Financing your education, whether you are attending a four-year college or university, community college, graduate school, or trade, career, or technical school is a difficult task. Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Education offers a wide range of low interest student loans which can help you and your parents cover the costs of your education. There are four main types of loans available to students and their parents: Federal Perkins Loans, Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and Consolidation Loans.The Federal Perkins LoanThe Federal Perkins Loan is a low interest student loan offered to undergraduate and graduate students who show significant financial need. The interest rate is fixed at 5% over a 10 year repayment period. The loan program is disbursed by the participating school and is made to students who are enrolled either full or part-time.The Stafford LoanThe Stafford Loan is a student loan offered to undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled at least half-time in a institution of higher learning. Two types of Stafford Loans exist: subsidized and unsubsidized. A subsidized Stafford Loan does not accrue interest while a student is enrolled in school and is fixed at a rate of 6% for undergraduates and 6.8% for graduates. In order to be eligible for a Stafford Loan, a student must demonstrate financial need. On the other hand, an unsubsidized Stafford Loan accrues interest from the point that the loan is made. Unsubsidized Stafford loans are fixed at a rate of 6.8% for undergraduates and graduates.The Federal PLUS LoanThe Federal PLUS Loan, can be obtained either by parents to pay for the undergraduate education of their dependent children or by graduates students to pay for their own graduate or professional degree. Currently the interest rate for undergraduate loans is fixed at 8.5% and the interest rate for graduate loans is fixed at 7.9%.Consolidation LoanThe Consolidation Loan enables student and parent loan borrowers to consolidate multiple Federal education loans into one loan. Consolidation simplifies the repayment process, allowing borrowers to make one monthly loan.