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.

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.