Finance is what allows business to exist. Adequate finance is required to meet the various commitments arising out of business transactions. The financial requirements of business can be broadly classified into two categories- short-term sources and long-term sources.

Short- term finance is required to meet the working capital requirements of a business firm. These are the funds required for a period up to 1 year. The sources of short-term finance are: trade credit, bank borrowings, factoring of receivables, commercial paper and accrued expenses and deferred income. Trade credit refers to the type of credit provided to customers by suppliers of goods in the normal cause of business transactions. The trade credit is easily available and is dependent on personal relationship between the supplier and the buyer. It also offers better access to small and newly established business concerns by selling the goods on credit basis.

Banks constitute an important institutional source of financing the working capital requirements. Banks consider various aspects such as production and marketing plans of the customer while determining the credit requirements.  The amount so determined by the bank is known as credit limit. Bankers are required to fix separate credit limits for various types of credit facilities to be extended to various types of borrowers. Margins are kept by the banker before granting finance. This is based on the principle of conservatism and is decided to ensure safety of funds.

Banks extend the following type of financial facilities to customers: Over draft, Cash credit, Purchase or discounting of bills and demand loans. Over draft is a temporary arrangement whereby the customer is allowed to draw over and above the balance standing to the credit of the customer. Under cash credit facility, a borrower is permitted to withdraw funds from the bank up to the sanctioned credit limit. Demand loans are called the ad hoc or temporary financial accommodation granted to customers to meet unforeseen contingencies. The borrower has to pay a higher rate of interest on these types of advances.

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Normally, graduate students pay for tuition fee more than undergraduate. Therefore, the main purpose of graduate loans is to help fund their education. There are two venues in which graduate students can obtain graduate loans: the government and private entities, (who provide alternative graduate loans). Each of these is discussed in more detail below.

1. Government Graduate Loans
This type of loan is the same as undergraduate loan. The only difference is name. Like undergraduates, graduates have the opportunity to get a Stafford or Perkins loan from the government.

Stafford graduate loans are available to any graduate student regardless of their financial situation. Two types of Stafford graduate loans exist: subsidized and unsubsidized. The difference in the two lies in who pays the interest. For subsidized Stafford graduate loans, the government pays the interest. Students pay for the interest in unsubsidized Stafford graduate loans, though there is the option of not having to make payments until after graduation.

A Perkins graduate loan is available to students who demonstrate financial hardship. It has an interest rate of only 5 percent and can finance up to $4,000 of the graduate student’s education. For graduate students who are adversely limited economically, the Perkins loan is not a bad option. However, one must keep in mind that payments are still expected to be received promptly and perpetually. In extreme circumstances it is possible to request a deferment on loan payments until one is able to pay normally.

To apply for either the Perkins or Stafford graduate loans, one must submit a FAFSA form to the government. When the form has been processed the government will send a SAR (Student Aide Report) which will give further instructions on how to apply for these loans.

2. Alternate Graduate Loans
This loan has also been known as private graduate loans, are loans funded by non-governmental entities. Companies offering these loans could be banks, credit card agencies or any other enterprise interested in helping graduate students secure student loans. The Education Resources Institute (TERI) is an example of a company offering this type of loan. It is called the Act Graduate Student loan program. The application can be filled out online at http://gradloans.com. Decisions are received in as little as 15 minutes.

You can first try to visit websites of all the major banks because many do offer student loans services. Or you can use a search engine by typing the name of banks you know. Some banks will even offer graduate loan comparison charts to help their customers see how their loans stack up against the competitors. These charts can serve as a further aide in researching graduate loans.

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