Many people are wanting to go back or finish school now that the economy is in shambles.  Many of these people don't have good credit and don't have the money to front for school.  What can be done?  Well even though you may have bad credit, there are still student loan options and programs availalbe to help.

 There are some tricks of the trade to help you get qualified for a student loan even if you don't have good credit.  Use these tips to avoid letting loan guidelines keep you from a bright future.

1. We are all prideful and want to do things ourselves, but using a co-signor can help 80% of student loan applicants approve if they were turned down previously.  Snuggle up to the grandparents or that rich uncle of yours, its worth it!
2. Talk to several banks and meet with their loan officers.  Explain to them your situation in person so that they can feel good about lending to you.  Most of these banks will still lend to you if you have bad credit, but at a higher interest rate.  The point is that a loan can still be obtained if you personally meet with a loan officer.
3. Combination loans are great solutions.  a combination loan consolidates existing debt while applying for a new tuition loan.  In this type of loan situation it would be very wise to also use a co-signor to make sure you get a good low rate on the new tuition loan and consolidation loan.
4. FAFSA is another great option.  This taps into the Perkins or Stafford Loans.  This is FREE money that is available to new and existing students and can be worked through your school's administration office. 

 With all the advertisements out there for student loans, here are a few warnings to watch for while applying and researching student loan options.

• NEVER put tuition on a credit card.  Make this a last resort if all other options fail and even then, you probably should still never do this.  Credit card rates are insanely high and you will make a high payment for that tuition for a long long time and will cost you 5 times of what the initial price of the tuition was.
• Student loans DO NOT help your credit while you are in school.  They will start to help your credit score once you start repaying the loan which typically happens once you have graduated.  Don't get sucked into a student loan program thinking your credit score will be magically fixed the second the loan gets approved.
• Make sure you research private student loans as their rates are often much higher than FAFSA loans.  If you have to go the private route just make sure you pick the lender with the lowest student loan rates.

 Stafford loans are federal loans that come in two types.  Credit does not matter when it comes to these types of loans.

• Subsidized loans are awarded to financially needy students.  If you qualify for this loan the government pays the loan interest due each month while you are in school until the repayment period.
• Unsubsidized loans are available to every student regardless of need.  If you are relying solely on this loan to pay for school, you will be disappointed as the payouts are meager. 

Perkins loans are another solution for people with bad credit scores.  Perkins loans are available for both undergraduates and graduate students.  Typical loan amounts are between $1,000 and $4,000 for each school year, but not to exceed $20,000 total.

To learn even more about these two types of loans make sure to visit your administration office at your college or school.

 Did you know that many departments of the school you attend offer scholarships or student loans?  For example, The Nursing Student Loan program provides up to $4,000 per school year to qualifying nurse students.  Other departments such as mathematics, engineering, business, etc. offer student loan options for their specific department.

Make sure you exhaust all these options and most likely you will be surprised at the amounts of money available to help you finish your life long dream of graduating from school.