How to chose a lender?

[xiownthisplacex]

I'm thinking about going back to school to finish my degree. My next step is to research student loans, except I don't know anything about them. My scores are in the mid 700's, 3.8 AAoA and 5% of debt. What lender do you recommend with the lowest interest rate?

[SCF]

Start with your school's financial aid office, and exhaust all of your grants, scholarships and Federal student loans before looking to apply for private student loans.

If you still need private loans after talking with the Fin Aid office (and if your aid package isn't enough, you should go back to them and see if they can modify the offer at all), then ask them for reccomendations for lenders, sometimes schools will have an existing relationship.  After that, I would just start by looking online to find loans with rates/terms that appeal to you.  Be aware that you may need a co-signer if you don't have a strong enough income for the amount you ask for.

[SyntheticMemories]

Start with federal student loans: fafsa.ed.gov. This will also see if you quailify for Pell Grant money (free money).

Assuming your 24, have a kid, married, or a vetran/in the miltary you'll need your 2012 taxes. If you paid/receive child support you'll  need to know that, along with any other money you receive. It will ask you if you want to transfer the info from the IRS, if it lets you do this. It will make things easier in the long run.

After it ask for tax infomation, child support, other income, etc. It will ask three questions. One being, how  much do you have in checking, savings, cash. Answer around 100 bucks.

It will then ask about real estate, don't include your home in this. Usually this will be zero. If you own rental homes, you figure out how much there worth, minus what you owe on them and put that figure. I believe this one also asks about a farm, unless your farm is like Braums, don't factor anything for it either.

The thrid questions asks about business income, unless you employ more than a 100 people, this is zero. 

This should get your FAFSA complete. As soon as you hit submit, it will let you know the amount of loan money per year and, if any Pell grant. If you don't see a figure for pell grant, you didn't get any. 

[xiownthisplacex]

Thanks for the advice, I'll speak with them!