Can I get a student loan if I only have 3 credits?

Answer 1

It depends on the program you're in and the type of loan you're looking for.

I'm assuming that you're an undergraduate student, in which case the federal government defines "full-time" as 12 credits and half-time is 6. (Credit loads for graduate programs are determined by the school; if your grad school decides that 6 credits is full time, then the student loan regs will follow.)

Two of the major federal student loan programs -- Stafford and PLUS -- are not available to students enrolled less than half-time, which means that your 3 credits won't make you eligible. The Federal Perkins loan program IS open to students enrolled less-than-half time, but it's important to note that not all schools offer Perkins Loans.

Your best bet at this point is to apply for the above loans. If you are offered them, great! If not, you will need to seek out a private loan program that is open to part-time students. Plenty of private loan lenders offer such programs. Consider any of the following:

CitiAssist Undergraduate Loan: http://studentloan.citibank.com/slcsite/fr_ccund.asp
TERI Continuing Education Loan: http://www.teri.org/loan-center/loan-programs/continuing-ed/continuing-ed.asp
Sallie Mae Continuing Education Loan: http://www.salliemae.com/get_student_loan/find_student_loan/training_loans/continuing_ed/
Sallie Mae Tuition Answer Loan: http://www.salliemae.com/get_student_loan/find_student_loan/parent_loans/private_student_loans/tuition_answer/

Answer 2

I think so... Financial aid is paid on hours. 12 hours if f/t 6 is half time and 3 is quarter time. Full time gets all the money. and half gets half