Student Loans For College

It seems as though it is easier to get a student loan for college these days. The hard part about how to get a college student loan is "getting a good interest rate." Some people spend years repaying their college student loans. I bet they never imagined how long it would take to to repay their student loans.

Applying for a Student Loan for college

It has become very convenient to apply for a student loan for college. You can be approved for a student loan quickly. Even if you have bad credit you can still get approved for a student loan.

More than likely you may have already received mail or email regarding your pre-approval for a student loan. The catch with these offers is the terms of the student loan. The main objective of the sender is to try and lock you into thinking you qualify for a student loan, without paying much attention to the terms of the loan. Then they hit you with high interest rates and high monthly payments once you graduate.

Repaying a College Student Loan

There is a high number of college students who graduate in debt. They took out a student loan for college and are becoming overwhelmed with monthly payments which results in Student Loan Debt. Fresh out of college a good job plus financial freedom. Exactly that makes it so easy to want to put your payments on student loans "off" so you can buy a car or rent an apartment. This is not good because to avoid student loan debt repaying your student loans has to be a priority once you graduate. Think logically or think "student loan debt."

Some students have graduated and have no clue about their student loan payment options. This happens all of the time because a lot of college graduates do not know where to find information regarding their student loan debt.

Student Loan Debt Relief

Is there a solution for student loan debt? If you need more financial freedom from your student loans your lender won't mind extending your student loan payment time. This is because they will still be paid, just over a longer period of time.
Usually this results in the student paying more money over time with these low monthly long term payments. Student debt relief? Absolutely 15 years later when you finally finishing paying off your loan.

College Student Loan Alternatives

A scholarship is the first thing that should come to mind when you think about college tuition. Contrary to this a student loan should be your absolute resort.

Before considering a student loan following these steps will help you make the best out of your college financial aid query:

1) Apply for Scholarships

2) Apply for Grants

3) Apply for student loans

4) Take advantage of Student Loan options

5) Don't fall victim to Student Loan Debt

The steps listed above start with free sources of financial aid for college. The last few steps of applying for student loans and making payments.

When you can't get any scholarships or grants and you need a student loan you should take the following steps:
# Find a good Student Loan -Lender

# Compare rates to accomplish step 1

# Have someone who can be a co-signer of the student loan

# Try to be in good credit standings

# Get a few free credit reports to accomplish the previous step

# When you find a good rate think about the long term

# Don't get rates that you can't pay when you graduate college

# Began making payments immediately upon graduation (with the exception of the grace period)

Student Loans for College Recap
# When applying for a student loan for college, understand the terms clearly.

# *When repaying a college student loan make it a priority and understand your grace period options.

# Shop around for the best student loan interest rate and payment terms.

# Remember it is a loan for college, don't let the payments linger for 30 years.

It is strongly advised that you consider all of your sources for free college financial aid before considering a student loan. Follow the appropriate steps listed in this article and you will find financial aid for college or have a better understanding of how to approach Student Loans for College.

New Student Loan Program Pays 100% of Loans Back

Once the Department of Education completes the evaluation of the applicant's FAFSA, and determines the Financial Need amount available to an applicant, a Student Aid Report, or SAR, is issued to the applicant. The SAR contains the EFC. There are options for requesting a review of the Financial Need determination.

Once the applicant has qualified for a student loan, the student and his/her family must decide on what type of loan is best for their situation. Loans are differentiated by amounts, whether interest payments are subsidized or not, and the funding source of the loan. Loan amounts must also be evaluated in terms of what other financial assistance is available to the applicant.

Direct Loans are student loans made directly by The Department of Education ("DOE") to students and the parents of students. No banks or financial institutions are involved. There are four types of direct loans offered by DOE:

Subsidized Stafford loans eliminate interest payments while the student is enrolled in school and during the six-month grace period following graduation before re-payment of the loan begins. These are available only to Independent Students.

Unsubsidized Stafford loans charge interest on the loan principle from the day the loan is issued. Repayment of the loan doesn't start until six months after the student has either graduated or left college. But like a credit card balance left unpaid, the interest adds up each and every day the student attends school.

PLUS loans are available to students in graduate or professional school or to the parents of undergraduates.

The amount of money available through Stafford loans varies with each year of college.

College Year Amount of loan available

Freshman $ 3,500.00

Sophomore 4,500.00

Junior 5,500.00

Senior 5,500.00

All of the above amounts are for Dependent Students. The amounts for Independent Students are greater, but since very few applicants qualify for Independent Student status they are not included.

Interest rates and loan fees charged on Direct Student Loans are set by Congress. Interest rates are adjusted once a year, on July 31st. Current Stafford loan rates are 6.8% and loan fees are 4%.

The PLUS Program, or Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students, is a distinct and separate type of educational loan, which can be used to finance an undergraduate education. Because Stafford loans have limits that fall below the needs of many students, Stafford loans may need to be supplemented by PLUS loans obtained by their parents. Parents may apply for Direct PLUS loans from the DOE or from a second source of loans guaranteed by the DOE but funded by private banks and financial institutions. These loans are labeled FFEL or Federal Family Educational Loan Program.

PLUS loans carry a higher interest rate, currently 7.9% if the loan is a Direct loan from the DOE, and 8.5% for FFEL PLUS loans made by private banks or financial institutions. PLUS loans require separate applications available from the financial aid office of the student's school. PLUS loans require good credit ratings and are subject to a more rigorous financial scrutiny than Stafford loans. PLUS loans carry origination fees like every other type of consumer loan. PLUS loans allow parents to borrow up to the complete cost of their child's four years of college, less any other Direct loans or financial aid received.

Direct Plus loans are fairly straightforward. FFEL PLUS loans are made with private lenders. FFEL loans are guaranteed by the government, which means that the government agrees to, in effect, co-sign the loan. For this reason just about every type of financial institution offers PLUS loans. Most of these institutions are legitimate, but there are some predatory lenders. Caution must be exercised when choosing a lender. The Financial Aid Office of your child's school should, in theory, be able to guide you to an honest lender. But there have been some scandals involving conflict of interest on the part of school financial aid departments, so independent investigation of lenders is a good idea.

Investigating PLUS loan lenders is much like investigating credit card offers. Some cards offer a low introductory rate, but the fine print shows that even one late or missed payment results in a skyrocketing interest rate. Other fine print reveals that a late or missed payment, even for a different credit card, can cause massive interest increases and penalties. For the period 2005 - 2006 student loans of all types amounted to over four hundred billion dollars. After home mortgages and credit cards, student loans are the larger source of business for the personal finance industry.

Terms for loans vary from ten to twenty-five years. But since interest is accruing from the moment the loan is made, interest charges are accumulating from fourteen to twenty-nine years. The amounts add up quickly. Applicants receiving federal student loans are now required by the government to take a financial counseling class before the money is released to the student. It makes sense to investigate financial aid that doesn't require repayment.

Easy Alternative Student Loans - For When No-One Else Will Lend You

Such loans can fill a funding "gap." Often such a "gap" is created when a student is awarded a Stafford or Perkins loan, and then realizes that the amount in the loan does not fully cover all of the student's expenses.

The Lenders of Alternative Student Loans

The lenders of alternative student loans have put their loan applications online. Those applications are for secured loans. The lenders thus seek some "security" when providing a student with loan money.

Students can easily download an application for one of the alternative student loans. Once downloaded, the application can be filled out and sent to the prospective lender. One word of warning: Students should study the details on the alternative student loans before submitting any application.

The lenders of the private, alternative student loans hope to profit from their ability and their willingness to loan money to college students. As a result, they often attach stiff fees to the loan. Those fees are sometimes paid at the time of the loan application.

In other instances, lenders have added those fees to the interest rate for the student's loan.

Comparing Different Alternative Student Loans

Students who want to compare the offering of the various lenders might feel like they are comparing "apples and oranges." Students might wonder how a high fee and lower interest compares to a low fee and a higher interest rate.

Students should remember this: a 3% fee is equal to a 1% rise in the interest rate. When keeping those facts in mind, students can better compare the various alternative student loans.

Students might also consider how quickly they can obtain the loan. The Act private loans are fast, and they do no require the completion of a FAFSA. Still, students should take note of the fact that awarding of the Act private loans is based on the applicant's credit.

Different lenders have different repayment options. The student in need of a loan should study those options. An ideal lender is willing to defer payment until after the student has graduated.

Some lenders, such as Astrive, give student loan recipients an opportunity to refinance any of their alternative student loans.

The Best Time to Go After Alternative Student Loans

Unlike many student loans, the money for the alternative student loans is sent directly to the student, not the institution that he or she is attending. Students are not encouraged to look at alternative student loans as a "first choice," when searching for a way to pay for a college education.

Not infrequently, a student with a Stafford Loan will "max out" on that loan while still in school. If he or she hopes to continue and finish his or her education, then that student needs to look at the alternative student loans.

The same student might also want to consider getting a PLUS loan.

Private Student Loans Could Be The Life Preserver That Rescues Your College Education

It is common to hear college students griping about their financial problems today. Universities and campuses are offering high quality courses, but these courses usually cost a huge amount of money to take them. Often times, students resort to student loans and other means of earning extra money just to help them complete their studies.

Sometimes, the student loans that are granted by the federal government are not enough to cover the cost of one's education. In this kind of situation, you will benefit greatly from having a high credit score. Why?

If you have a high credit score, you will not have much of a problem applying for a private loan. A private loan is another alternative for students that lack in their funds for college. Most student loans financed by the government are limited amounts, and private loans can help fill that gap.

Some students and parents turn to private loans because they need flexible options for repayment. If your parents are the ones applying for your student loan, they will likely apply for a private loan to be taken out by your parents because repayment of government loan programs can not be deferred.

Student loans granted by private lenders are dependent on the student's major or course to be taken by the student. One of the prominent private student loan lenders is Citibank. Citibank offers the following loans to students: undergraduate loans, law/bar loan study, graduate loans, health and professions loans, and residency loans.

One important thing you need to remember about private student loans is that they cost more than government-funded student loans. But if you try to compare it with a credit card, it is still less expensive.

Currently the number of students choosing to get private student loans is rapidly growing compared to federal loan programs. If this situation continues, in just a decade, private student loans will exceed federal student loans.

Before you start considering a private student loan, make sure that you have already exhausted your federal student loan options. You should always try to measure things out, because in a few years from now, you will have to start repaying them.

If you're looking at the interest rates charged by private lender, you should also look into the fees being charged. It is good to stick with this rule concerning interest rates and fees charged: an interest rate 1% higher is the same as 3% fees charged.

There are private student loans that have different terms of repayment according to their APR, so be careful when comparing such loans. The best loans for students by far are those which have low interest (at 2.8%) and charge you no fees. But this kind of loan is granted only to students having a co-signer who has a high credit rating. Hence, very few students qualify for this loan.

Private lenders will usually require students to submit a school certification which contains information regarding their specific education cost minus the financial aid that's already been received. Most of the private lender does not disclose any information to students unless they file an application with them. This is because it usually prevents comparison between private student loan lenders.

Remember, it doesn't matter if you already have a government-funded loan. A private student loan can still help you in your educational financial matters. And don't forget that these loans don't come free - that after you graduate and start your own career, you will have to re-pay these lenders.

Student Loan Repayment: How to Repay Your Loans in No Time At All

A college education is one of the most important parts of your life that you should invest in or that your parents need to invest in for you. With a college education, you will be able to live a comfortable life and it will open more opportunities in the future.

Today, because of the growing demand for qualified individuals, large companies which offer a great position, salary and benefits are now requiring individuals to have at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field. Hence by investing in your college education, you will see it will eventually pay off in your future.

However, because of the rising cost of a college education, many individuals cannot afford all the tuition fees and school expenses. This is why many high school students are competing harder than ever to obtain college scholarships, whether they be academic or sports. You should realize that only a few highly talented and gifted individuals will ever qualify for these limited scholarship grants.

So, if you're one of the vast majority who doesn't get one of these limited scholarships, then how will you be able to afford college if you don't have enough money to cover all its costs? Finding financial aid for college advice is not on every corner today. But one key method to pay for your college education is through various student loan programs.

Student loan programs are one of the most common ways that a person can use to receive a college education including getting bad credit graduate student loans. Through student education loans programs, you will be able to finally make your dreams come true by getting that degree needed to be successful and which will open lots of future opportunities.

It's becoming a common fact that many students today are seriously considering getting a student loan in order to get into college or to continue their college education, even if they have to apply for student loans for student with bad credit programs. Because a college education is expensive, these special loans are one of the ways for you to get a satisfactory college education, including using bad credit student signature loans.

And with all types of student loan companies, you always have to consider the fact that your student loans have to eventually be repaid. Basically, there are two types of student loan programs.

One is a government student loan and the other is a private student loan. As much as possible, you should consider getting a government-sponsored student loan program because of the benefits and incentives they can offer you. Federal student loan programs usually have lower interest rates than do privately funded student loan programs. Also, the interest rates you pay with a government-sponsored student loan program is tax deductible and in some cases, you have a chance that the loan or a part of the loan could even be forgiven.

To begin, while you're actually getting your college education, you can take out various student loans to help cope up with the increasing cost and expenses experienced during your college years. Every school year, and possibly every semester, you may have to consider getting a new loan to help continue paying for your education. This will result in accumulating various loans which you will have to repay.

In order to make it easier for to help repaying student loans after graduating from college, the first step you seriously consider refinancing student loans and to consolidate your student loans into a single loan account. Through this, you will be able to avoid paying a lot of excessive money from all your various loans different interest rates. Having one single loan to deal with will also allow you to better manage your money and your loans.

A student loan debt consolidation plan is often the most commonly used and the most effective way to pay off your various student loans. However, if your loan was funded by the government, many times you can pay it off through their student loan forgiveness program. This works by agreeing to do a viable service for the community during a specific period of time. You might be called on to do service as a primary and secondary school teacher which serves low income children or you can serve in the armed forces or law enforcement for a specific period of time. After completing your community service work, then some or your entire loan can be forgiven.

Loan forgiveness programs and using the best student loan consolidation programs are two of the best ways to repay your student loan today. Through this, you will be able to repay most and sometimes all of your loans in short order while at the same time, still earn enough money so you can have a decent lifestyle after you graduate.

Survive Extravagant Tuition Costs With a Low Interest College Student Loan

Steadily increasing tuition fees force students to apply for college student loans to finance their dreams of a higher education. $55 million a year in college student loan aid is awarded to help struggling students survive the extravagant costs of college.

Student loans come in three categories: federal, private and institutional. Your specific needs and income level determine which college student loan is right for you. Here is a brief outline of each type of loan available.

A private college student loan is provided by banks and individual loan companies. Each private student loan provider determines its own loan eligibility requirements and terms. Sallie Mae and Citibank offer excellent private college student loan services. It's a good idea to shop around for a private student loan provider that offer payment deferments while you are in school, a high credit approval ratings, and flexible repayment options.

Institutional college student loans are available at individual universities. Each college has it own set of specific terms and requirements. You need to check with the financial aid office at the college you plan on attending and inquire about student loan requirements and deadlines.

Federal college student loans are by far the most popular form of loans students apply for. There are many types of Federal student loans, they are a primary source of funding for students who need financial aid.

Perkins Student Loans are available to students in extreme financial hardship situations. They offer a low fixed interest rate of just 5%, and are available on a first come first serve basis. Perkins college student loan payments are scheduled over a 10 year period and can be discharged or canceled in full or in part under certain circumstances.

Stafford Student Loans are the primary source of federal aid for qualifying students. Stafford college loans provide lower interest rates than a private loan or alternative student loan carries, but slightly higher than the Perkins loan rate. Stafford loans are available to students enrolled in school at least half-time and have a variable interest rate that is adjusted every 12 months.

A Stafford college student loan may be subsidized or nonsubsidized. A subsidized Stafford loan is based on the economic needs of the student, and the government pays all interest fees for you while you are attending classes. Students are only required to begin making payments on loan interest and principal six months after they graduate.

Students who don't show enough financial need according to the federal guidelines, but still require a loan to pay tuition fees, may qualify for an unsubsidized Stafford college student loan. This type of loan doesn't give you the interest rate grace period. You are required to pay interest charges on the date the loan is dispersed. Students are allowed to take up to 30 years to pay off a Stafford College Student Loan depending upon how much you owe and the type of repayment plan you choose.

Federal loans have lenient repayment plans, low interest rates and no application fees. Although finding your way through all the red tape to qualify for federal student loans can be tricky at times, it is well worth the effort.

The first thing you need to do to apply for a government student loan, is fill out and send in your Free Application for Federal Student Aid Form. This is an imperative first step toward qualifying for the funding you need to finance your higher education. Download your College Student Loan Application and get started.

This is a look at just a couple of financial aid options available for students who need help with college tuition, there are more than 5 different types of Stafford College Loan Funding options available, and many more federal student loan programs I haven't had the opportunity to tell you about yet.

Why Students Opt for Student Loan Debt Consolidation

Going to college is not easy today. The fees, books, travel all bring up a hefty sum of money that has to be spent for college education. Some people may in fact, have to take out some student loans to cope with all these fees and rising costs. With these loans, there comes with it monthly payments to be paid, and sometimes, this in turn leads to more loans that will be used to pay back these loans.

Usually, the consequences of all these loans are debt, and to come out of student loans, students often opt for student loan debt consolidation. When we speak of student loan debt consolidation, all the student loans will be consolidated into a single loan which is called the student loan debt consolidation loan. With this loan, there is no need of keeping track of all the individual student loans, and to make payments to all these loans. Instead, only a single payment is made towards the student loan debt consolidation loan.

This is the main reason children opt for student loan debt consolidation. They find it rather tedious having to shoulder the responsibilities of studies, day to day living chores and keeping track of all the student loans while making timely payments to the necessary sources. With a student loan debt consolidation loan, all the related tension is reduced wherein the student can concentrate more on their studies, and make the most of their education.

Another reason students prefer to take a student loan debt consolidation loan is that there is usually some savings in the monthly installments of student loan debt consolidation loans. In the various student loans that you take to complete your studies, the interest rates for the various loans will be varied. Some of them may be a bit on the higher side, and some of them on the lower side. With this, the monthly installment for some loans would have been high, and some low.

But with the student loan debt consolidation loan, you find that the interest rate here will be lower than the average interest rates of the other student loans. So the monthly installment for the student loan consolidation loan will be lower than the combined monthly installments of all the student loans.

With the student loan debt consolidation loan, the student will usually have a longer time to repay the loan. In fact, the larger is the combined student loan amount, the longer will the time you have to repay the loan. And the longer is the period; the lower will be the monthly installment you have to pay. However, if you feel that you can pay more than the amount stipulated by the student loan debt consolidation company, you can pay more, and clear the loan within a shorter time span.

With a student loan debt consolidation loan, you stand to improve your credit rating too. This is because there is a chance of missing payments with the many individual student loans. However, with this loan, since there is only a single payment to be made, the chances of missing payments are lower.

Student Loans – Realize Your Academic Dreams

Student loans are really a convenient way of fulfilling academic dreams. Student loans are given to college students who have enrolled in a college and have completed at least one semester of the course. Student loans are provided generally to students who are bright in academics. Private lenders provide student loans with or without guarantee from the government.

When government gives the guarantee for student loans, then it could be two types, unsubsidized or subsidized student loans. Let us discuss both these student loans one by one.

Subsidized student loans have a lower yearly limit. The government pays the interest of the student loans when the student is in school.

Unsubsidized student loans usually have a higher yearly limit. The student pays the interest of the student loan. If the student chooses not to pay the interest during the schooldays, the interest amounts are added up and included with the balance amount that needs to be paid. Usually in all student loans, repayment schedule starts after a certain period. The period could be from 2 to 5 years. It does not matter whether during that period you finish your studies or not, the repayment of the student loans starts as scheduled.

Student loans come with a very convenient interest rate as it is meant to help a student, who is about to start his/her career. The interest rate of the student loan depends on the market interest index. With the index the rate floats. If you repay most of the loan amount during low rates, you can save a huge amount of money. This is called student loan consolidation.

The repayment period of the student loans could span up to 25 years. The duration depends on the loan amount. Small student loans have shorter repayment time and a large student loan would have a longer repayment period.

With student loans tuition fees, purchasing of books and stationary, hostel expenses and healthcare expenses can be taken care of. Some student loans also provide for study material like computer and Internet. Some even provide automobile expenses for the convenience of the student.

Every student does not come from a financially well off family. Many students come from a humble background but could do well in academics. In such a scenario student loans are a good option for them. The repayment of the student loans starts way after the time of getting the loan. By that time the student can study and get a job and in many cases can repay the loan on his/her own. The parents don't have to carry the huge burden of expenses related to studies. Definitely taking student loans for studies is good for the child's career and of course for life.

After finishing studies a person who has taken a student loan can repay it when he lands a job. It is up to the person whether he or she wishes to pay a lump sum and finish the loan. All in all student loans are great for a person's career.

Student Loans Help You Afford the High Price of College Tuition

First, the interest will likely be far less than the interest of the market. Most students take out a Stafford loan because they do not require any form of credit that students should qualify for. Like the Perkins and Plus college loans, the Stafford college loans are subsidized, which means that while you are in school, the government will pay the interest of your student loan.

You might also need to get an unsubsidized loan or two. But the good news is that you do not have to pay it until you graduate and start making monthly payments off your loans.

Usually the interest rate on Stafford loans and most loans is low but it is an investment in your future which will likely benefit your lifetime salary. Another benefit of loans is that they also offer the benefit of offering flexible payment arrangements; you can even defer your loans for an extended period of time if you are trying to find employment.

To qualify for any of the federal programs, the student must enroll at least half-time in school and can be either a graduate or undergraduate student. The grade level of the student determines the amount of the loan during a given academic school year. Financial need is not necessary to qualify for federal student loan programs and Stafford loans in particular, can be paid back up to 30 years depending how much was originally borrowed.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Federal Student Loan Consolidation

Student loan consolidation is a process that allows students to combine all federal and private student loans and make one monthly payment. However it may not be an option for every college student approaching graduation day or a recent college graduate. Here's some information about whether federal loan consolidation is right for you.

Bank lenders and consultants dissuade against consolidating private and federal loans together because the new consolidated loan will then be a private loan and you will therefore loose all the benefits that came with the federal loans, such as loan deferment if you decide to pursue graduate school.

So what are the pros and cons of federal student loan consolidation? This question depends partly on how much you owe, how much you've already paid, and other personal financial variables. Here is a brief overview:

Advantages of federal student loan consolidation

1. By consolidating your loans, you make one convenient payment that is also lower in amount. The federal interest rate is also likely to be lower than the combined interest of your original loans.

2. Borrowers can choose from four different payment plans, including an extended payment plan that can extend up to 30 years, depending on the amount that is owed.

3. Thankfully, there's no fee for consolidating your government student loans and there's no credit check when you consolidate your government student loans. 4.There's also no penalty for paying the loan off early.

Disadvantages to Student Loan Consolidation

1. Taking an extended payment plan means paying more interest in the long run. Higher loans mean more interest.

2. The consolidated student loan rate might be higher than the interest rates on your other loans.

3. Consolidating your loans during the six month grace period after graduation results in loosing the remainder of the grace period.

4. Consolidation is not to your advantage if you've already paid off a large of your student loans.

5. Finally, check whether you end up forfeiting the special benefits that come with other federal student loans such as Plus and Perkins loan if you end up consolidating your federal student loans.

What College Students Need to Know about Stafford Loans

Student loans are one of the most popular methods used to help pay for college, but understanding how each one works is confusing. Like the Perkins and Plus Loans, Stafford loans are a type of federal loan program which can either be subsidized or unsubsidized. With a subsidized loan, the government will pay the interest that accrues while the student is in school while the interest with unsubsidized Stafford loans will accrue until the student pays the loan balance.

Depending on the type of Stafford loan, the student can borrow the money either from a bank or a credit union, or from the Department of Education. The interest rate for Stafford loans varies from each year, but is typically lower than the general consumer market, which of course is an important factor when paying back the loans.

How Do Stafford Loans Work?

In order for a student to qualify for Stafford loans the student must enroll at least half-time in school and can be either a graduate or undergraduate student. The grade level of the student determines the exact amount the student is permitted to borrow on the student loan. The amount subsidized is limited to a certain amount that is comparable to the total loan value the student borrowed that same year. Financial need is not necessary to qualify for Stafford loans and they may be paid back within twenty-five to thirty years, depending on the type of Stafford loan and the total amount that was borrowed. In certain circumstances students have various repayment options.

Student Loans For College

It seems as though it is easier to get a student loan for college these days. The hard part about how to get a college student loan is "getting a good interest rate." Some people spend years repaying their college student loans. I bet they never imagined how long it would take to to repay their student loans.

Applying for a Student Loan for college

It has become very convenient to apply for a student loan for college. You can be approved for a student loan quickly. Even if you have bad credit you can still get approved for a student loan.

More than likely you may have already received mail or email regarding your pre-approval for a student loan. The catch with these offers is the terms of the student loan. The main objective of the sender is to try and lock you into thinking you qualify for a student loan, without paying much attention to the terms of the loan. Then they hit you with high interest rates and high monthly payments once you graduate.

Repaying a College Student Loan

There is a high number of college students who graduate in debt. They took out a student loan for college and are becoming overwhelmed with monthly payments which results in Student Loan Debt. Fresh out of college a good job plus financial freedom. Exactly that makes it so easy to want to put your payments on student loans "off" so you can buy a car or rent an apartment. This is not good because to avoid student loan debt repaying your student loans has to be a priority once you graduate. Think logically or think "student loan debt."

Some students have graduated and have no clue about their student loan payment options. This happens all of the time because a lot of college graduates do not know where to find information regarding their student loan debt.

Student Loan Debt Relief

Is there a solution for student loan debt? If you need more financial freedom from your student loans your lender won't mind extending your student loan payment time. This is because they will still be paid, just over a longer period of time.
Usually this results in the student paying more money over time with these low monthly long term payments. Student debt relief? Absolutely 15 years later when you finally finishing paying off your loan.

College Student Loan Alternatives

A scholarship is the first thing that should come to mind when you think about college tuition. Contrary to this a student loan should be your absolute resort.

Before considering a student loan following these steps will help you make the best out of your college financial aid query:

1) Apply for Scholarships

2) Apply for Grants

3) Apply for student loans

4) Take advantage of Student Loan options

5) Don't fall victim to Student Loan Debt

The steps listed above start with free sources of financial aid for college. The last few steps of applying for student loans and making payments.

When you can't get any scholarships or grants and you need a student loan you should take the following steps:

Find a good Student Loan -Lender

Compare rates to accomplish step 1

Have someone who can be a co-signer of the student loan

Try to be in good credit standings

Get a few free credit reports to accomplish the previous step

When you find a good rate think about the long term

Don't get rates that you can't pay when you graduate college

Began making payments immediately upon graduation (with the exception of the grace period)
Student Loans for College Recap

When applying for a student loan for college, understand the terms clearly.

*When repaying a college student loan make it a priority and understand your grace period options.

Shop around for the best student loan interest rate and payment terms.

Remember it is a loan for college, don't let the payments linger for 30 years.
It is strongly advised that you consider all of your sources for free college financial aid before considering a student loan. Follow the appropriate steps listed in this article and you will find financial aid for college or have a better understanding of how to approach Student Loans for College.

Student Loan Debt ... 5 Strategies That Work

Graduating from college is the easy bit. It's "growing up" that's difficult, especially when a freshly-minted graduate realizes that she's taking her first step into full blown independent adulthood with on average $20,000 of student loan debt hanging off her neck.

Student Loan "Grace Period" 6 Months After Graduation. Cleaning up after graduation parties and removing end-of-senior-year mind cobwebs reveals that each new graduate has a Federally mandated 6 month grace period in order to pay down the total student loan obligation...or to refinance the debt via a 1-time student loan consolidation.

Consolidating Student Loans. Student loan consolidation involves some simple, but important rules. Only graduates can consolidate. Current students are barred from consolidating student loans.

* Student Loan Consolidation Rule #1. Identify 100% of your outstanding college student loans. Why 100%? The Government only permits a 1-time student loan consolidation. Forget to include a past borrowing and you get nailed. The National Student Loan Data System manages a database where your loan history should be recorded.

* Student Loan Consolidation Rule #2. Time matters. Consolidating student loans must result in your application being received on or before 30 June if you want to avoid potential interest rate increases.

* Student Loan Consolidation Rule #3. Freshly graduated students are provided a 6-month grace period following graduation. Identify, say, your total Stafford student loan portfolio and then consolidate student loans in one fell swoop...and you'll receive an instant 0.6% interest rate reduction on the balance. This discount could become serious money savings over time.

* Doing The Math. Student loan consolidation is based on math...taking weighted averages of all past borrowings, then rounding up 1/8th percent to result in your consolidated student loan interest rate. All of this consolidation occurs prior to 30 June in the year that you apply.

Where Are The Lowest Cost Student Loans? Thank you Big Government...the best student loans rates you'll get are Federally issued Stafford, Perkins or PLUS student loans. Government-backed, these Stafford and related student loan borrowing plans offer lower interest rates than private market lenders can offer, along with more flexible loan repayment terms. Why? Unlike a personal loan, the Federal student loan transfers a portion of the borrower's risk to the Government...resulting in lower-cost-of-funds.

Are Personal Background Credit Checks Always Required? No. Not every student, or her parents, necessarily has the cash or good credit history to satisfy student loan lenders. The good news is that "No child left behind" and the American commitment towards higher education...enters into a marriage of convenience with profit-seeking lenders...to create a secondary market in bad credit student loans. Risk adjusted, bad credit student loans carry marginally higher interest expenses, are generally more inflexible regarding payment lapses, yet offer longer repayment terms which lowers the monthly out-of-pocket expense. Meanwhile Federal Stafford or Perkins loans are 'credit neutral' and do not require a credit background check in order for a student and his family to qualify.

Federal Student Loans Versus Private Loan Sources - Pros & Cons. Historically, Federal PLUS, Perkins or Stafford student loans offered the most flexibility and, due to government backing, the lowest interest and repayment rates. Until 2006 Federal loans could be "variable"... where the next year's interest rate is based on the Treasury market in a 90 plus trading period ending 1 June. The new "variable rate" becomes effective 1 July each year for all past variable rate loans. For example, 2006 Federal student loan rates for variable carried a 6.54% interest cost.

* Congress Passes New "Fixed" Rate Student Loan. Because of new legislation passed by Congress, all "new" Federal Stafford loans from 1 July, 2006 onwards are now "fixed" at 6.8%.

Fine Print - What's The True Discount Student Loan? College student loan "deals" require a mix of focus and document review in order to decipher the true nature of "discounts". As Albert Einstein opined "God dwells amongst the details" and so it applies to student loan documents.

* Practical Example. For example, "discounts for on-time payments" may look attractive...but what if the interest rate deduction "reward" only occurs retroactively after 4 to 5 years? One missed payment anywhere in the time-stream and presto...the discount vanishes. Or, certain discounts only apply to portions of the loan term...in other words, you'll pay "full rate" for substantially all of the loan life, and the discount only applies to a portion of the loan life. Result? An advertised 1.25% "discount" may actually be worth only .25% when you move through the discount analysis. A useful site for families interested in the "fine print" cost of student loans is www.finaid.org.

Student Loan Consolidation - How To Get The Best Rates And Plans?

Student loan consolidation can have many benefits for the career minded student. With the prices of things going through the roof, going to college can be very costly. Many students don't have thousands of dollars to pay their way through college.

This is why many college students use student loans to get themselves through college. When it comes time to pay back their student loans, it can be a real burden and a distraction from their career.

Before you sign up on the dotted line, you should know how to get the best student loan consolidation rate and plan for your financial needs. If you are tired of too many bills and monthly due dates, it just might be time to find the best student loan consolidation rate and plan that you can qualify for.

What Is The Idea Behind Student Loan Consolidation?

When a student first applied for several student loans from several different agencies and student loan providers, they each gave a different interest rate and term for paying back the loans. The idea of student loan consolidation, is to take all the different student loans and put them into one easy convenient loan. You then only have to make one monthly loan payment every month, instead of several loan payments every month over time. This saves the student both time and money. Having a lower interest rate and less checks to write every month are a couple of advantages of doing a student loan consolidation.

Credit Check Before You Get Student Loan Consolidation Rates And Payment Plans

The most obvious way to get the best student loan consolidation rates and payments, is by having great credit. It's easy to get great student loan consolidation plans with a credit score, also known as FICO, over 660. But, there are several ways to get the best student loan consolidation rates and payment plans.

You can do a simple online search on FICO and credit scores to find the information you need to check out your credit score. Knowing your credit information should be your first step to getting the best student loan consolidation rates. With knowledge, you will get the best student loan consolidation rates for your financial and credit situation.

Student loan consolidation rates and plans can vary from person to person. The loan rates offered will be based on your financial situation and credit. With a FICO credit score under 600, it can be a challenge to get a good student loan consolidation rate and plan in most cases.

7 Aspects To Consider With Student Loan Consolidation Plans

1. Lower Monthly Payments. Depending on your student loan situation and the type of lender you choose, you may be able to lower your monthly payments by up to 50%

2. Having Simple Loan Payments. By consolidating your student loans, you only have one loan payment per month and one check to write. This is very beneficial if you are writing several checks every month to multiple lenders.

3. Having Fixed Interest Rates. With some federal consolidation loans you can have a fixed rate for the life of your student loan. It's best to do research to see what the best interest rates and term you are eligible for. You can check online to calculate the interest rate on a new student consolidation loan based on the rates of your current student loans. You can then round up to the nearest 1/8th of a percent of the weighted average of the interest rates on your eligible student loans.

4. Extending Your Payment Period. You may have a lot of student loan debt. With federal consolidation loans you may be able to extend the payment term up to 30 years. It's a good idea to realize you will end up paying more interest over the life of your student loan consolidation. The idea is to get some leverage until your career takes off. You can focus on making money instead of several monthly loan payments.

5. In School Consolidation Programs. While still in school, eligible students can lock in a low rate. This would put you into repayment status, but since you are still in school, you are automatically put into deferment. The drawback of consolidating your loans while in school, is that you lose your 6 month grace period. The solution to this would be to request forbearance for up to 1 year on your student loan consolidation. Here again you can do some research and get more information online.

6. Lower Interest Rate. Student loan consolidation can save you thousands of dollars. You may be using credit cards with 10% to 28% interest trying to keep up with your bills. This can cost you thousands of dollars when you pay the minimum monthly payments on high interest credit card debt. Having a student loan consolidation may be your best option if you can get lower interest rates when consolidating your student loans.

7. New Interest Rates. With a new student loan consolidation, you may be able to get a much better interest rate. Interest rates are now at an all time low. You may have been paying on debt you built up from several years ago, at high interest rates. Things change over time in the financial industry.

Resources Online For Student Loan Consolidation Rates And Payment Plans

With today's Internet resources, you have an advantage when looking for the best student loan consolidation rates and plans online. If you take some time to do research on the process of getting the best student loan consolidation rates and plans, you may be able to save yourself the high costs on student loan consolidation.

Online website services can make it easy to see if you qualify. There are many tools and ideas online to help you get the best rates and plans available for your student loan consolidation needs.