If you are seeking to further your education by attending college, most likely you can’t afford the tuition costs on your own. You might need some assistance to make ends meet and realize your dream of attending college. But what if you have bad credit or even no credit history at all?

Do you have to wait to establish your credit or improve it before you can hope to qualify for a loan? No, you don’t. Fortunately, there are bad credit student loans available for people with bad credit or no credit who are interested in continuing their education.

There are loans available based on need and there are also loans issued even if there is not a financial need. Most of these loans are backed or issued by the government. If you can prove a financial need, you may be able to qualify for a Federal Stafford loan or Perkins loan. The Stafford loan issued based on financial need is a subsidized loan. With this loan, the government pays the interest on the loan while you are in school and for the first six months after you graduate from college.

The Perkins Loan is another loan that is issued based on financial need. Fewer of them are issued than the subsidized Stafford loan, but if you qualify, you will be glad that the loan is less costly over time. If you do have a financial need, you’ll want to check to see if you qualify for a Federal Pell Grant. This would be the best deal for anyone who can qualify because it is a grant from the government.

If you’re able to qualify for Pell grants, they will never have to be paid back. As long as your education is in good standing, you should be able to get a Pell grant each semester for as long as you qualify.

If you aren’t able to qualify for the federal subsidized loan programs, there are still some options out there for you. Take a look at unsubsidized Stafford loans, because they are probably still available to you, even if you have bad credit.

With unsubsidized Stafford loans, the government doesn’t assist at all with the repayment. However, these loans generally have pretty good interest rates. Bad credit history won’t disqualify you from getting this loan type.