2. Each school has a published “Cost of Attendance” which not only includes tuition and fees, but also includes modest living expenses, transportation costs, books even the cost of a computer and misc items. No student is allowed to get more financial aid than their schools published cost of attendance. However, I don’t know of any “full ride” scholarship that gives you enough for ALL of the expenses and costs I mentioned. Most “full ride” scholarships will include tuition and fees, and some really good ones will pay for your dorms and meal plans, but no CASH for those things like misc items and transportation costs and no books either.

3. Almost every scholarship (esp full ride ones) require students to fill out the fafsa before they apply and receive the info. So I’m ASSUMING you have already done this, and will be required to do so every year to keep or reapply for your scholarship. No problem there. I’m sure your parents will be willing to provide that information and sign your fafsa so you can keep applying for that scholarship.

Go to the schools fin aid office and tell them you want a student Stafford loan. They will give you the instructions on how to so so. You may not get as much as you want, but unless your school is giving you a living stipend every semester or month, you will be able to get a federal loan.

Just please be careful so you don’t end up like this guy.

The answer is “no”, but it has nothing to do with whether or not your parents find out.

Education loans are intended for educational purposes, and there is a system in place to make sure that they are used that way.

When you apply for a student loan, the lender will contact your school, and ask your school to “certify” your financial aid “need”. Your financial aid need is the difference between what you have available to you now, and what you’ll need to pay for a year at the school. If your scholarship is truly a “full scholarship”, that’s paying for your tuition, your fees, your books, your room and board, your school supplies, and a modest allowance for spending money, then your financial aid need is zero – which is what your school is required to certify to any lender that inquires.

The only way you can qualify to take out an educational loan is if you have school expenses that are not being paid by the scholarship. If that’s the case, then you’ll want to complete the FAFSA and take advantage of the Stafford loan. Your parents will know that you have done that, because they’ll have to provide information on your FAFSA and sign it.

You’ll want a Stafford loan because it’s very unlikely that you’ll be approved for any “private” educational loan without a cosigner.

Good luck to you.