With the coming of tuition bills, arises a need for a way of paying the bills.

One way of taking care of those bills is to take out a student loan.

The financial aid department, located in Hearnes Hall, grants loans to students when they need them. Jim Gilbert, director of financial aid, said whether or not a student can get a loan depends on numerous factors. The main one of those being Free Application Federal Student Aid.

Before getting a loan through the University, all students must file a FAFSA application with the government. If a student is eligible for the Pell Grant, they have a good chance of being able to get a loan from the University, depending on need.

Amber Dalbey, freshman health promotion and wellness major, works in the front of the financial aid office. She said the choice of whether or not a student gets a loan is not up for the Southern to decide.

“It’s pretty much just the government’s rules,” she said.

Gilbert said the government will tell the school if a student is or is not eligible for a loan.

Everything from room and board to tuition is taken into account.

The types of loans vary greatly, depending on what the student needs or can get.

The loans can be either subsidized or unsubsidized, meaning nothing needs to be paid back while the student is currently at “in-school status” or the student has to pay interest on the loan while in school. The way the loans are repaid varies greatly as well.

Some have a six-month grace period on repayment while others have a nine-month grace period. Gilbert said even then, though, exceptions can be made.

“If a student doesn’t have a job within six months, they can apply for a deferment,” he said.

However, not all appeals will be accepted.

Gilbert said loans are currently the biggest chunk of financial aid for students in higher education. He said they make up 75 percent of the total amount the government helps students with. Grants and scholarships make up 22 percent while work study is three percent. Gilbert said this is due to a government policy that money is tight.

“They’re rationing money, and if you reap the benefits, you’ll pay for it,” he said.

He also attributes the high number of loans to higher costs in secondary education.

Erika Cassi, junior elementary education major, took out a loan this semester. She thought the process was “pretty simple to follow” and that loans are important to students.

“I know there are a lot of people who depend on loans,” she said. “I was happy with what I did receive.”

Dalbey said most students are easy to work with when it comes to loans. She said the ones who aren’t are the ones who do not receive as much as they think they need to be getting.

“They need to inquire about it more than just jumping to conclusions,” she said.

Gilbert said the average student will leave school with a debt of more than $1,500.

“That is mortgaging your future,” he said. Students also have the option to go to a bank or other loan institute for loans.