The Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) is a federal loan program under which commercial lenders provide education loans to student and parent borrowers. The program offers four types of loans: Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan, Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, Federal PLUS Loan and the Federal Consolidation Loan. All of these are long-term loans insured by state or private nonprofit guaranty agencies that are reimbursed by the federal government for all or part of any insurance claims paid to lenders. This guarantee replaces the collateral or security usually required with long-term consumer loans. (The same types of loans are available through the Federal Direct Loan Program, but in that program, the U.S. government provides the funds directly through schools.)