Yes, the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is available to parents who meet minimal credit standards.  They offer low, annually adjusted, interest rates and parents may borrow up to the total cost of education, as determined by the school, less any aid received by the student.

Your lender should offer low interest rates and high-quality customer service, from loan origination to ongoing service when you're in repayment. Ask if loan application processing, funds transmission and payments can be done electronically. Also, ask if your loan information is available to you 24 hours a day electronically.

Choose a lender who offers plans to make repaying education loans more manageable. You should have a choice of standard repayment, graduated repayment, loan consolidation or serialization, and income-sensitive repayment plans.

Select a lender that offers programs that reward you for paying on time or for paying electronically, because on-time payments keep servicing costs down and make loans easier to administer. Determine whether you can prepay your loans without penalty, which also reduces the total cost of your loan.

Stillwater National Bank is the servicing agent for SNB Bank of Kansas for student loans. SNB is committed to providing the lowest interest rates possible, the best customer service and most modern electronic loan processing systems to student and parent loan customers.

Answer "yes" so you do not limit your options. Most students do take out the student loans that are included in their financial aid award but you are not obligated to accept any aid listed in your award letter. You can always decline loans if you decide that you do not want them. You may also choose to accept a reduced loan amount from your award letter if you do not need the entire amount offered.

Submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1. Although it is better to do your taxes early, it is okay to use estimates of your income, so long as they aren't far off from the actual values. Most states require the FAFSA to be submitted by March 1 to be eligible for state aid, and some even as early as mid-February. You should find out the deadline at the school(s) you are considering and file the FAFSA in time to meet the deadline, even if that means estimating your income. Keep in mind that if you wait too long, you may miss state aid deadlines.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a federal form you must fill out to qualify for most student financial aid. Everyone should complete the FAFSA even if you do not think you will qualify for federal grants.  Schools cannot offer any federal aid, including grants, Federal Work Study or loans; until the FAFSA is completed and processed. The federal formula for determining eligibility is complicated and you cannot determine whether or not you qualify on your own.