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More than a few students would benefit from knowing more about student loan consolidation because for most it means help in managing the stress related to student loan repayment. Well student loan debt consolidation is the act of putting together all your student loans into one combined loan so as to aid in managing your financial debt caused due to college or any trade school.

Once you combine or consolidate student loans, you will then have only a single monthly payment to make. Also, that single payment is more often than not, lower than what your combined monthly payments of an unconsolidated student debt would sum up to be. This is payment ends up being lower simply due to the fact that once you consolidate loans you are usually offered an extended time period to pay off the debt. Sometimes this period can extend up to even thirty years. Most people find the lower payment to be a huge benefit that of course it is. However, consolidation may also lead to your paying more interest, over a longer length of time, than you what you would have paid with your combined unconsolidated debt.

It is a fact that student debt consolidation loan rates are in general of a lower amount than unconsolidated loan rates. Also, most commonly the student loan consolidation rates are fixed. The interest rates however are more often variable in the case of unconsolidated loans. This means that the rates can change at any given time and that too sometimes even without much warning. In the case of a fixed rate, the monthly interest will stay the same throughout the complete period of your consolidated student loan.

If you require detailed information on student debt consolidation loans, you can normally get it from any financial aid office of any educational institution. Another option is that you can even request the information from the original holder of your debt. It is always wise to keep your options open for student debt consolidation loans as it can be beneficial for most students.

The only fixed rate student loans available are federal loans, and even those can change based on federal law. However, if you want to lock in your interest rate, you can do so after you finish school.

Federal student loans offer a more stable rate; even though changing laws can change the interest rate on these loans, it is not going to happen from one day to the next, which is a possibility with private loans. Private loans should only be considered when federal loans and financial aid do not cover the costs of your education.

Education costs are rising faster than federal student loan amounts, so many students are finding themselves in a situation where they need extra funding. Lenders take advantage of this situation and stepping in to fill the gap.

If you have excellent credit, you are eligible for loans which offer Prime interest rates. Good credit takes time to build up, however, and if you’re a young student, if you don’t have bad credit, you probably have no credit or a very short credit history. This doesn’t make it impossible to get a loan, but you may need a cosigner or be charged higher fees and interest rates.

This puts you in an even more precarious situation than other sub-prime borrowers, because unless bankruptcy laws change, you will not be able to have your student loan debt excused by declaring bankruptcy unless you have extreme economic difficulties and, according to current precedence, absolutely no chance of future improvement.

You do have the option of consolidating student loan debts. This will give you the chance to freeze the interest rate for the life of the loan. The downside of this is that, while you will also pay less per month, you will be paying off your debt over a longer period of time and in the end, it will cost more. Having a fixed interest rate and lower payments now may be worth the future increase in total cost.

Consolidating student loan debts also allows you different payment options. You can pay interest-only for up to four years with some lenders, allowing you to get a head-start on a career, or you can take advantage of a graduated repayment plan to start paying off the debt now. You can switch payment options, so if you ever suffer financial difficulties, you can switch to an income-based plan. And you can always make early payments on the principle.

Students wishing to convert their private student loans into fixed rate student loans should consider consolidation. It offers a locked interest rate but allows borrowers the chance to use varying payment plans to make student loan payment easier.

Finding it hard to find unbiased information on student loan consolidation? Let me help with that. When I graduated from college, I had somewhere around $12,000 in student loan debt. Seeing how I would have multiple payments to different lenders, and fearing increasing rates over time (yes, your rate can vary depending on the loan type and the lender), I decided to investigate a potential consolidate student loan. But before I tell you what decision I made, let me give you a few benefits and problems with student loan consolidation:

Benefits

1. The ability to make a single payment with a single lender, thus reducing the headache of paying multiple lenders.

2. Most lenders offer a fixed rate of interest over the life of the loan.

3. Typically, consolidate student loan companies will offer a lower interest rate than many of your current student loans.

4. Lenders will usually offer a longer repayment period, thus allowing for a lower monthly payment.

5. Student loan interest is tax deductible, thus making a longer repayment period more attractive for tax purposes.

6. Some lenders will even offer an interest rate discount for good payers – more on this in a minute.

7. If you are struggling to find a job, many consolidation lenders will allow a deferment of forbearance, allowing you more time to acquire stable income, and may grant a lower interest rate for doing so, due to the lender accruing interest during the deferment/forbearance period.

Problems

1. Longer repayment periods. Yes, I know I mentioned it as a benefit above, but it can also be a problem. While longer repayment periods tend to reduce monthly payments, the overall interest paid over the life of the loan is more, sometimes much more.

2. Unwillingness to negotiate. During my repayment period, I called to ask if an agreement for a principal deduction could be reached or if there was help from other organizations to pay off the student loan, and absolutely no help was provided by the lender. I guess the felt I already got a good deal with an interest rate of 3.5%

3. Default – Do not, I repeat, do not default on your student loan. Bankruptcy, and any other legal attempts to welsh on student loan debt won’t work – student loans are like cock roaches, they just will not die. Be sure to pay your student loan back.

Alright, now that we understand a few of the benefits and problems, I am going to tell you what I did. I decided to do a consolidate student loan. I felt there were just too many benefits involved. The company I went with was Nelnet, and they offered a 15 year loan repayment period with 3.5% interest and a 1% interest rate discount if I made the first 36 payments on time. What a great deal! As with all things, be sure to research several different offers before selecting a consolidate student loan company.

Student loan debt relief is one of the biggest worries on a new graduates mind– it is an exciting thing to finish that hard earned degree, but it can also be very overwhelming to face the mounds of student debt that accrued over the years.

There are several options for your student loan debt relief. Some people choose to simply pay the loans as is, they don’t take the time to explore any type of refinancing that may be available to them. This can be a good and a bad thing, but it really depends on the individual student loans that you have. Some of the loans that are available already have low interest rates and fast payment plans, so there may be no need for a refinance of those loans. But, on the other hand, there are some banks that really take advantage of the students by offering poor loans… if you have this type of financial on your school debt then I would highly suggest that you look at your consolidation and/or refinance options.

There is no harm in exploring your other options, and one of the most common choices for student loan debt relief is consolidation. Some of the advantages of consolidation is that it will roll all of the debt into one easy payment– and many times you are able to lower the interest rate by consolidation your student debt. Also, consolidation can often help you to pay off the debt more quickly.

Don’t jump right into the first student loan debt relief offer that you see, because it is important that you take some time to research out what other companies have to offer. This process will help you to understand the market and also see find the best solution to help you quickly get out of debt.

In July of 2006, the interest rate on federal student loans rose. The impact is that these rates will remain high through 2012.

Should You Consolidate?

If your student loan has a variable rate, it is not such a good idea to consolidate the loan as you could end up paying a higher overall rate of interest. If you have a fixed rate, however, consolidation would be a viable option.

The Benefits of Consolidating Your Student Loan

* Payment – you will only have one payment to make each month and won’t have to keep track of individual payments and interest rates.

* Reduced worry – you will no longer live in dread of the phone ringing and hearing the voice of a creditor on the other end.

* Emotional savings – you will benefit from a reduced preoccupation over paying back your loan.

* More options when making payments – when repaying a student loan consolidation, you will typically be extended a higher degree of leniency when making your repayments. This can be of great importance when you have to adhere to a strict budget.

The Down Side of Student Loan Consolidation

Your new loan amount will most likely become larger. Many people do not realize that an increase in the amount of the loan is one of the consequences of going down this avenue. This is because by consolidating your loan you will be adding more years to it. You might be able to pay less every month, but it is at a cost. You could wind up paying much more over time.

Additionally, you are not guaranteed to be accepted for this type of consolidation even if it is a simple application process.

More Hints

If you are interested in consolidating your student loans, now is the time to do so. The result of waiting could be that you end up with a much higher interest rate.

Make sure you have sufficient knowledge of the process before engaging, and certainly before committing to a new loan. Take the time to read the small print of any agreements to fully understand your obligations before signing.

Assess various interest rates offered, and resist the temptation to opt for the first good one you come across. With a little persistence and patience, you will likely find a good interest rate that accommodates your financial need.

Opting for the lowest repayment plan you can find should, ironically, be your last choice. If you are in a position to make higher payments, do so. That will reduce the length of your loan and improve your financial situation more quickly. By selecting a lower repayment, you might have more money to spend every month, but you’ll wind up paying much more for your loan over the long haul.