What are Federal Stafford and Federal PLUS Loans?
These loans are available through two different, but similar, loan programs: the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the William D. Ford Direct Loan (DL) Program. The main difference between the two programs is that the FFEL Program funds come from a private lender of your choice (such as banks, credit unions, savings institutions, or other lenders that participate in the FFEL Program), while the DL Program funds come directly from the federal government. Your college might participate in one or both of the loan programs. You might receive both FFEL Program and DL Program loans, but not both loan programs for the same period of enrollment at the same college.
