Are Student Loans Still A Good Bet?

In the mid- and late-1960s, there was no doubt among U.S. public policy makers that the federal government should be encouraging more citizens to attend and graduate from college.

Bolstered by the success of the highly popular GI Bill, which paid college expenses for military veterans, federal student loans were hailed as a “GI Bill for all Americans.” These low-interest loans allowed students from modest means to attend college in numbers never before seen. The college graduation rate, which had hovered around 7 to 8 percent, steadily climbed to today’s rate of nearly 30 percent.

Backing the idea that higher education is nearly universally better than entering the workforce straight out of high school were statistics that showed that college graduates, on average, would benefit from as much as $1 million more in lifetime earnings than students who didn’t graduate with a post-secondary degree.

At the same time, however, the cost of a college education began to rise much faster than the rate of inflation, meaning that families began to have to devote more of their overall income to paying for college costs. With annual college tuition climbing into the tens of thousands of dollars, college expenses have outstripped even generous incomes, and students have had to turn increasingly to college loans to pay for their education.

Today, about two-thirds of college students take out student loans to help pay for their education. These students leave college with an average of $23,186 in school loan debt, according to FinAid.org.

This figure is less than the average cost of a new car in 2010 ($29,217), and most new car loans are paid off in five to six years, with an interest rate comparable to the rates on federal education loans.

So why are so many people concerned about the cost of college loans?

Simply put, not all college loans are created equal.

Federal education loans are issued directly by the federal government and carry a fixed interest rate, along with flexible repayment terms and multiple options for postponing or reducing one’s monthly payments based on one’s financial circumstances. Federal college loans are generally low-cost, low-pressure loans.

Private education loans¸ on the other hand, which are issued not by the government but by banks, credit unions, and other private-sector lenders, are variable-rate, credit-based loans that typically carry higher fees and rates than their federal counterparts. Private student loans also offer much fewer, if any options, for financially distressed borrowers to be able to postpone or reduce their payments.

One major difference between a new car loan and a student loan is the deferment period. With a car loan, payments on the principal begin immediately. A portion of every payment is used to reduce the balance owed.

In contrast, all federal education loans and many private education loans allow students to defer making any payments while they’re still in school. The repayment of the loan can be delayed for years while the student finishes school -- with no delay of interest charges, however.

Except in the case of subsidized federal student loans -- for which the government will cover the interest while a student is in school and which are awarded only to students who demonstrate the most financial need -- interest begins to accumulate on college loans as soon as the loans are issued, even if a student is deferring payments.

This accumulation may take place over months or years, quietly running up the balance on a student’s school loan debt to alarmingly high levels.

Families concerned with accumulating excessive college loan debt can always decline to take on any school loans. Federal college loans awarded in a student’s financial aid package are always optional; students can turn these loans down if they have another financial resource and don’t want to take on the debt of school loans.

students forgoing their available federal college loans at the beginning of the school year, however, may end up passing on this government money only to see their financial circumstances change unexpectedly mid-semester. In cases like these, students may be forced to turn to private student loans to bridge the financial gap.

A good strategy for college students is to first seek out college scholarships and grants and then maximize their available federal student loans before considering a private student loan. Private loans should be considered only as a last resort and only for financial emergencies that arise during the semester that other sources of financial aid can’t cover.

Students should develop a clear and detailed plan for how they’re going to pay their college expenses for each year they attend classes, especially if they plan to decline the federal school loans in their financial aid packages.

Having a backup plan in place to cover unexpected financial emergencies can also help reduce the need for student loans, as well as the overall cost of a college education.

Where To Find Low Interest Student Loans

Having a low interest rate is obviously a good thing for borrowers obtaining any type of loan, but when it comes to student loans, they may be even more important. Low interest student loans are the only way to get through your education without racking up a mound of student loan debt in the process. If you think about it, for many people student loan debt will be their second biggest financial burden aside from a mortgage. Here are some examples....

If you have to borrow ten thousand dollars per year for college, and you go to school for just four years, you have borrowed forty thousand dollars. Those are some pretty hefty numbers. Now figure that you are paying at least six percent interest on those loans while you aren’t paying on them. By the time you graduate you will owe six thousand dollars in interest on the principal alone! That does not include any finance charges that may also apply.

It is very easy to forget how much interest you are racking up while you are in school. Most, if not all, of your student loans do not have to be paid until after you graduate. Since you are not making any payments, you don’t tend to think about how much academic debt you are really accumulating.

Some people become confused by the financial aid process. They think that because they do not have to pay on their student loans while they are in school, all of their loans must be subsidized, and therefore are not accruing interest. This is not the case. Unsubsidized student loans are often given with an academic deferment. A deferment allows you to wait to make payments much the same as subsidized loans, but interest continues to accrue throughout the period.

This is why low interest student loans are so important. The lower your interest, the less it costs for you to go to school. Additionally, you can lower the amount of money you have to pay when you graduate by paying the interest on your unsubsidized loans throughout your academic career. This lowers your expenses after school dramatically. If you have low interest student loans, this is much easier to work into your meager budget while you are still in college.

Contrary to popular belief, low interest student loans are quite easy to find and obtain. Many of them do not even require a credit check. In truth, most unsubsidized loans are made based on financial need rather than on credit, making them much easier to obtain and making interest rates much lower. In the end, your student loan debt becomes much easier to maintain and manage as you reach completion of your degree and eventually find a career in your chosen field of expertise.

See How Easy Student Loans For The Undergraduate Really Are

If you are one of the millions who are on their way to college and don't have the money in the bank, or family who are able to help, have no fear.

The opportunity to get student loans for the undergraduate is there and easier than ever. With both Federal and Private student loan programs available the choices are nearly endless.

The first step is to get an idea of the amount of financing you'll need to go to school. The school you're planning to attend will have a financial aid department. All schools will have different requirements when it comes to tuition, books, and other fees that may be present. You'll also need to consider living expenses if you're not planning to work while you attend school.

It is important to complete applications months before you're planning to begin school. For example, if you're planning to begin school in the fall, the spring season is not too early to begin investigating your financing options.

When your applications include those for federal student loans for the undergraduate you can plan on the process taking a little while. Everyone knows how slow government bureaucrats are, well student loans are no exception. The best place for you to start the process is to go to the financial aid office at your school. They will let you know what programs are available and tell you what you need to do.

The popular type of student loans for the undergraduate is in the Federal loan category. These loans are ones such as Stafford or Perkins loans. Often when you apply for financial aid, you will also be considered for grants and other financing opportunities to help you attend school. There are also work-study programs to help with the costs of education.

The less discussed section of student loans for the undergraduate is the private loans. If you're considering borrowing from a private source to attend school, make sure to investigate your credit rating and history before you begin the application process. Your credit standing will determine to a large extent the interest rate you receive on any loan.

Now after your four years of college....or maybe 5 or 6, you will have to start repaying the student loans extended to during your studies. They are deferred while you are in school, but a year after you graduate, or stop being a full time student, you must start repaying them. Federal loans tend to have more flexible options for repayment, where as private lender do not.

So again what you need to do as college approaches is to pay a visit to the financial aid office at your school and let them help you out.

It is recommended that you don't even consider private lending sources until after this avenue has been investigated.

Private Student Loans - How to Consolidate Them

It's very common for students to have to take out one or more loans to finance their further education and anyone who isn't eligible for Government assistance must look to private student loans. Unfortunately, once that education is complete and they have a job, many find that the interest rates and periods of repayment really can't be met from their salary.

Consolidation of private student loans is one good way around this dilemma because it's easier to deal with just one debt rather than several and the problem of compounding interest on the original loans is also solved. Here's how to go about the consolidation of private student loans, if you find yourself in that position.

First of all you need to make a spreadsheet of all your loans with interest rates and monthly payments. Add them all up so that you know what your monthly outgoings on loans should be.

Secondly, check out the small print of each loan to make sure that you know what the penalties are for repaying early. Add this information to your spreadsheet.

Thirdly, clean up your credit rating. Get a credit status report and check it carefully. If there are errors, for example unpaid balances which are actually paid or late payments which weren't late, get the proof together and contact the credit agency to get the record set straight. Your credit rating will have a bearing on whether or not you are able to consolidate your loans and the interest rate you pay for the new loan.

Now, decide how much you can afford to pay each month and star looking for consolidation loans. Don't forget to find out the interest rates, the repayment period, the monthly payment and the charges for late or early payment. You will probably need to look at at least ten potential loans or companies to get a good cross-section of what's available.

Make another spread sheet with the loan information and put all the loans in order of preference. Contact your first choice lender and make sure that they know about your good credit score. Find out whether they will offer you a loan and at what rate, etc. If your first choice are prepared to offer you a loan, just try the next couple on your list to see if you can better that offer.

Do some calculations to see whether you can afford to consolidate all your loans and decide which ones. Choose your favoured lender and make sure that the terms and conditions are as you understood them to be.

Consolidation of private student loans isn't that hard but you need to be methodical and take your time; don't just rush into the first consolidation loan that you find.

Federal Student Loans: Get The Facts Behind These Loans

Federal student loans: Be in the Know

Federal student loans are responsible for a lot of students actually getting to college, being more than enough to satisfy their costs and a little more. When it comes to repaying them, you'll need to keep a couple of things close at heart. They'll make it a lot easier for you to go through the process, and more importantly, it'll keep you out of trouble. The penalties for not being on top of your federal student loans are dramatic, and at the very least, it can cause your credit score to plummet. So, to be sure that this doesn't happen to you, there are a couple of things that can really assist you, and while it may not help much in the actual repaying of the loans, it'll definitely make your life easier.

Know Everything about Your loans

Knowing just about everything that you can about your loans really goes a long way, as it helps you stay organized and can tell you who needs to be the highest priority. You should know the lender, the balance, and repayment status. It's also especially important to know whether or not there are loan forgiveness options, provided that you're working in a certain field. By knowing these things, you'll never be blindsided by fees or due dates, and you can take solace in the fact that you're being as responsible as you possibly can. That's ideal for anyone who is facing a good amount of federal student loan debt, but it does require a bit more than just responsibility.

Know Your Grace Period

In addition to understanding how much and who you may owe the loan to, you'll also want to understand how much time you have before you pay it back. The grace period is vitally important for the student who just left school, as there's a chance that you don't have different companies banging down your door offering a job. At any rate, federal student loans have different grace periods. For example, the Stafford allows the graduate 6 months, while the Perkins allows for 9. As you'd expect, it varies for private loans and federal PLUS loans, but are usually based on when you take it out. Considering the importance of the grace period, you'll obviously want to understand exactly what it is before you even take one out. If not, there's the probability that you may be entering a contract that may be hard to honor.

Student Loan Consolidation - A Way to Save Money

So you have a great need to use every penny as smart as possible, i.e. to get the biggest benefit from every dollar. If you have several student loans, both the private and federal ones, you can save money with a simple student loan consolidation, even hundreds a month!

1. The student loan consolidation Can Be Done For Private And Federal student loans.

Student loan consolidation can be done for both the private and federal loans. The consolidation is a great tool for simplifying the monthly bills providing an immediate payment relief and the long term benefits. However, it is important to note, that the federal loans must be consolidated as one separate group and so must the private debts too. You cannot mixed them.

As to the federal loans, which you can consolidate only once, the interest rate will be fixed during the rest life of the loan. When you can do the consolidation during the grace period, it is the deal with the fortune, which interest rate you will get. You do not have to go through the credit check and there is no application fees

2. The Debt Refinancing.

If in your case you have just graduated and got the work, your credit score may have improved compared your student times. Now when you will do the consolidation, you will refinance the interest rate and the repayment time. This process is the most effective thinking the cost savings.

3. Consolidate During The Grace Period, You Can Reduce The Interest Rate By 0,6 %

When you consolidate during the grace period, within 6 months after the graduation, you can save in the interest rates by 0.6 %. During the times, when the interest rates are historically on a low level, just by renegotiating the interest rate can bring the much needed help.

4. How Much Are The Savings?

The ideal situation would be the one, when the interest rates are historically low. Then by consolidating and refinancing the whole debt package, you can get the maximum saving. To take examples, if your student loan is $ 10.000 and you extend the repayment time from 15 years to 25 years, you can save over $ 230 a year. With the $ 100.000 debt the saving is over $ 2.400 a year without the interest rate changes.

5. Start To Calculate The Benefits From The Present loans consolidation.

When you think the student loan consolidation rates, you have to take into account two things: your present loan terms consolidation rate and the future rates after your student loan possible refinancing. It can happen, that only the new interest rate brings the saving you need and there is no need to extend the repayment time.

However, remember that you can consolidate the debts only once. This means, that it may be wise to plan your monthly payments so, that your monthly expenses will be on the lowest possible level. This is a careful plan and will help you, if you will meet sudden changes with the incomes or living costs.

Student Loan Consolidation Information - What You Need To Know

A consolidation loan is one that allows you to combine more than one of your student debts into a larger one with a single lending institution. The new lender uses the funds to pay off the balances of all other student loans that you have. This concept is very close to what happens in a home mortgage refinance. A student loan consolidation is available to many students with federal loan types. Some lenders also can offer you private loan consolidations.

Is There Any Cost Associated With Student Loan Consolidation?

There is no fee per say to consolidate your student loans. However, generally you will pay slightly more with your consolidated loan because of a longer repayment period. This occurs because you are paying less each month on your loan and there is a higher balance due to pooling many loans into one larger one. So this causes you to pay more towards interest over the term of the debt.

An important note to keep in mind is that you should under no circumstances pay a fee in advance to consolidate your student loans. If you are asked to pay an up front fee, it is most likely a loan scam. Do not enter into a loan with an up front fee.

Can Anyone Consolidate Their Loans?

Generally both parents and student borrowers are allowed to consolidate educational loans. However, you may not consolidate loans between different borrowers. Consolidation can only occur between the same borrower of the loans. They can however consolidate their loans separately. Another thing to keep in mind is that students that are married are no longer allowed to consolidate their student loans together. This is actually a good thing because if the couple were to get divorced then each of them would be responsible for the full amount of the debt. To avoid problems this provision was enacted to avoid this detail.

Another important detail is that students cannot consolidate their loans while still attending school. You may only consolidate your debts in the grace period or during debt repayment.

Can I Consolidate My Loans With Any Lender?

Yes. You may consolidate your debts with any lender. This is good news because it will allow you to shop around for the best interest rate on your consolidation loan. Something to keep in mind is that most lenders will only offer a consolidation loan with a minimum balance of at least $7,500.

Student Loan Deferment - Different Types of Forbearance Offered

If you are like many people, the economic crash has affected you like so many others. Just trying to pay your regular bill, much less student loans, can be extremely taxing on your income. So, if you have fallen behind on your payments, you need to get in touch with your lender immediately to discuss student loan deferment. There are several types of deferments, forbearance's or other payment relief options that may be available to you.

Contact your lender to find out if your situation qualifies for a deferment. If you are suffering a hardship like unemployment or if you have started school, you might qualify. Keep in mind that depending on the type of loans you have, you might be responsible for the interest that accrues during the deferment period. One form of deferment is for military personnel. If you are active duty or are called into active duty this deferment is available to you. Your loans may also qualify for deferment during demobilization.

Those who are members of the National Guard or other reservist programs, regardless of whether current or retired, who is called back to active duty while attending school at least part time might be eligible for a deferment for up to 13 months after their service has ended or if you return back to school. If, according to federal regulations, you are experiencing economic hardships, a deferment may be available to you for up to 3 years if the loan is a FFEL, Federal Perkins or Direct loan. Regardless, you need to contact your lender to find out if you qualify.

An allowance offered by your lender that lowers your payment amount or postpones them is known as forbearance. For some reason, if you can't get a deferment, you may be able to get forbearance. Regardless of the type of loan you have, you will be responsible for making the interest payments on your loans. You may be eligible to have the forbearance granted for a total of 3 years. Just a side note for PLUS loan borrowers. For the most part, the same requirements apply when requesting forbearance's or deferments. Since the loan is unsubsidized, interest will accrue during the forbearance or deferment period. You don't have to pay the interest during this time but it will compound if you do not.

While the lender will ask you choose a repayment plan when you first enter repayment status, you may want to change later if different plans might work better for your financial situation. The FFEL Program, you can change plans once a year. The Direct loan Program allows you to change plans at any time as long as the maximum repayment period under your new plan is longer than the time you have already been in repayment.