Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Doing so is required in all cases to receive Perkins and Stafford loans. You can complete the application online at the Department of Education FAFSA website. Specify in the appropriate section of the application that you want to be considered for student loans.
Contact the Student Financial Aid office at your school or prospective school to learn the attendance, grade point average and other requirements for eligibility for a Perkins or Stafford loan. Not all schools offer both types of loans. Neither loan requires a credit check, but Perkins and Stafford loan awards are subject to scholastic requirements that vary by school for schools that offer them.
Complete the application for financial aid for your school. This application is different from the FAFSA and must be completed in addition to the FAFSA. The Office of Student Financial Aid at your school will provide information on how to complete their application. Specify in the application that you want to be considered for student loans.
Select a lender that provides federal student loans once you have been awarded a Perkins or Stafford loan by the Student Financial Aid office at your school. Your Financial Aid office will provide a list of preferred lenders, but you are not obligated to choose a lender from the list and may select a different lender. Lenders are not permitted to evaluate your credit to decide whether they will fund your Perkins or Stafford loan.
Complete the documentation required by lenders to issue Perkins and Stafford loans that you have been awarded. The documentation includes a Master Promissory Note. Depending on your lender, you may be able to complete the note online. You will receive the funds from the loan according to terms established by your school's Student Financial Aid office.