Whether you are a student or a parent/guardian of a student in need of a loan for school you will definitely want to do your homework before securing financing. There are several types of student loans available, including the following:

• Federal Stafford Loan
  This is the most common student loan. It offers the money you need, a very low interest rate, and no payments until you are out of school.
   
•  Regular Student Loan
  This loan will be called "Excel" or "Signature Student" or something else by the many lending institutions. Essentially it is the bank's student loan that is simply not federally guaranteed. So the interest rate will be slightly higher than on a Stafford loan, but it will still get the job done.
   
• MBA, Medical, Law, Grad School Loans
  These loans are exactly what they sound like; financing for post-graduate work.

Also, don't forget about free money that may be available to you for school. Check out the information published by Sallie Mae, one of the top student loan lenders in the United States - click here.