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.

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.

How To Stretch Your Student Loan

If you’re considering going to university, there is a strong chance that you’re also contemplating taking out a student loan to fund your university expenses. Student loans don’t have to equate to student debt and if you plan your finances, it is possible to get by without student loans and possibly even profit from them. There are many sites on the internet which provide downloadable student finance guides and online advice on how best to manage your finances. Moneynet offers a comprehensive student finance guide ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk/student-finance-guide/index.shtml ), whilst the money section on support4learning is also a popular internet resource. ( http://www.support4learning.com/ ).

The first step to avoid financial dependence on a student loan is to consider taking a gap year to gain experience and earn money. This is a great opportunity to start saving for university and will give you funds to cover accommodation and bills without tapping into your student loan.

In terms of managing your personal finances, you could open up a notice savings account and invest your gap year earnings – alongside a student loan, accruing interest on the total amount, but being disciplined so that you only ever tuck into your savings – not the loan itself.

If you’re comfortable that you can timetable it – you might consider a part-time job to help finance your studies, using your income to cover the majority of your expenses so that you can leave your bank savings alone. There will be times when you may have to make a withdrawal from your savings account, but if you leave the capital there as long as possible – the more money you will make.

If you’re concerned about getting the maximum amount of interest on your loan, you could try doing a savings comparison search on the internet. Sites such as moneynet.co.uk ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk/banking-saving/index.shtml ) and reviewcentre.com ( http://www.reviewcentre.com/products2312.html ) allow you to compare different accounts alongside each other.

If you keep a tight grip on your finances, then it is likely that you will be in a strong position to pay off your loans when you graduate. Whilst studying, you might also be interested in conducting price comparison research for insurance and current accounts to ensure you’re getting the best deals. Don’t be seduced by high street offers of freshers’ fair promotions – collect as much information as you can, so you can make an informed financial decision. It’s also worth setting yourself up with online accounts which you manage through an account aggregation tool. Account aggregation allows you to manage your money online and can save you time, foot leather and bank charges. If you want to find out more about account aggregation, visit the Channel 4 website which offers a detailed guide. ( http://www.channel4.com/4money/banking/features/account_aggregation_161204.html )