Student loan consolidation » Stafford Loans

Student Loans – How Interest Rates Are Set on Federal Loans

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:11:53 +0000

You’ve got to take on student loan debt these days if you want to go to college unless you are very lucky. Student loan debt is like any debt. The key to how quickly you can pay it off often comes down to the interest rates. For people with federal loans, the good news is interest rates are quirky in a positive way.

The economic condition of the United States is supposedly in a recovery from the Great Recession we recently suffered. With business slow and unemployment in double digits, it is hard to make much of an argument that this recovery has really hit most of us. As we stagger forward, things will improve slowly, but a fiscal accounting must take place. That accounting is going to come in the form of higher interest rates.

We have interest rates that are so low now that we’ve rarely seen such an economic condition in our history. The Federal Reserve essentially is loaning out money to banks at a zero interest rate. That can’t last. When it changes, rates are going to move up and so are your debt loads. For those with fixed rate loans, the news will mean little since rates will stay the same on the debt in question. For those with adjustable rates, things are going to get ugly.

What about federal student loans? Well, I have really good news if you are carrying federal student loan debt. The rates on your loan are not set by the market or some cold bank per se. Instead, Congress actually sets the rates on your loans. The legislative body actually sets a range of rates that can be charged for each loan, but the banks actually issuing the money always [and I mean always!] go with the highest possible allowed rate. The rates can change year to year, but are usually much lower than private loans and such. You can access the current rates for Perkins, Stafford and PLUS loans at the website for the Department of Education.

Like all debt, the interest rates on student loans are going to be going up in the next few years as the Federal Reserve raises rates in general. If you have federal loans, you can expect the pain of these increases to be much smaller than with private loans.

By: Thomas Ajava

Student Loan Consolidation Info – What is the (FFELP) Federal Family Education Loan Program?

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:33:21 +0000

The FFELP or Federal Family Education Loan Plan is the best federal loan to look for while researching for student loan consolidation information. FFELP is a Federal government backed lending scheme and is an umbrella program that includes other popular lending programs like Stafford Loans, PLUS loans and Perkins Loans. Setup by the congress in 1965, it began its work in 1966 and since then has provided student loans of over half a trillion dollars to students and parents looking for finical help to pay their college or university education.

Money for the Stafford Loan, PLUS Loans and other FFELP loans are derived from a network of large national credit unions, banks and other financial institutions who participate in the program. Lenders feel secure while lending to the government plan and borrowers get maximum available benefits and offers with a low interest rate while applying for the Federal loan program. These loan programs are created to provide maximum benefit to both parties and reduce the amount of risk and other factors while dealing with private lenders.

The most popular loan program under the FFELP is the Stafford Loans which is provided in two different forms, subsidized and unsubsidized. In the earlier form government pays all the interest on the loan acquired while the student is in the college and for a further six month grace period while with the unsubsidized loan the borrower is responsible for repaying the total interest acquired on the loan.

Another major plan under the FFELP is the PLUS (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) loan plan. These loans are offered to parents who have a requirement to pay for their children’s college and other fees. However since July 1, 2006, professional and graduate students can now apply for a PLUS loan as they can help their parents to repay the amount which they will be repaying eventually.

All of these loan plans have strict rules of instruction and guidelines that has to be filed by the student or the parents while applying for the loan. The core information supplied with the application helps the loan officer determine the eligibility and requirement for the loan. Normally the decision is taken by the financial aid department of the individual college and they suggest the package after analyzing the students need for the loan and considering their repayment ability.

Once the loan is approved it is normally disbursed directly to the student and parents twice per year in each semester and any other remaining part of the loan is sent to the student after deducting any fees inured in the process. The fees may range up to the 4% of total amount of loan. Some companies charge a 3% origination fee and 1% insurance fee before they assign the loan to the student.

It is very important to keep the information in mind while applying for the loan as any misguided information can lead you into a deep crisis once you are out of the college and have a heavy interest total on your loan.

By: Ian Wilkie

Guide For Student Loan Consolidation

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:09:01 +0000

Student loan consolidation, also known as student loan refinancing program, can be termed as an effective debt clearance strategy. Apart from clearing the debt, a student can also save a good amount of money through student consolidation loan since this loan is offered at lower interest rates and requires the student to pay lower monthly repayments. However, one needs to consider certain facts while opting for a student consolidated loan.

Financial Counseling:

Consolidation loan is not the only solution for student debt management. There are other viable options that can be used as an alternative. Information about these options is available with the financial-aid office. Hence, it is important for students to consult a financial counselor before considering a student consolidation loan.

Refinancing during grace period:

Federal loans such as Stafford loans provide students with a six-month grace period. This grace can be availed even after the student has graduated from the school. Loan repayment starts only after the grace period has ended. This is the right time to consolidate a student loan as the interest rates during the grace period are far less than the rates after the expiry of the grace period. Once the student is employed, interest rates are determined based on the income.

Lender Initiatives:

So as to sustain in the market and be competitive, several financial organizations and private lending firms offer a variety of packages and promotional offers so as to attract customers. Some of these include reduced interest rates, flexible repayment options, reduction on on-time payments and auto debit option. Since, there are several lending firms providing consolidated student loans, it is better to shop around so as to get the best deal.

Another useful strategy is to opt for a variable interest loan during the initial years. Once the interest rate decreases to a considerable level, the variable interest rate loan can be switched to a fixed interest rate loan. Federal and private student loans should never be combined while opting for a consolidated loan. Under certain exceptional situations, students with Perkins loans are not required to pay back their loan amount if they work for a prescribed number of hours in professions such as teaching or community service.

By: Pauline Go