Federal Stafford Loans—now known under the U.S. Department of Education’s Direct Loan Program—were once issued through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program until it ended in 2010; all new federal student loans are today made directly by the government. These loans came in two types: Subsidized, which paid interest while students were in school or in deferment, and Unsubsidized, where students must cover accrued interest themselves.