Student Loan question

[shibabigk]

I will need to take out a student loan for the spring and summer semster next year ( I will have funding for the fall 2010 and beyond), but coming from a country of free education I am not certain how they work. I get the different types, repayment options and such. What I specifically need to know is how much I should borrow. What I mean is I can of course calculate my exact tuition but do I guesstimate at how much books will cost? Do I borrow for on semester and then apply for a new loan for the summer? Or do I borrow everything together? In that case where does the money go for classes that I can't yet register for in the meantime? I hope that makes sense.

Thanks!

[irmanator]

When you apply thru the school they will help you. They usually do a year at a time and you get half each term. They estimate the cost of books. If your costs end up being less they refund the difference. The check goes to the school. This is to make sure it is used for its purpose because years ago people took out the loans (they are garanteed) and used the money for something else then dropped out.