Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Student Loan Consolidation Programs

Student Loan Consolidation Programs are available, but it takes some research to figure out which education consolidation loan is right for you, or your children. Here is some helpful information.

As parents, we start to teach our children to be responsible for themselves throughout their childhood. We teach them to go to school, and that college is a very important part of their education.

We try to prepare them for almost everything. We are proud of them when they graduate from high school, and are even prouder when they exceed all expectations and seem to sail through the curriculum with what seems like almost no effort at all, oblivious to the mounting costs of higher education.

When a student is faced with having to pay back all of the loans that have accrued for four or more years, they can be overwhelmed at first. It is important for them to understand what all of their options are.

Upon graduation, a student goes out into the world with the optimism of finding employment in their chosen profession and will maintain a certain lifestyle. When he or she is faced with the reality of the real world, he or she is inundated with not only weekly and monthly bills, but also paying back student loans. They find themselves disillusioned with the prospect of years of debt repayment and see no end in sight.

Government and private lenders realize that the repayment process can be too much for some to bear, and special repayment programs have been developed to help alleviate the hardship that the repayment process may cause.

Student loan consolidation was created to combat the rising cost of higher education and make the repayment process more bearable.

Student loan consolidation can be done either through the government or through private lenders. It is a process where all of the student loans are consolidated into one loan, making the repayment process easier and less stressful for the student. It allows the student to save hundreds of dollars each month, allowing them some breathing room while paying back the loans.

There are four major types of student loan consolidations in the United States today:

1. The first is a standard student loan consolidation. This is when a student has employment and knows that they can pay a certain amount each month toward their student debt. It has a fixed interest rate so the student does not get any surprises when the bill comes in every month. The repayment period for a standard student consolidation loan is ten years. When the payments are stretched out over this period of time, the payment amount is usually very manageable.

2. The second type of student consolidation loan is called an extended repayment plan. This type of loan is comparable to the standard consolidation loan however the repayment time is extended up to thirty years. It is important to note that with the extended loan, there are interest charges throughout the life of the loan and can add up to more than the student originally owes in school debt.

3. The graduated student consolidation loan was created specifically for students who have employment upon graduation. It is a loan that the repayment process is designed individual's pay rate and usually the payments start out very low, and increase in two-year increments. The increase is based upon the premise that in the workplace, raises and promotions occur often. The repayment time for a graduated student consolidation loan can be anywhere from fifteen to thirty years.

4. The most involved form of student consolidation loan is called a contingent plan. It is a long and complicated process where financial information is obtained from not only the student, but also the family as a whole. When all the information is obtained, a repayment amount is figured. Because this type of loan is long and involved, it is only used when the student does not qualify for any other type of consolidation loan.

It is important to remember that any type of education consolidation loan comes with an interest rate. Determining what the interest rate will be depends on the student's circumstances and what type of loan they are applying for. It is also important to be informed and understand you are signing a legally binding agreement and that repayment must be made every month.

Student consolidation loans can be obtained through the government or through private lenders. It is recommended that if obtained your tuition through a private lender, that you obtain a student consolidation loan through that lender.

It is crucial that you research your options very carefully and understand all of the terms and condition of your consolidation loan. Although it is an option to repay your student consolidation loan early, for most students, it take years to fully repay their debt.

Ken Black is the owner of Debt Relief Today. If you need to consolidate your student loans, be sure to read what your options are at :
Student Loans Consolidation.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Consolidate student loans by Alison Peterson

Is bad economy affecting you too?? Probably like most of the people now are struggling each month to pay your bills. Did you know that you can save money when you consolidate school loans? That could be a big help if you are just beginning to work and have an entry level salary. When you consolidate school loans and all other loans that you may have, into one single loan you could be saving some extra bucks each month. What could you do with all that extra money? I tell you what I would do; I would pay off a credit card maybe.

Start a saving account, or maybe a new TV. If you have other loans like a car loan, a personal loan or different student loans consolidating is a great answer for you. One of the advantages of when you consolidate school loans with other loans is that even your credit score will improve. How? Well when creditors take a look to your credit history they will see that all your loans are paid off. When consolidation takes place, the creditor pays in full the borrower's existing loans and combines them into a new loan. You the student borrower no longer have numerous open loans with a limited payment history. If that sounds good great!! If not you may ask yourself what other advantages are there for me when I consolidate school loans. How about lowering your interest, the majority of student loans, the standard repayment term is 10 years. When you consolidate school loans it will enable you to extend the period up to 30 years.

By stretching out the repayment period, monthly payments are significantly reduced and become extremely feasible, particularly for degreed individuals on entry-level salary. One more advantage there is no fees! So if someone asks you for money in advance, there could be something fishy about it. Stafford and PLUS loans may charge some fees, however the fees are always deducted from the disbursement check. Now you know student loan consolidation is easy, there are no credit checks or application fees involved and you the applicant are not required to have collateral, be employed or have a co-signer. Read more about Consolidating student loans and other options available for you.

About the Author
I'm a mother of two beautiful babies, an A+ and N+ certified computer technician. Currently now I'm studying fo website design and web developer. I love reading about new things and writing about interesting topics that people would find interesting and helpful.