Basic points
There are several types of loans available to students. The simplest categorization is into federal student loans and private loans. In case you would like to obtain federal student loans you will have to fill in the so called FASFA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
There are four main federal types of loans for students in USA:
• Federal Stafford Loan
• Federal Perkins loan
• Federal PLUS Loan
• Federal Graduate PLUS Loan
Now we draft some details about each of them.
Student loans can help to cover costs connected with receiving higher education.These kinds of loans are issued by Student Finance Direct, a service managed by the Student Loans Company in partnership with local authorities and the Department for Education and Skills.The interest rate on student loans is directly linked to the rate of inflation, so you ... 
Federal Stafford Loan - is the main federal loan, has low interest rates and do not require credit checks or collateral. It is provided to the student. Federal Stafford credits can be subsidized and unsubsidized. In first case interests on the credit are paid by government during the period of study and in the second case ...
Federal Direct Student Loan Program (FDSLP) loans, administered by "Direct Lending Schools", are provided by the US government directly to students and their parents. Some other schools offer Stafford loans to students through banks or other lenders. You usually can find an abbreviation used for such schools- FFEL schools (Federal Family Education Loan). If you want ...
Federal Perkins Loan - is a low interest (5%) loan for undergraduate and graduate students with exceptional financial need. As a lender here act an educational institution which receives limited amount of financial means from Federal government. It is a subsidized loan thus the interests are paid by federal government during the period of study, there ...