Can I Receive Student Loans for Two Different Schools at One Time?

There are several types of federally guaranteed student loans available to college students. The most common are Stafford Loans and Perkins Loans. The funds that students receive from these and other government-sponsored loans are disbursed through the school attended. Students may transfer schools, but may only receive federally sponsored loans through one school at a time.

There Has to be a Way

There are a couple of ways to work around this if you need to take classes at two different schools. The simplest way, if you're able to do so, is to work with a private lender to borrow funds for one of the schools attended. Private lenders are not subject to the same regulations associated with government-sponsored loans. However, the terms of private loans are often less favorable than traditional student loans.

Home and Host

Fortunately, there is another way to go about using student loans to pay for classes at two schools, if both schools agree to the arrangement. The school who is receiving your loan funds -- known as your "home" school -- can agree to pay the other school you attend -- known as your "host" or "visited" school -- out of the funds they have received from your loan. You'll need to discuss the particulars of your situation with the admissions and financial aid departments of both schools to set up this kind of arrangement.