<p>Alrighty, so I've gotten past all the hard stuff. I've taken my SATs, applied to college, and gotten accepted! The only thing now is that I have no idea how to get loans. I'll be applying for the Perkins and PLUS loans.</p>
<p>Last month I got a letter in the mail from "College Loan Corporation." I called the number listed and a man told me that I can apply for all government loans through that corporation and also said that I qualified for the Stafford, which was not listed in my financial aid report. Is this a scam?</p>
<p>So who am I supposed to contact for loans, and by when am I supposed to do this by?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>First, the loans he mentioned that you can "apply for right through the corporation" are private loans and carry pretty high interest rates. Avoid these unless you REALLY need them.</p>
<p>Also, the typical lender will tell a student "oh, you qualify for Stafford Loans" without examining all the necessary information. In fact, lenders do not have access to all of the necessary information to determine whether a student truly qualifies for Stafford Loans. </p>
<p>College Loan Corporation is a legitimate Title IV lender...and many students do like the repayment benefits they offer....but they are only one of over 3,000 out there. You really need to speak with your Financial Aid Office to determine whether you qualify for Stafford Loans and what lenders are available. About 30% of all schools only use Direct Loans....so setting things up for a FFELP loan would be useless...as would the reverse if they are a FFELP school. Call your school and speak with a Financial Aid Counselor.</p>