Another government loan program is the Perkins loan program. Perkins loans are similar to Stafford loans in that they are loans from the government that must be repaid. However, Perkins loans are administered through your school directly. Perkins loans come from revolving federal funding at institutions. As students pay back their loans, the funds are re-lent to others. Each institution gets a small additional capital contribution each year from the government to be distributed as Perkins loans, and can allot it to students as it sees fit. Perkins loans are need based, and presently carry a lower interest rate than Stafford loans. Additionally, the Perkins program contains some forgiveness programs not offered to students who have loans through the FFELP or FDLP. With a Perkins loan, your school is the lender.