Among other things, the annual family income of the applicant plays a major role in determining the total financial aid they are actually eligible to receive. Apart from financial grants and scholarships, candidates can also avail of monetary benefits like student loans to fund their education. But, they should understand that student loans are borrowed at a certain rate of interest, unlike grants and scholarships. While grants and scholarship schemes do not require repayment, student loans should be repaid by the applicants within a given period.