<p>My first semester of college, half my first Stafford was disbursed. After I withdrew from that school, I took some online courses and used the other half of my Stafford for them.
None of these credits will transfer. (I know, I know.)</p>
<p>I'm at a community college doing well and I took out my Stafford for 3500+2000.</p>
<p>Does this count as my freshman year? In my senior year, will I still be able to get a Stafford even though I will have technically disbursed 4 years of Stafford loans already?</p>
<p>Yes, that was your entire freshman Stafford loan eligibility. Staffords have a ceiling of $31K for undergrads, so you should have some eligibility left even if you end up taking loans for a total of 5 years. Sophomores can take $6500, and juniors/seniors are eligible for up to $7500/year…if you take those amounts for the next 3 years, you’ll be up to $27K and will only have $4K of Stafford loans left before you reach the maximum.</p>
Not necessarily. Your standing depends how your school categorizes freshman, soph etc. If you do not have enough hours to be considered a sophomore by your school then you will not be awarded the sophomore limit but are only eligible for the freshman amount. You can be awarded the freshman amount again (though it goes toward your aggregate limit.) </p>
<p>For instance suppose you have already borrowed the freshman amounts but you have 22 credits and you start school again in fall 2011. If the school considers 0-29 to be a freshman, then they will only award you the freshman limit ($5500) for 2011-2012. (If you attain sophomore standing mid year you can then as for the additional $1000).</p>
<p>The aggregate limit remains unchanged. It does not increase even if you are awarded freshman amounts more than once.</p>