URGENT student loan certification -- need to understand

[northernlights]

How dire are the requirements? Do all banks require it? If not, can someone point me to some that offer student loans that don't allow a stranger (and nasty bitch, I might add) to decide how much money I need to not starve or freeze this year?

Please, no lectures on the horrors of student loans. There simply isn't an option any more, other than standard private loan at 12% interest. I was lied to, tricked and cheated by the school's advisor so it's going to take a lot longer, and cost a fucking lot more, to finish the MLT program than I anticipated and planned for. I've been unable to find work -- the few who are hiring aren't hiring me for anything...not even mopping floors. I will run out of money in a few weeks. I *think* I can make my car insurance payment in August. My house is for sale, and the realtor is doing *nothing.* It took them 3 weeks to get around to putting it on realtor.com, after much nagging by me. I ran 2 ads at my own expense and had 4 inquiries but no follow up. I sold my tractor and york rake to get through this year. The only other high end items I have are my guitar -- I have 2 buyers but no digital camera to send them pics -- and some jewelry. Other than that, I can't sell anything I have even at yard sales, which I held last year.

Anyway, from other students I'd heard they just called, the forms were fedexed, they filled them out and voila, a check in the mail. No more -- now they seem to all (or almost all, I'm still looking) require school certification and disbursement for private loans.

Some loan sites describe the certification as simply confirming registration in the school, course load and existing loans. Fine.

But 1 or 2 say the school advises how much money you need to live on. Not fine.

Because last year the school's financial aid office allowed me $4,000 to live on. After much begging they raised it to $6,000.

I'm sorry, but as an independent, I cannot live on $6,000/year. My utilities, taxes, insurance are that much. I still need something for food, repairs, whatever. At least until I get my house sold, at which point all debts can be paid off (and I can start over poorer, older and still wondering whether I'll ever find a place in society again.)

[anigbrowl]

1. Other than that you are having problems, it is not very clear what you are talking about

I suggest you rewrite the OP and try explaining the problem in chronological order. I'm not saying this to be snarky, I just can't make out why you are having difficulty getting the loan, only that you are in a financial squeeze and apparently it's someone else's fault.

[northernlights]

2. I need to understand the school certification process for private student loans

I am hoping to hear from someone currently in school who has certified loans who can tell me the truth about them, because my financial aid office does not have a record of honesty.

In the past, you could get private student loans directly from banks, called "uncertified loans". Now, most of them appear to not do uncertified loans. For example, Chase now has a red notice on the site saying they no longer give uncertified student loans.

Instead, they send the application to your school for the financial aid office to certify and all money goes to the financial aid office first for disbursement.

Some student loan websites describe the certification as simply confirming that you are a registered student, your coarse load and your existing federal loans.

Other websites say that the financial aid office determines how much money you are eligible to borrow and can change the amount of the private loan.

As a result of my experience with my university, I do not believe their explanations (or non-explanations) for anything. My financial aid office last year refused to explain federal stafford loan processes, standards or what one can or cannot qualify for. They claim stafford loans are granted on a "case by case" basis. I do not believe there are no federal guidelines for federal loans. I therefore will not believe anything they tell me about the certification process.