"With college costs rising faster than federal aid and family paychecks, students are turning more to loans that are not subsidized or backed by the federal government," The Dallas Morning News reports. "What the pitches for these so-called private or alternative loans often fail to mention, or bury in fine print, is that they almost always cost more than federally backed ones, with interest rates that can rival those of some credit cards. Banks and companies that give private student loans say their products fill a growing need. Recent changes in federal law have cut the guaranteed profit that lenders make on federal loans. Some experts say that's made private loans more appealing to lenders because they can set their own rates."