Education Loan Consolidation Options

By Dennis Powell

So you've worked your tail off for the last several years eating Ramen and pulling all nighters while living on your student loans that almost covered the bills, and now you've got a great job, a new life and a mountain of debt. Life next pop quizWhat do you do? Fortunately for today's education Loan borrowers there are plenty of options to help you get your new life started without having the old one hanging around your neck like an anchor. There are plenty of student loan consolidation options available for the savvy borrower, and one of them will probably fit your life.

The first place many borrowers will look for a consolidation program is FFEL consolidation. Federal Family Education Loan consolidation offers the option of putting all of your federally funded education debt - both subsidized and unsubsidized - under a single plan. This option can even work for those unfortunate souls who have been in default in the past, and offer fixed rates, extended terms to help you get started in your new life without worrying about loan payments eating up most of threat tiny entry level salary.

Private consolidation loans can package all of your non-federal loans into a single easy to make payment often with extended terms to lower the monthly bite even more (Though at the price of a higher overall cost.) Private and federal loans cannot generally be consolidated into the same package due to the variance in interest rates between them. Private loan interest rates are based on the borrower's credit rating so if your credit rating has improved since graduation - through a better job, etc. - they may be a good option.

Many parents use the PLUS loan program to borrow for the children's education. PLUS loans can be consolidated using a PLUS consolidation program much which offers similar benefits and potential pitfalls of FFEL and private consolidation - fixed rates, and lower payments spread over a longer term. Plus loan consolidations are great for some people but parents need to take a good look at all of their options before consolidating.

Another option to a traditional loan is an additional mortgage on a piece of real property like a house of land that you may own. Some students parents will take this option to pay off the loans and the student can they make payments directly to mom and dad. Private personal loans from family members are yet another possible way to get the worry of several large monthly payments off your back, and some businesses offer tuition reimbursement for their employees.

New technologies have come to the lending world where the idea of peer-to-peer programs and micro-financing has taken root. Peer to peer financing allows the borrower to present a request for funding to a group of potential "micro-investors" who then bid on the loan by offering different rates and terms. Once a deal is struck the network services the loan, ensures payments are made and the necessary paperwork is taken care of. For borrowers with needs outside the comfort zone of traditional banks a P2P loan may help them get started down the path to getting their loans paid off.

Sure you busted your tail in college but now it's time for the real world, which will have its own share of challenges. Nobody want to start out with a huge burden hanging over their head; student loan consolidation can offers the cancel to reduce all of your loans down to just one or two manageable payments each month so that you can concentrate on working your way into that corner office.

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