs laid out where tuition money can be granted to volunteers who help to beautify the affected areas.  This program requires an application and an interview, but not only would it be a good way to get some tuition money, it will look great on any resume.
4. Apply for a loan from First Educators Credit Union.  This is a smallish credit union locally situated in Birmingham Alabama.  As the title of their company suggests, they have the goal of helping to educate others by getting them through school.  Some of the loans that come from here have high interest rates, so be careful about that, but also know that local businesses like this are generally much more forgiving and much more patient about explaining what you are signing up for.  There won’t be any unpleasant surprises when working with them.

Being from Alabama is something you can be proud of, so be sure to take advantage of the Alabama student loan options that are available to only a select few like you.