Currently at the time of this article, if you Google “quick student loans” or “fast student loans”, the top result sends you to a landing page at http://www.thinkfinancial.com. The only thing that page does is ask you if you still need more money for college then click here to get an application for a SunTrust Academic Answer Loan. Now, is SunTrust your best answer for an impulse school loan? … maybe or maybe not. I think it would be wise to spend at least five minutes instead of one before making a quick student loan decision that could possibly strap you down for the next decade or more.

According to an August 2009 survey of eleven private student loan lenders, the SunTrust Academic Answer Loan was rated smack in the middle with a two and a half star rating. There were three lenders with a four star rating: Addison Avenue, NASA, and Northwest FCU Private Student Loans. Notice they are all FCU or federal credit unions and not banks. Check out you local credit union before turning to a bank.

There are other very important things to consider before taking a student loan plunge. Get a relative with good credit to co-sign the loan with you. Starting college, you probably do not have a good credit score. This goes against a Dave Ramsey style of thinking but if you are faithful to pay off the loan over the next few years, everyone comes out looking good. It comes down to your relative's character judgment of you. If you haven't been the most responsible young person growing up, don't expect mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa to co-sign with you on a quick student loan. They would be responsible for the balance of the loan if you failed yet again in this area of your life.

If you don't have someone co-signing with you, you might still be able to get the loan but it'll come to you with a higher interest rate. Also, there are probably stiff penalties if you are late on a payment. Expect the interest rate to climb even higher. These are the things you need to think about before jumping in too fast.

Before you pursue any student loan, make sure all other sources of money have been tapped including, federal loans and grants, scholarships, and work study programs. Some states also have their own private loan programs which are worth investigating before turning to a bank for financial aid.

Finally consider going to a two year community school to get an AA degree and then transfer to a four year university to complete your education in the field of your choice. While I'm on the topic of career choices, never get a loan to obtain an education in a field that doesn't pay well. Philosophy or art degrees do not help much in paying off quick student loans.

In summary, obtaining quick student loans can be a life changing experience for better or for worse. Tread carefully before you get one.