i'll be starting professional school in the fall and need to apply for student loans. i know i'll recieve about 33,000 in government loans. but i will have to borrow more money.

i was wondering if there are any other loans, besides private loans, that i can apply for? i'm an adult and don't have parents to sign. i have pretty good credit and should be eligible to take out a loan.

i took out a private loan over the spring for $4k because i had too. but i'm learning these are the worst loans to get.

what options do i have? can i do a PLUS loan? which Banks offer the best rates?

Your best bet would be to contact your school's financial aid office. Does the figure you quoted include a Grad PLUS loan? That's one possibility. They are credit-based, but with much better terms than private loans. If you were able to qualify for a private loan on your own, I'd bet you could get approved for a PLUS loan.

I say stay through the school's financial aid department. Bug them for grants, loans, assistantships, and etc. Bring the secretaries cookies. But I would definitely advise to stay away from private loans.

Congrats on your accomplishments.

I finished grad school 5 years ago and I did take the government ones that were available. My mother and I also got a private loan from Wells Fargo together, as well as one or two credit cards. I agree with the previous poster(s) about hounding your financial aid office. Also scour the internet because there are a plethora of scholarships and grants out there, but you have to find them and apply apply apply!

Adding to what Cristy said...

Grants and scholarships are not like applying for a TL. There are no inquiries. The worst they can tell you is "no." There are so many grants and scholarships out there that people don't capitalize on because they don't know they exist. Never stop looking. Remember those loans are real money.