Student Loan Consolidation » Department Of Education

College Scholarships vs Student Loans

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:00:33 +0000

There is no way you can compare the value of college scholarships against student loans. Who wouldn’t want a college scholarship that would provide grant money that did not have to be repaid versus paying back money borrowed plus interest. Simply put, a scholarship is your money to spend on college. A student loan is just that: Borrowed money that must be repaid.

A college scholarship is real money that a student is granted to use for such things as college tuition, room and board and other expenses as allowed by the stipulations of the college scholarship. A student loan is money loaned to students for college tuition and other expenses, but students pay interest immediately as soon as the check is used

The best type of college scholarship is one that is granted for all four years of college. These scholarships are called “renewable.” On the other hand, a student loan is typically taken out each year from a loan granting institution or sometimes from the college itself. The interest rate on the loan will vary.

Some loans are called “subsidized” loans. Students who are eligible for subsidized student loans, based on family income, can take a Stafford student loan. The beauty of this loan is that the U.S. Department of Education pays the interest that accrues while the student is in college and for six months after graduation.

Other loans are called “non-subsidized” student loans. These loans are not given based on need, and any student can request an unsubsidized student loan. With a non-subsidized loan students are charged interest from the day the check is delivered. For both loans the principal payments will begin 6 months after graduation, but as mentioned, the non-subsidized student loan would have interest payments due from day one of the loan.

Therefore, it is always in a student’s best interest to take the time to search for college scholarships. This means searching for awards even after they are accepted to a school, and searching for scholarships during college. The goal is to have a student graduate with the smallest amount of debt in student loans as possible. This means taking advantage of college scholarships as much as possible, and covering extra expenses with loans or job income.

By: Phillip Walters

Money Loans for College

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:04:11 +0000

There are many college students who require money to pay for their education. They can get loans that are small or large depending upon the course they plan to pursue in a college. The loan can be used to pay for the students? books, fees, travel and other supplies. It takes a fairly short time to apply and almost anyone can get the loan approved. The borrower also receives the loan in a short period of time.

The US Department of Education controls the Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans, which are meant for the parents of the student. There are loan funds that come directly from the federal government, while some come from a bank, credit union, or other participating lender. One such loan sponsored by the federal government in the Stafford loan. It is a low cost student loan that helps students pay their college fees.. There are various benefits of Stafford Loans. Students can get 3.3 percent of their original loan amount returned as cash or as an account credit. They may qualify by making their first 33 monthly payments on time prior to entering repayment. They also include reduced payment plans, and offer options for deferment, forbearance and loan consolidation.

PLUS Loans help parents with a good credit history, to borrow money at a favorable interest rate, so that they can pay college fees, for their dependent undergraduate children. The loans have variable interest rate, which do not exceed 9%. In addition to these loans, there are private loans that can be obtained from private lenders for college costs. They are not covered by federal and campus-based financial aid and usually include higher interest rates than federal loans.

Most of the colleges in the United States accept college loans. It is beneficial for students, who lack funds to pursue higher education. Most college loans are structured in a manner that permits flexible monthly payments, or the borrower can even repay the loans after graduating and getting a job.

By: Thomas Morva

College Funding Through Chase Bank Student Loans

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:25:04 +0000

When you’re looking for ways to pay for college, you have to research various banks and lenders, and compare their private loan services and also look at what privately-funded federal loan conditions they offer versus direct federal loans from the Department of Education. Chase Bank student loans are available for every step in the higher education process, including federal and private loans.

Federal Stafford loans have the same basic standards whether they come from the Department of Education directly or through a bank, credit union, or other private lender. The maximum fixed interest rate is 6.8%, and you can defer payment until you finish school or drop under half time enrollment. Government subsidized Stafford loans are granted based on need; in this case the government pays the interest on your loan while you study. If your loan is not subsidized, if you defer payment until after finishing school the interest is capitalized.

Parents and graduate students can apply for PLUS loans, which do come with credit requirements but an eligible cosigner can be used. These loans cover education costs that are not covered by Stafford loans, which do not have a credit requirement, and any available student aid. Chase also offers federal consolidation loans; private and federal loans can be consolidated together.

Chase offers a competitive rate on federal loans compared to the Department of Education, cutting .1% off the normal fixed interest rate. This gives Stafford loans an interest rate of 6.7% compared to 6.8%, and PLUS loans have an interest rate of 8.4% compared to 8.5%. Chase offers full assistance in receiving federal loans and helps you with all the necessary paperwork without charging origination or default fees on their loans.

Any other expenses can be paid for with private student loans. With Chase Select loans, you can borrow as little as $500, if you need only a small amount to make up the difference in your cost of attendance and what your other loans and student aid cover, or as much as $40,000 if you need it.

The Chase Health Education Program is specifically designed for people studying to become professionals in the health industry. This is a long and expensive process, and Chase offers a group of loans targeted toward making this possible, from medical school to residency.

You can consult Chase and have your questions answered by phone or online, whichever is more convenient for you. Chase Bank student loans offer private loans and federal loans at lowered interest rates.

By: Adam Hefner

How to Fix Defaulted Student Loans and Wage Garnishments

admin — Sun, 23 May 2010 05:51:58 +0000

In this tough economy, an increasing number of college graduates (and college drop-outs) are falling behind on their student loans. According to the Department of Education, federal student loan defaults were up to 6.9% in 2009, well above their 2008 of 5.2%. For those carrying private loans, defaults hit 3.37% in 2008 versus 1.47% in 2006, according to Sallie Mae, one of America’s largest providers of private loans.

As you probably already know, defaulting on a student loan is a very serious matter. A federal college loan falls into default status if you are supposed to make monthly payments, but have not done so for 270 days. For those whose student loan payments are less frequent, a default occurs once you haven’t made payments for 330 days. In either case, the government has the right to take your federal tax refund check or garnish up to 15% of your disposable pay in order to collect on a defaulted federal student loan. Defaulted student loans also negatively impact your credit.

Appealing a Wage Garnishment

The good news is that you can appeal a wage garnishment and request a hearing on the matter in order to demonstrate why it is that you can’t afford that the payments and wage garnishment your lender or guaranty agency is seeking. The U.S. Department of Education Debt Collection Services Office (DCS) holds the hearing after you fill out a “Request for Hearing” form regarding your wage garnishment, and send it to the Department of Education.

Your hearing can be done in-person, over the telephone, or in writing; the choice is up to you.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you submit your Request for Hearing, make sure you also send another EXTREMELY IMPORTANT document. It is the “Financial Disclosure Statement,” a 3-page document in which you must document your income and itemize all your expenses.

The “Financial Disclosure Statement” form will be critical in the hearing/appeal process, and will be closely evaluated, so take the time to carefully list all your bills, and provide copies of those bills as requested.

On page 3 of the Financial Disclosure Statement, you will notice a line that says: “Based on this Statement, I think I can afford to pay $____ per month.” This is where you have an opportunity to essentially offer a counter-proposal to the Department of Education about your student loans. Regardless of what you’ve been asked to pay in the past, here is where you should realistically evaluate your budget and come up with a number that you can undoubtedly pay (without a huge financial strain) month after month.

The Department of Education will make a decision about your case within 60 days after your hearing. But in the meantime, any wage garnishment that has already started will continue to be in force.

Four Options to Cure a Defaulted Student Loan

Now, in order to get your student loan(s) out of default, you have four options:

• Consolidate the loan(s)
• Enter a loan rehabilitation program;
• Pay the loan(s) off completely
• Get the loan(s) totally discharged or cancelled

The last two are probably not realistic options. I know you don’t have the money to pay off the loan(s). That’s why you’re in this predicament; and loan cancellations are rare (though they can be obtained). You’ll likely have to “rehabilitate” your loan(s) or consolidate.

Should You “Rehabilitate” Your Loans or Consolidate?

Before you can consolidate, you have to bring your loan(s) out of default status. You do this by making just three monthly payments – on time, and in any amount that you and your lender agree upon. To find out if you qualify for loan consolidation, contact the Federal Direct Consolidation Loan Info Center at 800-557-7392 or go online to http://loanconsolidation.ed.gov. If you call, the staff there should be able to tell you what your monthly payment will need to be for those three months while your loan is in repayment. The one drawback to consolidation is that your credit remains tarnished. Even though your loan will be paid off and listed as “paid in full” on your credit report, you’ll get a new loan through consolidation and that previous default still shows on your credit report for seven years.

An alternative, to fix your credit, and have all past negative information about your student loans completely deleted from your credit file is to go through loan rehabilitation.

In a nutshell with rehabilitation you make 9 or 12 on-time payments on your student loans in an amount you can afford. You make nine monthly payments on Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans, or 12 monthly payments on Perkins Loans. This, in my opinion, is the preferred route as it will help you restore your credit in a big way, so your past default won’t haunt you for years to come.

For more details about various alternatives to cure your student loan delinquency, check out the Department of Education’s guidebook called “Options for Financially-Challenged Borrowers in Default.”

Get Help From an Ombudsman

Additionally, you should know that if you ever have a dispute with your lender or loan servicer about anything related to your federal student loans, there is a government agency that may be of assistance in resolving that dispute. It’s called the Federal Student Aid Office of the Ombudsman. Always try to work things out first with your lender by using the online “Self Resolution Checklist” from the Ombudsman’s office. But let’s say you think your loan was mistakenly placed in default by your lender – maybe you were in school at least half-time, you had a loan deferment or forbearance, or you actually made payments on your loan – and you can’t get a satisfactory resolution of the issue, then it’s time to reach out to the Ombudsman’s office.

No matter what economic challenges you’re facing, you don’t have to live with wage garnishments and blemishes on your credit report because of defaulted student loans. Reach out for help today, and start the process of turning that college debt problem around.

By: Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

Obama Administration Makes Student Loans Accessible

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:11:58 +0000

Did you acquire a federal student loan during the educational year of 2007-2008? If so, your loan may be owned by the federal government. As of 2008, the federal government started to buy around $500 million per week in federal college loans.

And the reason behind this lies in the fact that the United States government desires to have assurance of students’ easy access to federal loans. Consequently, several banks and lenders decided to stop handling federal student loans.

Private investors in smaller numbers have been ready to guarantee these loans, which were formerly advertised as security or investment packages. The current instable market is the root cause here, making these loan packages appear less pretty to private investors.

As these private investors were no longer accessible, the U.S. government declared it had no choice other than stepping in and purchasing the loans. If the Department of Education has the ability to purchase enough federal loans, the securities earlier supporting these loans can be made obtainable to support federal student loans for other borrowers. The purchase, though, is intended to be only a temporary solution to the difficulty.

The expected long-standing solution, in accordance with the Department of Education executives, is the implementation of a fresh program, aimed as a development on the present federal loan system, is anticipated in the near future. This program was demonstrated in November 2008, but its impact on the present federal loan procedure remains to be witnessed.

It’s important for students to be aware of the total tuition expenses of their degree before enrollment. Studies have revealed that students who make inquiries at three or more school finish up making less tuition payments and getting more in assistance as compared to those that enroll in the first school they come across.

The strength of students receiving federal education loans has not yet been influenced by the economy. Presently, officials consider that the current buy-up of federal student loans will be sufficient to counteract any hurdle that the education loan process may come across. If the economic turmoil persists, though, the number of federal loans obtainable could be considerably concentrated by the inaccessibility of private investors and lenders.

Surely, the United States treasury does not have boundless resources to buy these loans. If the economic crisis continues, as seems likely at this point, the Department of Education will may have to request that Congress allocate further funds to assure 2008-2009 federal student loans. On the basis of the degree of the crisis, this could also mean that, in future, fewer student loans may be accessible to borrowers.

By: Sheila Danzig

Student Loans with No Credit History

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:49:46 +0000

A good credit history is an essential prerequisite for applying for a student loan. A student with a good credit history always stands in good stead to qualify himself for a student loan. So, it is always advisable that students who go for loans keep their credit within limits.

Many lenders provide loans to students with no credit history. There are two types of student loans namely, federal student loans and private student loans. The former are backed by the US government (coming under the department of education?s federal student aid programs) and are approved based on the financial need of the student, whereas the latter are considered as personal consumer loans. Refinancing of federal student loans is possible at far lower interest rates than private loans. Private student loans are approved after checking the credit history of a student or his parents.

Usually, a student loan with no credit history does not require any income or a co-signer. But this is sanctioned only for a small credit limit. To get larger credit limit, the help of a co-signer is essential. Before taking student loans with no credit history, compare the interest rates and the fees from different lenders. You can get student loans applying online also. The documents needed include proof of your identity, and your place of employment. It is better to look for loans based on your job history. It is advisable to have a thorough check on the terms and conditions of a student loan before signing the deal.

By: Richard Romando

Bad Credit Student Loan

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:20:38 +0000

Finding bad credit student loan aids can be a challenge, but it is certainly not out of the question. Obviously it is much easier to find student loans if you have a superior credit rating. You will also find that it is easier to track down the low interest rate loans with a quality credit rating. But with the proper research, you can locate bad credit student loans to help you get through college.

Wondering whether or not credit history will detract you from going to college is a common concern. However, you will be happy to know that it should not stop you from finding assistance so that you can get your college degree. In fact, the most popular student loan, the Stafford loan, automatically assumes that you do not even have a credit rating yet because you are going to college straight from high school.

Another loan that is similar to the Stafford loan is the Perkins loan. It does not even look at credit rating in the qualifications because it assumes that you do not have a credit rating yet. The only way that a credit matter would come up with these loans is if you have been denied from a federally granted student loan in the past.

Aside from these two stout student loans, there are other options to getting bad credit student loan aid. One option is to look into federal funding because they are designed to help make college more accessible. Because of this, the requirements of attaining a loan are much looser than those of banks and other funding companies.

If you are unable to attain a US Department of Education student loan, you may want to consider looking to your parents. If your parents have a better credit rating than you do, you can look into getting a PLUS loan. A PLUS loan is granted to the parents instead of the student and assumes that the parents will pay a certain amount of the student’s college.

The last bad credit student loan option is to look into private lenders. This is especially the case if you are looking to graduate in a field with high earnings such as law or the medical field.

You may have a difficult time receiving a loan big enough from one company to cover all of your costs. In this case, you may need to apply and receive loans from a couple of different loan companies if at all possible. While it can certainly become a hassle, it is important that you know it is possible to receive bad credit student loans.

By: Clive Chung

Direct Student Loans – Lower Interest Rate, Easier Repayment

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:06:09 +0000

Education in colleges can be very expensive and may force students to drop the idea of further pursuing their degree. But there is always the option of direct student loans for students to pay the high college education fees. So the student has not to worry at all. The interest rate of such loans is also low. Hence, students can easily pay their education fees without any tension and can get finish their education thereby joining their hands in the development of the nation.

Direct student loans are offered by the US Department of Education. They do not involve private lenders and hence, the student is taking a loan from the federal government directly. Direct student loans are available in two options: subsidized and unsubsidized, so that all students can avail this loan as per their requirement necessity and need. In case of subsidized rate plan till the college education of a student is over, he won’t be charged the subsidized rate of interest. Meanwhile, for an unsubsidized direct student loan, the interest rate is charged from the time of approval till the complete repayment. But the rate of interest of such loans is quite low as compared to subsidized direct student loans.

For repayment of direct student loans, the student has enough time, ranging from 10 to 25 years. If the student cannot manage to pay the loan amount on time, there are a lot of ways under direct student loans for deferring the payment, though the student may have to pay some penalties. The repayment duration of a direct student loan can also be extended.

A free form of Federal Student Aid, filled up, makes you a direct student loan candidate automatically. All you have to do is accept the fact that you’re ready to take the loan and the loan amount will be deposited into your account immediately.

By: Steve C Clark

How Student Loan Consolidation Can Help Students

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:17:58 +0000

Basically loan consolidation is a means that merges all the loans taken by a particular borrower into one single loan. As a consequence the monthly repayments and the rates of interest are considerably reduced with a longer repayment period. In the case of student loan consolidation, the student who is the borrower will only have one single payment to make instead of paying to different lenders every month.

Students can avail of student-loan consolidation for federal loans like Perkins, Stafford, Direct loans and private education loans. In the federal student consolidation system, the existing loans are taken over by a company or by the Department of Education based on the type of loans that have been taken by the student. The interest rate for the consolidation will depend on the student loan rate of that particular year.

Actually this is a tool that is utilized by both the government and the lenders who are inclined to help students to bring their student loan debts.

One of the greatest benefits of such a system is that the student gets a much longer repayment period with lowered interest rates and you will not be paying more money by way of interest when you pay over a longer time period. Moreover you will only be making one monthly repayment instead of many.

Another advantage is, even if you happen to have bad credit you are not required to have any credit checks, nor are you liable to pay any penalty or extra fees with this sort of student loan consolidation.

The whole process of availing this loan system will take about two to three months and is not very complicated either. In case you are interested in taking a government student consolidation loan all details are available online. You will have to fill up an online application form. But there are also various other financiers who are offering student-loan consolidation in case you feel that you would like to take it from private people.

By: Jimmy Jenkins Ray

How Does Student Loan Consolidation Work?

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:01:35 +0000

Nowadays, the cost of higher education is getting more and more expensive. Some families may not be able to afford to send their son or daughter for further education. Getting a student loan will help.

There are 2 broad categories of student loans available. Government student loans and private student loans

Government or federal student loans are funded and administered by the US Department Of Education. It is classified under Federal Student Loans Aid Program. They have very few requirements other than you are studying in a US college or university. International students may also apply though approval is on a case by case basis.

Every year, the student loan aid program disburse nearly 60 billion dollars so it is a good choice for get a student loan from the government. Thus the interest rates are pretty low.

Private student loans are funded and administered by banks and other financial institutions. These lenders provide student loans at a higher interest rate compared to federal student loans. Some common student loans available are from Citibank and Sallie Mae

You are allowed to apply for both private and federal student loans for your education needs although I would not recommend it.

For some students who have a few student loans to repay concurrently, it can be a financial drain on their family finances. That is where student loan consolidation comes in.

Student loan consolidation basically consolidates all your student loans into one loan so that it is easier to manage and make payments. When you are getting a student loan consolidation whether from the government or the private market, your existing student loans are paid for and erased by the student loan consolidation lender. The balances are transferred to the new student loan consolidation. Thus you start a new loan and only needs to make a single payment each month.

There are many advantages to using student loan consolidation. The interest rates will be lower since it takes the average interest rates of your previous student loans. Thus due to government legislation, the maximum interest rate cannot be higher than 8.25 percent.

It becomes a lot easier to manage a single student loan and payment are easier. The repayment options are quite flexible. For federal student loan consolidation, you can opt to start repaying after you have graduated from school. There are also several other options.

Another beneficial side-effect of student loan consolidation is that it can also improves your credit score. Since you are effectively clearing all your old student loans and taking a new one, your credit score will increase and is important if plan to take other types of loans in the future.

By: Ricky Lim