Monday, November 1, 2010

Student Loan Consolidation

Usually, consolidation is a faster way to get out of students' debt than a reasonable and affordable payment plan. Once you go through the application process and get a direct Consolidation Loan, you will immediately be taken out of default status. You will stay this way as long as you keep making payments.

Although student loans are not secured debt, and therefore you will not lose your home or car if you don't pay them, they are also different from most other unsecure debts. If you don't pay your student loans, you won't be able to get additional student loans or grants in the future. In addition you will be subjected to a number of special debt collection tactics that only the government can use.

These government collection tools can have very severe consequences.
First, the government can charge you collection fees, often far in excess of the amount you originally borrowed. Second, unlike almost every other kind of debt imaginable, there is no statute of limitations for collection of student loans. This means that every 20-30 years after you went to school, the government can continue to try to collect your loans.
If you don't pay your student loans, the government can also:

- seize your income tax refund
- garnish a certain percentage of your disposable income
- attach some federal benefits that are usually exempt for collection, such as Social Security income

If you get notice of a wage garnishment or tax intercept, you have the right to challenge it by requesting a hearing.
Sometimes just the act of requesting a hearing prompts the collector to agree to a payment plan. if you can pay a small amount, you should consider the various affordable payments plan that can get you out of default.

The department of Education's student loan assists borrowers with student loan problems.
If you are having problems making your student loan payments because you have a low income you may be able to get help from your local legal aid or legal services office.

Where To Find Student Loans For College

A college education may seem trivial to some but to not to most people who want to achieve a better status in life economically and socially. Globalization has made education very important because of the increasing competitiveness among young professionals worldwide.

A college degree has become a prerequisite in getting better work opportunities in any field of discipline. The lack of a college degree can thus put a person at a disadvantage especially when he is applying for a job and his competitors are all college graduates.

It is common knowledge that the income of people is directly proportional to the degrees they have achieved. Thus, a college graduate has better chances of getting a high paying job than a high school graduate. On the other hand, those who have masters' degrees will definitely have higher incomes than those armed with college degrees.

However, getting a college education is so expensive nowadays that only a few can afford to get one. Most families who belong to the low income group could not even send their children to college even if they want to do so. But there are solutions to those who are bent on getting a college education but who do not have the financial capacity.

Students who are eyeing a college education should already start preparing by narrowing the choice of colleges they want to attend as well as the possible expenses that would be incurred in getting that college education.

The family can start and working extra hard so they can contribute to the educational fund of their children or sibling. Planning ahead may also entail postponing or abandoning the family’s vacation plans. The aspiring college student can also take on part time work to build his college education fund.

Qualified families can also avail of student loans offered by the government or by private financial institutions. It is also best to consider the type of student loan one would be getting because there are institutions offering student loans with exorbitant interest rates.

The United States government has acknowledged the importance of getting more Americans to college so it has prepared federal grant options for incoming college students. Federal grants are usually based on the financial requirement of the student and there is no need to maintain a certain grade while in college.

To qualify for the grant, a student must be a first time college student meaning this is your first college course or degree and possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent. Citizenship is not an issue because both American citizens and non citizens who are qualified can avail of the grant.

However, a student must be able to plan on repaying his student loan to avoid being stuck on a long repayment scheme. Most college students who have not planned ahead are still paying for their loans several years after getting their college degrees.

Ideal Student Loan Consolidation Programs

Students pass out along with different kinds of loans to be paid off. They will have to repay each of those loans with different interest rates after the six months grace period making it even more complicated for the students. An ideal student loan consolidation program will enable the students to pay lesser amount towards interests and also put an end to different kinds of student loans.

The first step is to find the ideal student loan consolidation program. As each and every program has its own pros and cons, the student should weight them and select the best one to suit his needs and financial situation. The student loan consolidation program helps to combine different loans and pay as one single payment. The next step is to find the best interest rate towards repayment of student loans. The student needs to be very sure when it comes to the terms for payback, that is, he should find a reasonable loan termination period or date. He needs to be very careful, as it needs to be feasible to payoff the loan in the said date. Although, no one can predict the future, but can have an idea of how much money he can afford to pay taking his income into consideration.

It will be very helpful to find a flexible loan payback program. This will help them put their loan into forbearance during financial set back times, as there may be ups and downs in anyone’s life. This will help to put back their finances into order. Although the period may be flexible, it is not advised to have the loan interest rate to be flexible. It is good to keep the interest rate fixed, as it may be very effective in budget planning. While searching for an ideal student loan consolidation program care needs to be taken to find out if any penalty is levied for paying off the loans at an earlier date or for making early payments.

Tips on student loan consolidation programs:

While finding the best student loan consolidation programs, it is good to do your own research. With the help of Internet, anyone can search and compare different student loan consolidation programs. The students need to be aware of the fact that not all programs are equal. When getting in touch with the lender, it is always good to read each and every mail they send, as they can anytime change the terms and conditions, which might not be favorable to the student.

The student should be very organized in maintaining the documents and correspondences pertaining to the student loan consolidation program. They are very important as they spell out the obligations of the students. They should be maintained well until the loan is paid off to avoid any hassles in the future.

Counseling sessions may be conducted when the loan is obtained and after the student has graduated. These are very useful to the student as they provide the necessary information to act appropriately during the loan period.

What You Need To Know About Consolidating Student Loans

Chances are if you’ve taken out student loans in order to finance your education you have been, or at least will be, receiving calls and offers in the mail to consolidate your student loans. There are actually numerous advantages to consolidating your student loans. In addition to gaining a fixed interest rate you can also potentially lower your monthly payments. In the event that you begin to experience financial difficulties, you may also be able to take advantage of flexible payment options with a consolidated student loan.

Unlike other types of debt consolidation programs a student loan consolidation gives you the opportunity to combine your loans into one package with more attractive terms. You also don’t have to worry about being turned down because of a bad credit score and the interest on the loan may be tax deductible. In addition, in the event of your death your survivors won’t have to worry about paying it back because the debt will be discharged.

If you have a variable interest rate student loan, consolidating the loan can also help you to lock in a lower rate before the rates increase the next year. Over the length of the loan, this one step can actually help to save you a tremendous amount of money.

Of course, in addition to the advantages there are also some disadvantages of which you should be aware. One of the most important is that if you end up lowering your monthly payment you are actually extending the length of the loan and that means you’ll pay more over the life of the loan due to increased interest. You can still take advantage of the other benefits of a student loan consolidation without this disadvantage; however. Just don’t lower your payments unless it is really necessary.

When considering lenders for a student loan consolidation it is important that you always compare the terms of each offer made to you. Consider the interest rate and length of the repayment terms to be sure you are getting the best deal possible.

If you have a mix of both federal and private student loans, you should also be aware that while both types of loans are available to be consolidated it may not be a good idea to consolidate your federal loans and private loans together in the same package. There are stipulations on private loans that are not required on federal student loans, such as no deferments, no tax deductions on the interest, no forgiveness of the debt in the event of death and no forgiveness of the loan for working in certain fields. In the event of a mix of private and federal, it’s usually best to go ahead and consolidate the private loans separately from the federal loans so that you can retain those advantages for the federal loans.

By understanding all of the factors related to student loan consolidation you will be in a better position to make a more informed decision regarding your finances.

When Should You Consolidate Student Loans

If you have just graduated from college, the likelihood is that you are under a large amount of debt in the form of student loans. You might be wondering if there is any way to reduce the amount you have to pay. One solution for reducing your debt is to consolidate your student loans. Student loan consolidation is similar to refinancing a house on better terms: although the principal of the loan will not be affected, the interest rates you can lock in when you consolidate student loans to a fixed rate can be substantially better, reducing your monthly payments by up to forty percent. Plus, you might be able to stretch out your payment time to reduce your monthly payment amount even further.

The disadvantage when you consolidate student loans during your initial six-month grace period is that you must start making your payments right away. This can be difficult if you have not found a job after graduation, although you can wait until just before the grace period ends to consolidate, and still receive the lower rates. Furthermore, once you have consolidated your student loans, you cannot un-consolidate them again, so make sure to consider your choice carefully.

How is Interest Calculated When I Consolidate Student Loans?

When you consolidate student loans, your lending company pays off your government loan and issues you a new loan under its own name. The typical way to determine the interest rate on the new loan is to take the average interest rates on all of the student loans, and offer a new rate that is an eighth of a percentage point higher (up to a maximum interest rate of 8.25%). Although agreeing to a higher interest rate might not sound like a good reason to consolidate student loans, this rate is fixed over the life of the loan, whereas the government rates will fluctuate. Since rates are at an all time low right now, locking in the current rates might be a good idea. Furthermore, many banks give you ways to bring down the percentage rates. For example, some lending institutions will drop the rate by as much as a quarter point if you agree to automatic deductions from a checking or savings account, whereas others drop the rates after a certain number of timely payments. As an additional bonus, there is no penalty for paying off your consolidated loan early.

Another time to hesitate before you choose to consolidate student loans is when you are close to finishing your payments. Stepping up the payments and saving yourself some interest and the hassle of consolidation might be more advantageous to you.

What Is A Student Loan

The loan accrues interest from the day it is paid. The good part is that the interest rate is linked to the inflation in line with the Retail Prices Index, which means you only really repay the amount you borrow with no profit made on the loan itself.

Do I qualify?

You qualify to take out a student loan if you are a part-time Initial Teacher Training student and are in full-time higher education.

If you are an existing student you will be able to take out either a Student Loan for Maintenance or a Student Loan for Fees.

On top of that, there are some other types of financial help you may be entitled to.

What’s Student Loan for Maintenance?

The Student Loan for Maintenance is designed to help you with your living costs during term times and holidays.

The amount of money you can have will depend on a few factors like your household income, whether you live at home while you are studying and whether or not you receive any Maintenance Grant and how much.

The amount of Student Loan for Maintenance you can borrow will not be affected by the Special Support Grant, if you receive any.

You will normally get a smaller loan in your final year at University, as there is no holiday period to cover you for and you will only need until the end of the final term.

You can apply for the non income assessed Student Loan and get around 75 per cent of the maintenance money regardless of your household income.

Whether or not you can apply for the rest of it will depend on your household income (‘income assessed loan’).

As a rule The Student Loan for Maintenance is paid in three installments directly into your back account at the start of each term.

The Student Loan for Fees is paid straight to your university or college by Student Finance Direct.

Repayments

They are due starting from April after your course is finished (at the start of the new financial year).
You are expected to repay 9% of your earnings over £15,000pa or the monthly/weekly equivalents.
For example, if you are earning £18,000 a year you will have to pay back nine per cent of £3,000, which works out at approximately £5.19 a week.

And so, the more you earn, the faster you will repay the loan. You can repay more than this if you decide to.

Outstanding loans will be written off when you reach 65.