Private student loans (sometimes called alternative loans) are loans that eligible students may access to help pay for the cost of attending college. The loans are accessed by students from banks and finance companies, much like a personal or auto loan. They are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, or DMACC.
Students seeking degree, diploma, or financial aid eligible certificate programs should only consider private loans after applying for federal and state financial aid. Private student loans may be available to supplement your federal financial aid award if you need additional financial aid or federal aid has been exhausted. In almost all cases, they should not be a student's primary form of financial aid. For students in a non-credit program (such as Commercial Driving) the private loan may be one of the few financial aid options available.
If you need to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) visit
fafsa.gov. You can complete a FAFSA even if the semester has already begun. Contact the
Financial Aid Office if you have any questions or need further information about the FAFSA. Please keep in mind that students attending non-credit programs at DMACC are not eligible to receive federal or state financial aid. In this case, completing the FAFSA is not encouraged.