<p>You don't pay while you are in school -- you don't start payments until after you graduate.</p>
<p>When interest starts to be charged, it only runs on the amount of the loan that is outstanding - so if you prepay the loan you will reduce the overall interest. So it would be theoretically possible to take the stafford loan and then pay back the full amount before the first payment is due, and not have to pay any interest. </p>
<p>But the loans do have origination fees - so you are going to end up paying that in any event.</p>