Loans

photo credit: quinn.anya

Overview of Peer to Peer Lending

With the cost of college tuition rising every year, the government can no longer provide enough support to cover all college expenses. In addition with the ongoing credit crisis, funding for student loans given by banks and other private institutions has nearly dried up or become inaccessible. In the instances where students can obtain private funding, interest rates can be as high as 20%. Consequently, students are desperately looking for other sources of funding for their education.

A relatively new alternative to government and banking loans is peer-to-peer lending (aka p2p lending, social lending). With peer-to-peer lending, borrowers can get loans directly from a pool of private lenders. (more…)

photo credit: James Willamor

A private student loan is an option for students who prefer not to borrow money from the government or from Sallie Mae, or who have not been fortunate in obtaining grants and scholarships from both private and public foundations. The interest rates could be slightly higher than say a federal Stafford loan or a Perkins loan, but if the student, or his parents, has a good relationship with a private lender, the rates and terms could be negotiated…and often in a friendly manner.

A private student loan is sometimes called an alternative student loan and could be any type of loan, provided it was not obtained from a government source. (more…)