Many college students are struggling to pay back student loan debt due to lower paying jobs and difficulty in finding a job in this economy. The average college student graduates with over $20,000 in student loan debt and many also have credit card debt. It can take an entire lifetime to pay back student loan and credit card debt if you just send in the minimum monthly payment. Some common solutions are to live below your means, work multiple jobs, work overtime or live at home with your parents for as long as possible. However, there is another alternative, student loan forgiveness programs. Here are 4 ways to pay off student loans.
High school math and science teachers, and elementary and high school special education teachers who agree to work in low-economic areas for five years can get up to $17,500 forgiven in Stafford loans. The teachers have to teach full time for five consecutive years. Visit the U.S. Department of Education website at studentaid.ed.gov and complete the Cancellation and Deferment Option for Teachers form to see if you qualify.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers a Federal Student Loan Repayment Program the allows any federal agency to forgive up to $10,000 annually for your federal student loans up to a maximum amount of $60,000. For further details call OPM at 202-606-1800 or visit their website at opm.gov/oca/pay/StudentLoan.
You can do volunteer work by joining the AmeriCorps, Peacecorps, or Vista. You can also get a job in a public service industry such as military service, public health, social work, emergency management, government, public safety, law enforcement, public interest law services, or child care. Visit studentaid.ed.gov for more information.
If you have a Perkins loan you can have the loans discharged if you served in the U.S. Armed Forces. If you served in a hostile area or war area you can get fifty percent of your Perkins loans forgiven. More information about student loan forgiveness programs can be found at the FinAid website at finaid.org.
By: Harrine Freeman
Posts Tagged ‘Federal Student Loan’
4 Student Loan Forgiveness Tips
May 23rd, 2010The Good, the Bad, and the Private Student Loan
May 15th, 2010
A private student loan can take off some of the sting of collegiate expenses. Everyone knows how intimidating the cost of college can be, so it makes sense to look into as many types of loans as you can. While private student loans tend to have higher interest rates, they are becoming a viable option for many students.
Private versus Federal
A federal student loan comes in a wide range of options. Students can choose from Perkins loans, Stafford loans or PLUS loans. Students who need financial aid to pay for college can also receive money through federal grants or scholarships.
Federal loans will usually have a fixed interest rate for students to pay back after they graduate. A federal student borrowing also offers a student who is having trouble finding a job, or is in financial strain, to defer payments for a period until they are able to pay off the debt. A final bonus to having a federal student borrowing is they can be consolidated into one loan.
Private student loans, on the other hand, are very different from federal loans. Private ones can’t be consolidated after a student graduates from college or graduate school, and there are no limits as to what the interest rate will be for a private loan.
So a student who signs up for a private student borrowing at six percent can end up paying as much as 19 percent after they graduate. Private student loans can also check up on a student’s credit history and charge more if a student has poor credit records or no history at all.
Why Private Loans are on the Rise
There are several obvious benefits to using a federal student lending. The lower interest rate is one of them. On the other hand, a private student one has a reputation for offering a more comprehensive coverage during the course of students’ collegiate careers.
According to Collegebound, tuition and expenses for 4-year of college in the United States increased by five thousand dollars for the 2006-07 academic school years. With these types of costs escalating, parents who are reaching retirement age are finding it hard to fund college and their retirement plan at the same time. Instead of going for a lower amount, but more flexible federal loan, parents are co-signing onto their child’s private loan.
Another reason why a private student loan has become more popular nowadays is the aggressive marketing schemes used by companies who promote private student loans. Students who research various loan sites will encounter thousand upon thousands of possibilities, all offering low rates, and fast application processes. Students who are uninformed about the type of student loans available end up making a poor decision that costs them more money in the end.
Make your time in college – and your time after college – easier by finding the right loan or loans for you. A private student loan will cover your education throughout its entirety and will give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are covered. Speak with your financial advisor to see what they think you ought to do.
By: Mike Selvon
Student Loan Repayment Help – Federal Loan Consolidation
May 6th, 2010
Student loan consolidation is a fine repayment tool that will practically refinance your school loans into one loan and most importantly, reduce your monthly payments. If you are able to find a student loan consolidation plan that fits your needs, then you can save a remarkable amount each month.
On your search, you can find excellent services that will offer you interest rate reductions for regular, on time payments and for further simple styles of payments without any pre payment penalties. Generally, there are lot of companies that offer loan facilities to the student with different terms and rate of interest. Among them Federal Student Loan Consolidation is one of the finest programs that will give a fixed rate refinancing program. In addition, this will combine all of your existing federal student loans into one new loan with lower rate of interests.
Student loan consolidation is really a great tool for every person to manage their student debt repayments. By making use of it, a student or graduate will get immediate relief from their financial crisis and also they will find long term benefits. By getting reduced payments, a secure, fixed rate and flexible payment plan, you can have very benefit able repayments. By making a single payment, your accounting will become simpler and easier to track your payment advancements. Eligibility for attaining this loan is also very simple. You do not need to give any credit check or income verification.
There are many benefits you can attain by consolidating your student loans. You can cut your monthly loan payment by as much as 50%. You can simplify all your loan payments with one monthly single payment. You do not need to provide a credit check in advance and you do not need to pay fees or even application charges separately. You will have a chance to reduce your interest rate 0.6% on consolidation in your grace period.
The main advantage of consolidating your student loan is payment relief. If you have combined all your previous loans in to a single consolidated loan, automatically your repayment term period will be lengthened from minimum 10 years to maximum 30 years. Your longer term period will be decided by your amount of education debts. If you are paying a lower monthly payment, you will not be getting any kind of financial crisis to meet all other living expenses, car payments, housing expenses etc, during your term period. Besides, for over payments, you no need to pay any penalties and you can make larger payments and also you can reduce your repayment term when you are affordable.
There are loan counselors available in all lending institutions and they will help with and educate you on the benefits of federal student loan consolidation and help you to decide if consolidating is the right choice or not.
Student Loan Consolidation’s procedures are can be very fast. Since they are simple procedures, you can do it effortless and conveniently. There are many customer service and friendly services available to help the student or graduate for filling applications and for further debt management. You should always use the Federal student loan program sensibly. By consolidating, you will make more on-time payments throughout the period of your student loan repayment term.
By: Jason Witts