"Students who plan to borrow for college over the next few months can rest easy," Kiplinger reports. "The Department of Education will ensure the availability of federal student loans by buying them back from private lenders, if necessary, or by freeing up the money that lenders need to make the loans. The news isn't as reassuring for private loans. Unlike Staffords, which are available to all students who apply for financial aid, private student loans require that applicants meet underwriting standards. To help students with poor or no credit fill the gap between federal loans and college costs, lawmakers recently raised the maximum on unsubsidized Staffords by $2,000 annually."