Monday, July 6, 2009

Why Should I Consolidate My Student Loans Now?

There has never been a better time than now, to take advantage of the lowest interest rates in recent history. A student can get the best deals for consolidating debt and lower those monthly payments. Student loan consolidation can save you hundreds of dollars per year on repaying your student loan.

How Does Student Loan Consolidation Work?

When a student first applied for loans from several different government agencies and loan providers, they each gave a different interest rate and term for paying back the loans. The idea of student loan consolidation, is to take all the different loans and put them into one easy convenient loan. You then only make one monthly loan payment over time. This saves the student both time and money. Having a lower interest rate and less checks to write every month are the big advantages of consolidating a student loan.

Consolidation Loans Can Relieve Stress

Student loan consolidation can help student loan borrowers focus on their education, instead of debt. With a single new loan and lower monthly payments, you can focus on what's most important, education and your new career. There is no need to lose sleep at night stressing out about how you're going to pay back all those student loans.

Consolidation Loan Student Programs: Bringing Your Debt under Control

If you are like many students and recent graduates, you very well have amassed a great deal of student loan debt. In this regard, you may be looking for ways in which you can bring your outstanding student loan balance under control. You might want to consider the various consolidation loan student availabilities that you can take advantaged of in this day and age. Through consolidation loan student opportunities, you can take an affirmative step towards brining your outstanding student loan debt under control.

There are a number of benefits to availing yourself of what is available in the way of consolidation loan student availabilities. The primary benefit that you can obtain through utilizing and taking advantage of consolidation loan student opportunities is a savings in the amount of interest you have been paying on multiple student loans. As a general rule, consolidation loan student programs offer interest rates at a level under what you normally have been paying on your multiple outstanding student loans.

One of the other significant benefits of a consolidation loan student program is found in the fact that you will be able to relieve yourself of recurring late fees and related delinquent charges that you may be encountering in regard to outstanding student loans. If you are like many people who have racked up student loans, you very well may be facing ever increasing late fees and the like over time. Again, through consolidation loan student programs, you can rid yourself of the burdens of late fees and other charges.

An added benefit of taking advantage of a consolidation loan student program is found in the simple fact of convenience. If you have acquired a number of different student loans, you find yourself juggling multiple payments each and every month. This can be time consuming and even confusing in some instances. With the implementation of a consolidation loan student plan or scheme, you will only have to make one monthly payment, easing the burden of keeping track of a multitude of payments each and every month.

There are a number of different financial institutions that now offer consolidation loan student programs. There are companies that specialize specifically in offering people consolidation loan student opportunities. In addition to the companies that specialize in consolidation loan student programs, many traditional lenders (such as banks and savings and loans) now have implemented special consolidation loan student programs for students and graduates. Therefore, you have a variety of sources for a consolidation loan student program to choose from in this day and age.

By taking the time to shop around and consider different consolidation loan student availabilities you will be able to find a consolidation loan student program that best meets your needs and obligations. Through research and a bit of proverbial homework you will be well on your way to brining your student loan debt well under control, to bringing your financial house into order now and well into the future. Rather than continually paying for your education, you will make your education pay for you.

An Overview of Student Loan Debt Consolidation

A student loan debt consolidation loan allows you to combine your federal student loans into a single loan with one monthly payment. The repayments of a student loan debt consolidation loan can be significantly lower than the payment required under the standard 10-year repayment option. Under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, banks, secondary markets, credit unions, and other lenders provide the student loan debt consolidation loan. Under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program, the federal government provides the student loan debt consolidation loan.

Most federal education loans are eligible for inclusion in a student loan debt consolidation loan, including subsidized and unsubsidized Direct and FFEL Stafford Loans, SLS, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Nursing Loans, and Health Education Assistance Loans. However, private education loans are not eligible for inclusion in a student loan debt consolidation loan.

To find out which loans can be included in a student loan debt consolidation loan contact the Direct Loan Origination Center's Consolidation Department if you're applying for a direct student loan debt consolidation loan. Contact a participating FFEL lender if you're applying for a FFEL student loan debt consolidation loan.

It is worth noting that you are still eligible for a student loan debt consolidation loan after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment. You can also get a student loan debt consolidation loan while you're in school. You must, however, be attending at least half time and have at least one Direct Loan or FFEL in an 'in-school period' which generally means that you have been continuously enrolled at least half time since the loan was disbursed. There are a number of conditions that need to be met for you to qualify for a student loan debt consolidation loan, especially if you are delinquent or in default and your loan holder will be able to give you all the necessary information.

If the same holder holds all the FFEL loans you want to consolidate, you must obtain the student loan debt consolidation loan from that holder, unless you haven't been able to get a loan with income-sensitive repayment terms that are acceptable to you. To be eligible for a William D. Ford direct student loan debt consolidation loan, you must have either a direct Stafford subsidized or unsubsidized loan that will be included in the student loan debt consolidation loan or have at least one Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program Stafford subsidized or unsubsidized loan.

How Student Loan Consolidation Works

Here is typically how a student consolidation loan works. When a student first applied for several loans from several different agencies and student loan providers, they each gave a different interest rate and term for paying back the loans. The idea of student loan consolidation, is to take all the different student loans and put them into one easy convenient loan. You them only have to make one monthly loan payment every month, instead of several loan payments every month over time. This saves the student both time and money. Having a lower interest rate and less checks to write every month are a couple of advantages of doing a student loan consolidation.

5 Helpful Benefits of Student Loan Consolidation

1. Lower Monthly Payments. Depending on your student loan situation and the type of lender you choose, you may be able to lower your monthly payments by up to 50%

2. Having Simple Loan Payments. By consolidating your student loans, you only have one loan payment per month and one check to write. This is very beneficial if you are writing several checks every month to multiple lenders.

3. Having Fixed Interest Rates. With some federal consolidation loans you can have a fixed rate for the life of your student loan. It's best to do research to see what the best interest rates and term you are eligible for. You can check online to calculate the interest rate on a new student consolidation loan based on the rates of your current student loans. You can then round up to the nearest 1/8th of a percent of the we ighted average of the interest rates on your eligible student loans.

4. Extending Your Payment Period. You may have a lot of student loan debt. With federal consolidation loans you may be able to extend the payment term up to 30 years. It's a good idea to realize you will end up paying more interest over the life of your student loan consolidation. The idea is to get some leverage until your career takes off. You can focus on making money instead of several monthly loan payments.

5. In School Consolidation Programs. While still in school, eligible students can lock in a low rate. This would put you into repayment status, but since you are still in school, you are automatically put into deferment. The drawback of consolidating your loans while in school, is that you lose your 6 month grace period. The solution to this would be to request forbearance for up to 1 year on your student loan consolidation. Here again you can do some research and get more information online.

Student Loan Consolidation Help Online

With today's Internet technology, you can get a student loan consolidation quickly and easily. The Internet makes research and finding great programs, easy as a few clicks of the mouse. You can learn everything you need to know from information sites that provide the latest news and data in regards to student loan consolidation. With just a few clicks of the mouse, you now can get loan quotes and compare loan companies without having to run all over town.

Student Loan Consolidation Helps Relieve Stress

Student loan consolidation can help student loan borrowers focus on their education, instead of debt. With a single new loan and lower monthly payments, you can focus on what's most important, education and your new career. There is no need to lose sleep stressing out about how you're going to pay back all those student loans. There are several agencies and companies online that can help with many resources and information to get the help you need.

Parent or Student Loans: Which is the Best Option?

Getting a university education is an expensive proposition. In fact, about 20 per cent of college students will need some form of financial help in order to pay for the expenses they will incur in school. With the alarmingly high rate of students needing a loan for university, it means that a large number of students will graduate from college with a debt load that could even reach unmanageable levels. One way to work around not having to get a student loan is for the parents themselves to take out a "parent loan". The question though is which among student loans or parent loans are better.

Parent loans and student loans have their own set of advantages and disadvantages:

Federal student loans possess the lowest interest rates as well as the best repayment options. If you have any need to apply for a loan and you can qualify for federal loans then make this the top choice for the loan you want to apply for. As a way of limiting your loan responsibilities only get the funds that you will need and refuse any other offers to raise it. Parents can opt to extend assistance to their children in paying off the loans when it comes time to repay the loan after graduation.

Federal parent loans or PLUS loans (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) can be considered as another option in getting a loan that offers lower interest rates. Parents that have dependent children who are going to start their university education and have a good credit history can apply for the PLUS loan. PLUS loans are not needs-based so you can draw up a loan up to the total cost of your undergraduate education expenses with the other financial aids that you have received deducted from the actual total. One peculiar characteristic of a PLUS loan though is that the first payment for the loan starts about 60 days after the loan is granted. This is different from a student loan where the first loan payment is deferred until after graduation. PLUS loans also require an application fee.

Private loans can be taken by both students and parents in funding university education expenses. The terms given for private loans are the same as the federal-type loans. However, students can negotiate for the repayment to commence after graduation. One way for students to gain a good credit history is by taking out small private loans. They will need to cosign though in order to get private student loans.

The big decision to be made is to determine which kind of loan will be the best option for the individual. This boils down to a personal decision. When deciding on which loan to get you should first determine the amount of debt that your child will need in order to graduate from his studies. You should also ask yourself the level of responsibility you want your child to assume in paying off the loan. Finally you should sit down with your child and try to work out a repayment plan in paying for the loan.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Alternative Student Loans - Your Best Alternative Student Loan Deal

If you are unable to get a standard loan that sometimes will be available from your school, it's not the time to give up. There is a whole range of sources of alternative student loans that are out there available to you, if you just start to consider where you can look.

Finding a loan that meets your needs can really be quite daunting and it's important not to make the wrong choice, so it's time to get help. But, where to look - after all, just calling up the loan providers, or even a middleman, is not necessarily the best way as they have a vested interest in their products.

It's time to find someone who can think about you and your particular needs.

How To Find The Right Alternative Student Loan Easily

To help you, in each school there is a great place to find an alternative student loan that are right for you.

With lots of experience, in all aspects of student circumstances, you will find that your school's student loans office is the place to go. Usually, there will be specific individuals or a small team ready to help you.

You might find them called the student loans assistance officer or some other such title.

Whilst they will have contacts with the various alternative student loans providers, the role of the school's student loans office is to help you sort out your own needs and have a happy bunch of students!

Working regularly with the different loan providers, they get to know what is going to work best for them and most especially how to match your circumstances in with them to get the right deal for you.

So, whilst you can fumble around looking for yourself, trying to fix the deal that suits you, using the student loans assistance officer, will save you time and money and make the challenge of finding the right alternative student loan go much more smoothly.

Getting The Right Alternative Student Loan Deal Using The Student Loans Office

It's important to ask the right questions of the student loans assistance officer, to make sure that they take all your personal details into account, as well as having enough information to advise you properly on the possible alternative student loans available to you.

There's nothing more difficult for them, than someone who doesn't give them all the information they need. It might be best to find out what they will want on a first informal discussion and then to meet again more formally.

If the decision is still to be made whether you can get a government student loan, it might also be useful to find out the pros and cons of alternative student loans. For each individual there will be preferences about cost; repayment; deferrals etc. as well as your personal financial and domestic situation as well

Do take into account that if you are already in some financial difficulties you do not want to jump from one problem situation to another one, just as worse.

It's always worth taking into account what will happen when you graduate, as that may be the time to seek a further longer term consolidated student loan which will pay off the alternative student loan you are taking out right now.

Indeed there may be a better longer-term deal for you, so the student loans office will be of great value to you in that situation too.

Deferred Student Loans - There Are Rules, You Know!

Getting to college, saving the money and earning it as you go is only a part of the story. Most students will borrow at least some of the cash they need.

Once the classes have finished and it's time to get out into the real world, it's also time to decide how you are going to handle your deferred student loan into the future.

You don't want a cloud hanging over you forever, nor do you want to miss then fun your new earning power gives you.

So what's the deal then?

Let's just look at what a deferred student loan is all about. Whilst some student loans are deferred, you need to realize that many require payments even while you are still at college, which as you might already realize, is like topping up a water barrel that has the plug already out at the bottom.

Question is, can you put money in at the top fast enough to stop your barrel becoming empty?

So, if you can, it might be a great idea to have a loan, like a Stafford loan that needs no repayment until graduation is over, often with a 6-month grace period as well, to get you started in your job and new home etc.

Whatever the benefits of this are, there are rules upfront. If you leave college, or do too few hours of class, for example, you may well be required to pay back all you have borrowed right away. From this point of view, so long

as you stay enrolled in the college that you have chosen, or a similar qualifying one, you will be OK In this way, the loan is regarded as a deferred student loan.

With a Stafford Loan, there are two ways that it works. Sometimes the deferred student loan is offered by the college itself.

The alternative is where private funding is arranged, by a specialist in student loans and guaranteed by the federal government. Repayment is the same in both situations and the loan remains payable under the terms of the agreement.

An alternative, the Perkins deferred student loan, comes through the college and has government funds to back it and is focused on those who cannot afford a loan from any other sector.

You need to remember that there is a range of schedules for deferred student loans that are not as 'deferred' as you might want. Getting into one of these without the right plan going forward will give you a tough time, so make sure that you realize fully what you are getting into.

You see, as an example, a 'Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students' start their repayment demands within a couple of months of classes starting!

This is not really one of the deferred student loans that you would want to take, if you are in the emptying that water barrel situation. If you do find you have one of these loans, it's vital to get your budgeting and cash flow well organized well before you start to fall behind.

Consolidating Student Loans Can Be A Great Decision

Student Loan Consolidation may be the best decision for a lot of you out there and here are some benefits that you can find from getting your loans consolidated. One of the first benefits is that you could save potentially thousands of dollars in student loan interest fees during the period in which you have the loan.

This can be done by locking in some solid fixed interest rates so that you can spend that money on other bills in your life instead of spending a lot of your income on a student loan for college.

This can be a great decision coming out of college because let's be honest you are looking to start your life and you want to make a solid income and not have to worry about your hard earned money going into paying more student debt. Another option is to take the money and put a down payment on a house or to start a business and invest into overhead for your business opportunity.

Allow for your money to work for you instead of having to pay off more interest and debt. You can create a tax-deductible opportunity here by consolidating your loans and save a lot of money come tax season. Another option that you have is that you can earn an even lower interest rate through deferment or forbearance options.

It can be extremely difficult coming out of college with a mound of debt and trying to pay the monthly bills at the same time. All of life's experiences can be a huge challenge to a young person trying to find their way in life.

It is so important that you are not running in circles with your financial situation in life and you are able to enjoy a lot of the blessings that life gives you with your family. Many also offer no prepayment penalties so you can pay off your loans a lot sooner and dig into the principle debt instead of worrying about years and years before it is finally paid off.

You got a college degree to get good earning power to take care of that useless debt. Let's be honest the last thing you want to do is worry about helping your kids with student debt while you are still paying off your own student loans. This could be an intelligent way to teach your kids on how to deal with debt for their future education that they will have to deal with.

So look at your options, a student loan consolidation program isn't for everyone, but it can help out if you find yourself in a deep hole and you find the right company to help you out. Beware that there are companies out there that are looking to back you into a corner and force you to pay high interest rates using predatory lending techniques. You can avoid this by reading the terms and conditions and making sure that you are working with a company that out for your best interest.

Need A Student Loan? Three Kinds Of Student Loan For You

Students and parents who must deal with the high cost of a college education have available to them a wide range of student loans. This article offers details on three general types of student loans.

Federal Stafford Loans

Unlike other student loans, application for a specific Stafford Loan should be preceded by the filing of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA application should be made in the name of the aspiring student.

The process of applying for a Stafford Loan differs in a second way from the application process for other student loans - and application for a Stafford Loan does not require a credit check.

There is no uniform method for the delivery of money from a Stafford Loan. Some students get the money directly from their school; other Loan recipients get the money from a bank or other lender.

Signature Student Loans

In order to get a Signature Loan, a student must attend a four year or two year school on at least a half time basis. That student must also meet certain credit criteria. Like some other student loans, application for the Signature Loan permits the use of a co-signer.

In fact, there is a real advantage to applying for a Signature Loan with a co-signer. That process can lead to a reduction in the interest on the loan. And, if after graduation, the student then makes 24 successive payments, the co-signer is removed from responsibility for covering the loan expenses.

If a students plans to go to a community college, then he or she ought to consider getting a Signature Loan. Unlike other student loans, the Signature Loan rewards student applicants who have a good credit rating. Those applicants can get a lower interest rate or a lower application fee.

Tuition Answer Loans

While the student loans discussed so far have all been Federal Loans, the Tuition Answer Loans involve the loaning of private money. Money from Tuition Answer Loans normally goes to credit-worthy parents or students. The providers of Tuition Answer Loans do not feel that every student at a U.S. college is entitled to such a loan.

So, in order to get a Tuition Answer Loan, both the borrower and the student must have a Social Security number. Both the borrower and the student must be U.S. citizens, or be permanent residents. And finally, both the borrower and the student must have good credit.

Other Private Loans

A student planning to pursue a particular career should study the Career Training Loans. Like the student loans discussed in the above section, Career Training Loans are private and credit-based loans.

They allow a student to get money for either classes at a trade school, or classes taken online. The school attended by the student must, however, have a license from the state in which it operates.

Students who want to go after training in cosmetology or massage therapy do not have to forgo the chance to get a student loan. For them Career Training Loans are perfect. Those loans can also help a student who wants to become an MRI technician.

They are the sort of student loans that are ideal for anyone who wants to study on the job.