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DO YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE STUDENT LOAN?

Do you dread receiving your student debt mail? If, you can find all your loans statements do you have difficulty managing balances and due dates for these loans? Consolidating student loans takes all your debts and pays your existing loans with one loan. You can then make a payment each month to your new lender, instead of juggling balances and due dates. So, instead of paying several sources of debt, consolidation of your loans is a good choice for you if you have problems organizing your finances, not having to deal with a number of bills each month. You can even have your bill payment transferred electronically instead of having to write a cheque. Basically your loan consolidation can simplify your financial burdens and help better manage your debts so you can concentrate on your studies more effectively.

ACCESS A LOWER INTEREST RATE NOW

One of the best reasons to consolidate your student loans is to take advantage of lower interest rates. It’s pretty obvious that if you can consolidate all your loans into the one loan at a new more competitive rate you can save significant amounts of money on your monthly payments. Search debt calculators online to see what the different rates and terms mean to your repayment options. If you can take advantage of lower interest rates, it might be a good time, if not the best time, to consolidate your loans. You can protect yourself and your finances from the future increases in loan interest rates. What does this mean for you? You will have room to breathe, finally you’ll be able to study without stress and ultimately give yourself the best possible chances and opportunities when you finish your education.

JUST GOT YOUR STUDENT LOAN, NOW WHAT?

If you currently have a low balance on your existing loans and you have a year or so to pay what you owe, the saving you may achieve consolidating your loan will be reduced. But, if you graduate and you have large balances on your student loans, you can benefit greatly from the consolidating your existing loans.

Remember that consolidating student loans can be very good for your finances. When the balance of your student loans are back to zero, you may have an inflated sense of how much money you have, do not fall into the habit of accumulating more debt from other sources.

The amount of incorrect information about student loans is incredible. Part of the problem is that the media goes for a headline that will get viewers and it rarely is the whole story. You see it everywhere, some sensationalized headline screaming at you, but when you read the actual article you see that there’s little to support the headline. The news media has become all about ratings (read money).

The new student loan changes that were included in the Healthcare Reform Bill is a good example. The reason it was included was to help offset the cost of healthcare. How? By taking the loan guarantees away from lenders (thereby not having to pay all the unpaid student loans) and directly collecting the interest from student loans. They essentially took out the middleman who was guaranteed to not lose money and got all the profits from the interest on these loans.

And due to the interest rates being so low to banks and other lenders (like 1%) and now getting a guaranteed interest of at least 4.5%, that’s a lot of money changing hands. The private lenders get even more since their rates are sometimes double the government rates. Student loans are big business and even with a high default rate, it’s still a strong area of activity regardless of the economy.

OK, let’s get to the biggest myths about student loans now that the government has changed many of the basic rules. I’m not sure how these myths ever got started since the language is very simple and easy to understand in the new bill. And rumors and conjecture never tell the whole story.

Student Loans Will Now Be More Expensive

The biggest changes involved extending and reducing the amount of payments after graduation. The bill reduced the payments from 15% of discretionary income to 10% and loans can be forgiven now at 20 years rather than the 25 years as it was before this bill. So these changes actually made it easier and more affordable during the pay back period.

Available Financial Aid Will Be Reduced

Financial Aid covers many areas from grants, private subsidized scholarships, college or university grants and discounts, and student loans. Due to the less than stellar economy there has been a drop in private grants and related programs but that had nothing to do with any government student loan changes. Student loans have always been the predominate method of student financial aid and are still available just as they were before any changes occurred. You won’t know what you might qualify for until you go to your college Financial Aid Office and let them review your specific circumstances.

I Can’t Qualify For Financial Aid Due To My Parents Income

Some Financial Aid is based on need and financial status of parents. But most colleges review the whole picture and not just the income levels. Even if the parents make a good income they may have 3 kids in college or even high medical expenses or other factors that limit their ability to pay for college. And many scholarships are based on achievements, not financial status. Private grants and subsidized programs are based on other criteria than financial needs (a good example is if you or your parents work for a company that offers financial aid for college). It’s highly recommended that anyone who is attending college go to their Financial Aid Office and let them determine what you qualify for since they are the most credible source.

The bottom line on Financial Aid is that each college may have different programs and resources. And the best way to find out the facts is to go find out at your college’s Financial Aid Office. The colleges are the best source for any type of financial aid and will work with you to find any that you qualify for from all possible resources.

The very best way to manage debt is to be debt-free, yet that is easier said than done in today’s economy. However, when it comes to paying for your college education, acquiring debt or student loans to afford the tuition cannot be avoided for many students.

In planning for the successful repayment of your student loan many things must be taken into consideration. To get ahead of the game you should plan to repay the loan before you sign the first promissory note. In a perfect world this might be the case, quite the contrary most student do not consider repayment until after they have graduated from college and land their first job.
Here are some suggested tips to help you make plans to deal with your student loan effectively to ensure repayment success.

Tip #1: You Do the Leg Work
All loans are not equally created. Some loans offer repayment incentives while you are still attending college; this bonus in some cases can be extended even after you have graduated. On the other hand, there are loans that provide no such stipend and the loans are due shortly after you have graduated college. For example, the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loan charges a 3% loan origination fee; one stimulus is the proposal to pay this fee for students. The student in-turn has more money to off-set the cost for books, school supplies and living expenses.

An example of the incentive after graduation would be the fact that you could qualify for reduced interest rates. Also, should a student want to repay the loan through an automatic withdrawal system, like payroll deduction, for example, the probability of receiving this incentive is even greater? As you can see, there are notable differences in each student loan; that is why it is necessary to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of what each loan offer; and choose the one that provides the best incentives.

Tip #2: Read Your Mail
Typically, student borrowers get tons of information concerning the student loan. The student receives mail, normally, immediately prior to, throughout and following graduation from college. Consequently, it is crucial that you read through the entire stack of mail carefully. Therefore, if you have concerns, or there is information you do not understand; by knowing what is going on now you can get the problem resolved right away. Remember, it is necessary to ask if things are not clear, don’t ignore the mail or you might miss out on a critical deadline or important information you need to act on concerning the loans.

Tip #3: Organize that Mountain of Paperwork
Save all of your student loan paperwork and correspondences, as soon as you get it in the mail in the mail. That way, you are going to know exactly what you agreed to, what is expected from you at loan repayment, and also to remind you how much you have borrowed, which is extremely important. It is interesting how signing the promissory note for your loan is so exciting, repaying the loan seems far away, but only for a while. Four years of college pass by quicker than you think. Before you know it, you are graduating, and the student loan repayment is glaring you in the face.

Organization and having the ability to put your fingertips on the loan paperwork will assist in alleviating a lot of the panic. To make things easy for you, begin by establishing a good, easy to use, record-keeping system in which you are able to keep your student loan paperwork and correspondence. The bookstores and libraries have books and software products on personal finance and organization that will help you get going. No matter what filing system you choose, whether document folders, binders, portfolios, or envelopes, create one file for each loan or account you have, and keep your items categorized appropriately. Additionally, while organizing your record-keeping system, make sure that it is safe. The record-keeping system should be kept free from thieves or fire. A number of professionals also recommend that you need to keep your student loan documents and correspondences until they are all totally paid off. This is what you need to keep a record of.

*Essential paperwork like your college student loan applications, promissory notes, disbursement and disclosure statements, and also loan transfer notices. * Copies of all correspondences concerning your student loan company and/or servicing company, such as your school’s financial aid office. * Contact and phone number of the loan provider.

Tip #4: Be Present at all Required Entrance and Exit Sessions
When you take out a student loan, you will have to complete the student loan counseling sessions. Some schools give this on-line and the sessions will not require a considerable amount of your time. They will give you a significant amount of information concerning your rights as well as your obligations as a student borrower.

Tip #5: Budget Finances Like a Pro
The adage when you live to impress when you are in school, you might live like a pauper when you have completed your degree. Quite simply, it is essential that you learn the best way to manage your hard earned money when you are going to school. Frugality can help you reduce the amount of the loan you apply for; as well as reduce the total amount you are going to be responsible for paying back. Here are a few sensible techniques worth taking into consideration:

* Prepare realistic budgets while you are going to school and even after you graduate. This will probably enable you to borrow only what you need, providing you an excellent opportunity to pay back the loans. * Learn how to live as inexpensively as possible. Bear in mind you are only a college student. You can enjoy a much more trouble-free life if you graduate with little to no financial debt. Many excellent tips on how to be cash conscious include finding a roommate, renting a video rather than going to the theater, and taking your lunch from home rather than going out to restaurants.

Thriftiness is the name of the game, so be as thrifty as you possibly can. * For virtually any credit card debts you receive, try to pay off the total amount due. * Set up a financial budget for yourself and stick to it. As long as you are in college, it will be beneficial to see how you can avoid the desire of using credit cards or your student loan money to purchase items that are not contained in your spending budget. Never simply purchase unneeded items. * If at all possible, check out work-study or other part-time job. Finding a part-time job will give you the chance to gain useful specialized experience, as well as providing additional income to cover expenses.

Tip #6: Retain at least Half-Time Enrollment
If you are thinking about half-time enrollment, it is essential to ensure that you are eligible for an in-school deferment. The part-time enrollment usually takes six credit hours. Check with you educational institution requirements concerning the prerequisites for half-time standing.

Tip #7: Make the most of Tax Cost savings
A number of college students who take out student education loans qualify for tax breaks. To determine your status, seek advice from your tax consultant. The breaks are now determined by your qualified college tuition repayments, and in addition, they will help decrease how much Federal tax you have to pay. If you are paying interest on a student loan, it is possible to receive a deduction on your individual Federal tax return for all interest payments. When, you get the advantage of the tax credit as well as the deductions, use the extra tax reimbursement to pay down your student loan, or to take care of the educational expenses.

Tip # 8: Show Me the Money
College graduations is now behind you and your new careers looms just ahead, but guess what; it is now time to repay those student loans. Some loans come due soon after college graduation while other loans allow a bit of time before repayment is due. The bottom line is the loan will have to be paid. Here are some recommendations when you enter the repayment period:

* Submit the loan payment as soon as it is due each month for the full payment amount or even more. This should be done no matter whether you receive a monthly bill or not. *Understand the pay off alternatives offered by your student loan lenders. One option allow you to decrease the loan by making larger monthly payments, and other option allow you reduce your initial monthly bills by making it easier to repay the loan early in your career.

*Contact your lender and inform them immediately of any change in your name or address; if you have questions about your college bill; making payments on time is a problem; loan deferment or forbearance might be needed to help you through a financial crisis. *Make sure you clearly comprehend all mail you receive from your student loan lender and respond immediately when notified. For Further Information concerning your student loans, always remember that the financial-aid office at your school should be your first point of contact. Additionally, there are a number of publications from the Federal and state governments, lenders and college admissions office, libraries and your local bookstore.

Here’s to your success!

It’s not an easy time to be graduating from college with student loans. With the unemployment rate soaring toward 10 percent and the average starting salary for college graduates down 2.2 percent this year, student loan borrowers – whose average debt from student loans tops $22,000 – are now having an even tougher time affording their student loan payments.

The good news? Starting July 1, 2009, graduates with federal college loans may be able to qualify for a new government program that can reduce the monthly payments on their student loans based on their income.

Income-Based Repayment for Federal Student Loans

The income-based repayment program, created by Congress in 2007 as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, will cap a borrower’s monthly student loan payments at a percentage of her or his income, when the borrower’s income is at least 50 percent higher than the current federal poverty line for the borrower’s family size.

These income-based student loan payments will be calculated as 15 percent of the amount by which a borrower’s adjusted gross income exceeds 150 percent of the poverty line.

(For individuals, the 2009 poverty line is $10,830 in all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The complete federal poverty guidelines for 2009 are available on the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)

For example: 150 percent of the current individual poverty line of $10,830 is $16,245. If a borrower’s annual adjusted gross income is $25,000, the monthly payments on her or his eligible student loans would be capped at $109.44 – 15 percent of the difference between $25,000 and $16,245, divided by 12 months. If a borrower’s annual adjusted gross income is $40,000, the monthly payments on any eligible student loans would be capped at $296.94 ($40,000 – $16,245, multiplied by 15 percent, divided by 12).

Income-based monthly payments will be adjusted annually, based on a borrower’s federal tax return from the previous year. As a borrower’s income rises, the income-based repayment cap will also go up. If the income-based repayment cap reaches a level higher than what a borrower’s monthly payment would be under a standard 10-year student loan repayment plan, the borrower will no longer qualify for income-based repayment for her or his student loans.

Borrowers whose adjusted gross income falls below 150 percent of the poverty threshold won’t be required to make any payments on those student loans that qualify for income-based repayment.

Even if no payments are due, however, interest will continue to accrue on those college loans . Unpaid interest will also accrue if a borrower’s income-based monthly payments aren’t sufficient to cover the full monthly interest on the qualifying college loans. Any accrued unpaid interest will be added to the student loan principal and capitalized when the borrower no longer qualifies for income-based repayment.

Subsidized Interest and Student Loan Forgiveness

For those borrowers who hold subsidized student loans or a federal consolidation loan that included subsidized Stafford loans or Perkins loans, the government will cover any unpaid interest on those subsidized loans (or on that portion of a student loan consolidation that’s comprised of subsidized loans) for the first three years that a borrower is in income-based repayment.

The longest that a borrower can remain on the income-based repayment plan is 25 years. After 25 years of income-based payments, the government will forgive any remaining principal and unpaid interest – although borrowers should note that under current tax law, this forgiven student loan debt would be taxable.

Borrowers who are employed full-time in qualifying jobs in the public service sector may have their remaining student loan debt forgiven after just 10 years in the income-based repayment program, and this forgiveness would be tax-free, thanks to a ruling from the U.S. Treasury last year.

Qualifying for Income-Based Repayment

To find out if you qualify for income-based repayment on your federal college loans, you’ll need to contact your lender and provide information about your financial situation – you’ll need to demonstrate “partial financial hardship,” as defined by federal regulations.

Only federal Stafford and Grad PLUS student loans in good standing, along with consolidations of these college loans, are eligible for income-based repayment. Federal Perkins loans are eligible only if they’ve been included in a federal student loan consolidation. Other college loans are ineligible:

Private student loans. The income-based repayment program applies only to federal student loans. If you’re having problems meeting the monthly payments on your private student loans , you should contact the lenders to see if they’re willing to work out more affordable repayment plans for you. Keep in mind, though, that private student loans typically have less flexible repayment options than federal student loans.

Federal PLUS loans. If your parents took out PLUS parent loans to help you pay for college, they won’t be able to take advantage of income-based repayment on their PLUS loans. Consolidation loans that included PLUS parent loans are also excluded from income-based repayment. Any Grad PLUS loans you took out as a graduate student, however, as well as consolidations of Grad PLUS loans, are eligible.

Defaulted student loans. Your student loans don’t have to be new to be eligible – even long-time graduates may be able to qualify for income-based repayment on college loans taken out years ago. But you can’t be in default on your loans. To qualify for an income-based repayment plan, any federal college loans you have in default will need to be rehabilitated first.

If you’re having trouble repaying your private student loans you can get help now with private student loan consolidation payments. A consolidation of student loans both consolidates all your private education loans into one loan and resets the loan’s terms.

Because, for the most part, you can’t consolidate private student loans with federal student loans, the low federal student loan consolidation interest rates would not be applicable. However, it still is possible for you to pay less each month.

You actually have quite a few options that can lower your monthly loan payments.

1. Because your credit score strongly influences your interest rates, if your credit score has significantly risen since you applied for your loan, for example by fifty points or more, you might be able to get a lower rate when you consolidate your loans with a different lender.

After doing your initial research, talk to your current lender and see if they can lower your interest rate on your current loans. They might consider doing this if they see that they could lose your business to a different lender.

2. If you’re a homeowner, compare the interest rate on your variable interest rate school loans to a fixed rate home equity loan rate. If interest rates look like they are going to go up, you may want to get a home equity loan and use the money to pay off your private education loan. Doing this would guarantee that your interest rates will not increase.

On the other hand, it also guarantees that they won’t go down if interest rates fall. And, worst case scenario, you could possibly lose your home, so be cautious with this option.

3. You can consolidate student loans with an educational lender, such as the private consolidation loan divisions of either Wells Fargo, Chase, the Student Loan Network or others.

These companies offer different repayment plans. Some offer up to 15-year term while others offer up to 30-year term. The interest rates they charge as well as fee structures also vary.

Because these differences can amount to thousands of dollars in savings, most people that consider consolidating their student loans do extensive research and even do a spreadsheet analysis comparing the pros and cons of each offer before choosing the option that’s right for them. Luckily, the Internet makes it very easy to get the information you need to make these comparisons.

When you evaluate private lenders consolidation loans, make sure to find out

1. If their interest rates are fixed or variable

2. If there are any prepayment penalties, and

3. Whether or not there are any fees and what they are.

Student loans are the way most of us afford to go to college and a lot of us even end up with more than one. But come graduation time, we find ourselves mired in debt with not much of an idea about how to pay off our student loan debt. Don’t despair! There are a lot of things you can do to ease the burden of your student loan debt. Here’s a few to get you started.

1. Consolidate your student loans

Probably the easiest way to reduce your repayment obligations is to consolidate your student loans. This basically means that you take out a single, cheaper loan to pay off all of your outstanding student loans. The cheap rate from one lender both reduces your payment obligations and also makes things a lot more convenient as paying off one lender is a lot easier than paying several student loan lenders. There are no shortage of companies and financial institutions that are in the business of student loan consolidation, so shop around and go for the cheapest deal.

2. Plan for Repayments

This basically means putting away a set amount each week or month that goes directly towards paying off your student loan debt. The amount will vary depending on the level of your debt, but make it easy on yourself – set up a direct payment to your lender through your bank account (most banks have an online facility for this). If this is not possible, then at least have an account that you cannot touch with your bank cards that you deposit money into regularly. That way you can use the money in that account to pay your loans.

3) Pay Your Loans Quickly

The longer you leave your loan to accrue interest, the longer it will take to pay off and the more expensive it will be. If you refinance with a student consolidation loan, make sure there is a facility to pay it off faster than is strictly required. This will save you a lot of money on repayments in the long run.

4) Don’t Use Credit Cards to Make Loan Repayments

Paying off loans with other credit is a bad idea and will usually end up costing you a lot more money and getting you further into debt (as credit cards are usually more expensive). Find the money to pay off your student loans any other way but by using a credit card.

Now, these few tips should help you avoid the most common pitfalls that people experience when repaying their student loans. Getting an education is important and you are probably going to need to get some loans, but don’t let them control you.