How can I get a student loan?

Do you live in the US?

Yes

Fill out the FAFSA is step one. No one will give you a loan without doing that.

I recommend exhausting the federal student loans first, they typically have better interest rates.

If that’s not enough money, try major bank websites. My privately held student loans were through Key Bank (or more specifically Great Lakes Education, through Key Bank), Sallie Mae, Wells Fargo, and American Education Services. You can apply to all of them online and have an answer pretty quickly. Especially with today’s economy, you can pretty much expect to need a cosigner. I needed one all the way back in 04 when the economy was in solid shape.

As far as them paying out. The vast majority of student loans are paid directly to the school, who takes out the money they need for tuition and then sends you a refund check. Very few are paid directly to the student, and those that are typically have bad interest rates or what not.

If you get a student loan for a full year (or two semesters), you will get your money ½ at a time (or more specifically the school will receive it ½ at a time). If you’re on quarters, the school will get it ⅓ at a time. It’s paid out at the beginning of each quarter/semester/term.

1. Fill out a FAFSA: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
2. Not for government loans, maybe from private lenders
3. You generally receive the money at the beginning of the academic term. It will be paid directly to the school, unless the loan amount is greater than what you owe, in which case the difference will be refunded to you.

Please be very careful. Student loans can be extremely damaging to your finances. You cannot declare bankruptcy to get rid of them, and lenders will give you pretty much any amount of money, even if there is no way you’ll be able to pay it back. This is perfectly legal and you will have no recourse.

How can some student loans be better than others?
Right now this is my last resort and I feel like taking out loans in general will just drown me.

Good vs. bad loans generally refers to the interest rate and repayment terms. Good loans have low interest, and will allow you a grace period after you graduate, and forbearance in case of temporary hardship. Bad loans will not.

Do you have a financial aid counselor you can talk to?

I’ve been trying to call them all day, the line is always busy and they even dropped my call once.

Go into the financial aid office at your college and talk to someone.