Bank Loans
While government student loans may be an option, they are not available to everyone. Many financial institutions have developed a loan program especially for students, charging a preferential interest rate.
Student Lines of Credit
Most institutions also have a credit line, which allows more flexibility, setting a maximum amount of money that you can borrow. You arrange the overall amount you need and withdraw what you need when you need it. The benefit of a credit line is that you pay interest only on the funds that you use, not on the total amount of the credit line as you would a regular loan. And you are expected to pay back the interest only on a monthly basis while you remain in school. After you've completed your studies, you're entitled to a grace period of about six months during which you continue to pay the interest only. After that, you'll meet with your financial institution to make arrangement to repay the credit line over a period of up to 10 years or more.
Note that many students are permitted to borrow about $5,000 to $6,000 per annum for college and university programs and in the $10,000 range per annum for graduate programs. You'll probably also require a co-signer such as a parent or guardian to support your applications.
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