Student loan consolidation can help recent graduates who are overwhelmed with student loan debt. If you have federal student loans you will want to look into the federal government’s student loan consolidation program. This program was put in place to help individuals to be able to consolidate multiple student loans into one. Over the years, this program has helped many college graduates save time and money. Let’s take a look at how the program works.
If you are looking to consolidate your federal student loans you will need to fill out an application on line, or send it in the mail to see if you qualify. To qualify you need to have a combined total debt of $20,000 or more on your federal loans and not be in default on any of them. You do not however need to be employed, have collateral or need a co-signer to get approved. For most graduates the process is simple and takes about 60-90 days.
Once you are approved you will enjoy many benefits. First you will have simplified finances. You will no longer have multiple student loans showing up in your mailbox every month. With your student loan consolidation you will also enjoy a reduced monthly payment sometimes as much as a 50% reduction. This is because you will be able to stretch your loan repayment out over a term of up to 30 years. This will allow you to have a budget friendly payment which can be very helpful for recent graduates. You can now use your monthly savings to pay for other living expenses. As an added bonus it will also improve your credit score.
There are some additional benefits that you will also like. There are no fees to set up your consolidation loan, and no fees to pay off your loan early. You can also, under certain circumstances, defer your loan for a term of 36 months. If you decide to return to school full time you can also be able to put your loan in deferment.
As you can see student loan consolidation is a great way to help you manage your debt. If you have recently graduated and are struggling to make all those monthly student loan payment, you will most definitely want to file an application today.
By: Becki Andrus
Posts Tagged ‘Living Expenses’
Government Student Loan Consolidations Can Help With Your Debt
April 24th, 2010Alternative Student Loan – Do You Need Extra Money For College?
April 7th, 2010
Are you trying to pay for college and you cannot get enough money from regular financial aid? Do you need extra money for tuition, books, fees, and living expenses? There are ways that you can get more student loan money with an alternative student loan if you know where to look. Here are some helpful tips for you.
First, when you are looking at your budget and figuring out how much money you need for college you should always over exaggerate. This is important because if you just assume you will be fine on what you think you need, then how are you going to deal with an unexpected expense like a car repair or trip to the hospital.
Second, with an alternative student loan you can get extra money to help you so that you do not have to work and you can concentrate on your studies. There are various types of alternative student loans out there for you and all you really need to do is talk to your financial aid office to find out what you can qualify for.
Last, when it comes to any type of loan for schooling it is important that you make sure the loans do not have to be paid back until you have graduated. They should give you some sort of a grace period after graduation before they begin to ask you to pay for your student loans. This is important because you do not want this stress while you are taking classes.
By: Chad Wistick