Private subsidized student loans?

Because there is such a lot of competition for federal subsidized student loans, there are understandably many people who want to know if there is such a thing as a private subsidized student loan, supported by banks and other lenders. The question is typically met with disbelief and even laughter, with people saying that the only type of private subsidized student loan is the money that your parents give you to help you pay for college. Subsidized student loans are typically supported by the federal government, so you can't expect banking institutions to pick up the tab for the interest your loans will accumulate. Government-subsidized private student loans are facing challenge nowadays, however, as people continue to push for an end to government support of banks and instead offer direct lending to students, and by the year 2010, this should turn into the more common set-up for students who are seeking financial aid for college.