will the stafford or any other non-credit based federal loan cover my whole $15,000 undergrad tuition?

Answer 1

Here are the current limits for the Stafford loan:

Dependent Annual loan limit
Freshman $2,625*
Sophomore $3,500*
Junior or senior $5,500

Independent Annual loan limit
Freshman $6,625*
Sophomore $7,500*
Junior or senior $10,500
Graduate or professional $18,500*

Undergraduate dependent lifetime limit $23,000
Undergraduate independent lifetime limit $46,000
Graduate or professional lifetime limit** $138,500

Without knowing your specific circumstances, I can't say for sure but it seems possible, particularly if you got grants and/or work study as well.

Answer 2

Federal loans do not necessarally cover the entre cost of attending college, nor tuition alone. There is a cap on federal (Stafford) loans that can be taken per year. My recolection as to the caps on undergraduate students is that this cap is less than $15,000/year. This is a question that is best answered by your school's financial aid office.

Answer 3

Your financial aid office of the college you are attending should have broken this down to you as to what amounts you qualified for in the way of federal student loans... it may or may not cover the whole tuition bill and if it doesn't then you would pay either out-of-pocket or with a parent plus loan the "unmet" need.