Congress has recently decided to change rules for student loan consolidations.

One of the changes effects the payment of student loan consolidations, both for federal and for private student loans. The payments will now be based on the student’s income. If a student can show that he or she suffers from ‘partial financial hardships’ then the payments made monthly on a student loan consolidation will be limited at about 15 percent taken from a students current income, instead of a set price for every student. This is a part of their College Cost Reduction Act along with their Access Act. Those changes will take effect the year 2009 as of July first.

For those students that spend at least ten years in what the government considers to be a qualifying public service position, for example teaching or maybe charitable work, then the remaining amount of a students current loans can be forgiven. Unfortunately, it is only with the loans that are funded directly by the federal government. This option became available for students on October first of the year 2007.

As of July 1st 2008, those students who move FFELP or Federal Family Education Loan in a direct loan program by using a loan consolidation plan can also qualify for the above.

Just pain consolidating student loans is also an option. A lot of the time students will consolidate funds in order to extend the amount of time they have to pay, and lower the monthly payments that they make. When they go to consolidate their loans, students have many things to look for, and many benefits they can get from consolidating their loans.

One reason why students use student loan consolidation is the escape from changing interest rates that randomly go up. Some are just looking to make fewer payments a month and a lower payment at that.

When choosing to use student loan consolidation, timing is essential. Instead of just picking one at the spur of the moment, a student should wait until after the US Treasury Bond Auction. This generally occurs in the very last week of May, and takes effect on the first of July. This usually gives each of the loaners to take a month to decide if it would benefit them to do consolidations under their current rates, or if it would be better to wait until the new rates take effect in the beginning of July. And it will give a student a chance to look for lower fixed rates.

Since private loans are not the same as federal loans, therefore these new rules that apply to federal student loan consolidation do not apply to private student loan debt consolidation. For this reason federal loans can be used only to consolidate the loans that are backed federally and private loans must be consolidated using other private consolidation methods.

If you are, or know a student who is currently looking for student loans, it is always better to use federal student loans, and federal student loan consolidation options. If you go to consolidate all of your loans you need to be sure to have two groups, one federal student loan consolidation and one for private student loan consolidation.



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There is no other place quite like college. The exchange of ideas, the different people you will meet and the education you will receive can change your life. But there is a catch, college is expensive. It can be hard for the average person to afford this wonderful college education. In this case, student loans might be your solution.

Student loans are loans offered to students to assist in payment of the costs of professional education.  Student loans are how most students are able to afford college today.  It helps you to get money which you can spend for good education.

Few students can afford to pay for college without some form of education financing. Two-thirds (65.7%) of 4-year undergraduate students graduate with some debt, and the average student loan debt among graduating seniors is $19,237 (excluding PLUS Loans but including Stafford, Perkins, state, college and private loans), according to the 2003-2004 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS). (The median is $17,120. One quarter of undergraduate students borrow $24,936 or more, and one tenth borrow $35,213 or more.)

Student loans

Student loans provide you with the method and ability to improve your standing and future by going to college or other higher education.  Students can also apply over the phone by calling the number provided next to your desired private student loans lender.  Students should also consider the starting package of their salary after they complete their education.

You will also need to consider what your starting salary will be when you do get out of school and get a job. The student loan calculators can help you predict how much money you will need and some student loan calculator can help you predict what your student loan repayments will be.

Federal student loans

Federal and private loan programs are available for US Students who are studying abroad or fully enrolled in a non-US School.  Federal student loans are the most affordable loans available to students, with the lowest interest rates and deferred principal and interest payments until after graduation.

Education investment

Education is an investment in your future.  The Department of Education acts as a lender, providing funds for Stafford loans and PLUS loans in the same amounts as the Stafford and PLUS loans offered through the Federal Family Education Loan Program.  Private student loans, like the Chase Private Student Loan, can be used either alone or when federal loans, grants and other forms of financial aid are not sufficient to cover the full cost of education.

For those who already have a Student Loan, the servicing site is the one-stop center for managing that loan. A borrower can make online payments, view account balances and payment history, get loan counseling, change billing options, enroll in electronic services, and more.

Do you know enough to make sure you can control your student loans as best as you can.  For more insight into what can, and likely will happen if you fail to pay back your student loan, please visit my student loan information site in the signature file.



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Although the cost of education has been constantly increasing, there are many ways that suggest that money need not be a hindrance for those who wish to acquire a degree from a college or a university. Student loans are created to achieve this purpose and the loans are of many types, of which private student loans are the most flexible.

The greatest advantage of private student loans is that they are quite uncomplicated and are finalized in a matter of few days, say within a week, unlike the other student loans. Private student loans are offered to students with bad credit history or no credit history. There is neither application filling procedure nor any closing dates. The upper limit to avail a private student loan is also much higher than the federal loans.

If the loan amount is small, it needs no co- signer but if it is sufficiently high, a co- signer, usually the parent’s is essential. Generally, the private student loans are availed when the student is not able to meet the educational expenses through federal student loans. Since the private student loan lenders do not get any subsidy from the government like the federal student loans do, the interest rates are a little higher. 

Private student loans are also used to refinance the federal student loans at a lower interest rate. More than one private student loan can be applied and consolidated and along with other educational expenses, laptop and the like accessories can be purchased.

There are some conditions to apply for a private student loan. The student has to be enrolled at a half- time in a certificate, degree or technical program. He or she must be a US resident and a permanent resident at that and the credit score should be high and must have already utilized a federal student loan.

Some private student loan companies state that the repayment scheme depends upon the school year during which the financial aid is applied for. The academic performance of the student and the financial situation of the family are also taken into consideration. However, it is better to search the internet for a thorough knowledge of the various companies offering private student loans and their terms and interest rates and their repayment schemes. It is better if the company is a reputed one which would place the student in a comfortable position.

So, finance need not be a hurdle for those who wish to complete a degree from a college or university and private student loans guarantee that the student becomes successful in accomplishing the dream of his or her life. The private student loans ward off the sleepless nights considering the educational expenses and concentrate more on the academics.



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The cost of education in a college is ever increasing and those who wish to pursue their education and complete their college degree can avail of student loan. The students may repay the loan after they have successfully completed their college education. Student loans are created to fund the education for those who are not in a position to afford various education expenditure such as academic fees, books and hostel fees.

There are various types of student loans available and it is left to the students to decide which loan program would be most suitable for them. Basically, the three types of student loans are federal student loan, private student loan or a parent loan. Stafford loan and Perkins loan are the two main federal loans that are widely utilized by the students. The federal laws regulate the interest loan offered by the federal loans and hence the name.

Usually, the interest rate in a federal loan is lower than the national interest rate and a lender offers this loan. Federal loan consolidation is also possible after the student graduates from the college. There are private student loans which are entirely different from federal student loans.

In this type, the legal requirement does not bind the interest rate and hence, the interest rate is a little higher. The other restrictions are the student has to submit their credit history which determines the interest and the fees that can be offered to the student. In addition, the parents are required to be co signers for a private student loan which means if the student fails to repay the loan, the parent has to.

There is another type called the parent loan or parent loan for undergraduate students which is specifically intended for the parents who wish to cover for the educational costs of their child. This has a fixed interest rate and the repaying responsibility entirely lies on the shoulders of the parents.

There are certain conditions under which the student loans are applied. The student has to be a part time or full time student attending university or college. It is advisable to avail of the loan limiting themselves to college related expenses.

There are a large number of student loan programs and the best thing is to search the internet and choose the one that is most suitable to the individual. Upon completion of the college degree, the repayment mode starts and here, it is better to consolidate all the loans, to make one solid loan and lengthen the repayment period.

Choosing the right type of loan is vital because if the interest rate is too high, it would affect the very purpose of getting a student loan and thus drag down into deeper troubles.



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Are you a May graduate with student loans looking at six-month grace periods that are ending sometime this month? If you’ve got multiple student loans going out of grace and into repayment, you’ll soon be faced with trying to juggle multiple bills, multiple due dates, and multiple monthly payments.

But you could eliminate the hassle of multiple student loan payments and help make your student loan repayment easier to manage by consolidating your eligible federal student loans with a Federal Consolidation Loan from NextStudent, a leading Phoenix-based education funding company.

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What’s Federal Student Loan Consolidation?

Student loan consolidation allows you to combine your eligible federal student loans into one single consolidated loan with one lender, one monthly bill, and one convenient monthly payment. To be eligible to consolidate your student loans, you can’t currently be enrolled in school more than half time. The student loans you’re looking to consolidate must be in repayment, in a grace period, or in an authorized deferment or forbearance period.

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Consolidating Federal Parent PLUS Loans

Parents with federal parent loans are also eligible to consolidate. Parents can consolidate the PLUS loans they took out to help you pay for school as soon as the PLUS loans have been fully disbursed and have entered repayment, even if you’re still in school full time. Although your parents can consolidate their PLUS loans, you won’t be able to consolidate your own student loans with your parents’ PLUS loans.

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Take Advantage of All the Benefits of Federal Student Loan Consolidation



No fees

No cost to apply

No credit checks

No co-signers required

No prepayment penalties

Fixed interest rate

Repayment terms up to 30 years

One single monthly payment for all your eligible federal student loans



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There are never any charges or credit checks to apply for a Federal Consolidation Loan with NextStudent. And there are no prepayment penalties, so you’ll never be charged extra fees just for paying more than the minimum each month or for paying off your student loan consolidation early.

Student loan consolidation lets you lock in a monthly payment with a fixed interest rate. You may also be able to cut your monthly student loan payments by as much as 50 percent when you consolidate your federal student loans with NextStudent. A federal student loan consolidation could extend the repayment term on your student loans by up to 20 years; by extending your payments over a longer repayment term, a consolidation loan could lower the amount you have to pay each month.

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Private Student Loan Consolidation

If you have private student loans in addition to (or instead of) federal student loans, you won’t be able to consolidate your private student loans under the federal student loan consolidation program. But you may be eligible to consolidate your private loans separately with a NextStudent Private Consolidation Loan, which offers the same convenience of a single consolidated loan for your private student loans.

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NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we’re dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding simple. Learn more about Student Loans, Private Student Loans and Student Loan Consolidation at NextStudent.com.



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A Student Loan Consolidation Center allows you to bring together several types of federal student loans with numerous repayment schedules into one loan with one monthly repayment. For example the executives at Chase Student loans centre and other companies like them target student loans for those with bad credit for college and graduate students, GE makes literature on its loans available to students at every grade level.

This section will shine a light on other sources of student loans with bad credit. There are a number of major lenders in the Student Loans Consolidation markets. It is best to search for student loan consolidation centers which offer minimal rates of interest. A student is qualified for a maximum of 1 percent reduction on the interest rate, if he pays on time for thirty six consecutive payments. While still attending school, students having federal direct loans are able to consolidate by means of the federal consolidation program provided by the government. Even student loans with bad credit options can be challenging to repay.

Most student consolidation loans fall into two categories. They are government student loans and private student loans. Student consolidation loan centers provide loans such as federal, Stafford, professional student loans, nursing student loans etc. The government loan consolidation centre is providing a student loan consolidation program which allows students to consolidate outstanding education loans into a single brand new loan. This is not limited to a single lender. Even if multiple lenders hold the loans, one can still opt to consolidate. After doing some research you will find that Student Loans Centre’s have unique programs and loan opportunities available. For example the lenders at Citizens Bank defer payment on their student loans during the first 6 months after the student has graduated, or has otherwise stopped attending classes.

Two popular online student consolidation loan centers are Internet student loans centre and US student loan consolidation centre. Next student is another popular student loan consolidating centre. It offers student loan payments lower by up to 60% or more. Sallie Mae loan consolidation centre offers federal consolidation loans. The Citibank student loan centre corporation is giving federal and private loan consolidation. Wachovia student consolidating loan centre is giving federal Stafford loans.

Students must only consolidate loans which are of variable or changing rates such as the Stafford Loans. Never consolidate on fixed-rate loans such as Perkins loans as there won’t be any financial benefit. Interest rates for college students who are already adults or on their way to sixth month grace period will be higher.



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For many students, the dream of getting a higher education just isn’t possible without the financial aid of a student loan. Fortunately, there are many opportunities out there to apply for and receive a student loan. And even better, bills.com is here to give you all the knowledge you need to choose the best student loan for you.

Student loans generally come from two sources: the federal government and private financial institutions, such as banks. Both require repayment of the loan, but that’s where the similarities end. Let’s take a look at both federal and private student loans.

Federal student loans are sponsored by the government and account for the biggest chunk of education loans. There are three main federal loan programs: The Perkins Loan, The Stafford Loan, and The Parent Loan For Undergraduate Students, also known as PLUS.

The Perkins Loan is the most affordable student loan, with an interest rate of 5% and low fees. But it’s also the hardest to get because it’s only given to those who need it the most. And the loan limit, at $4000, is the lowest of all three federal student loan types.

The Stafford Loan comes with a variable interest rate that’s higher than the Perkins, but lower than the PLUS Loan, due to the cap at 8.25%. As with the Perkins Loan, this student loan does not hold credit worthiness against the applicant. The Stafford Loan also has a much higher loan limit and is offered to both graduate and undergraduate students.

Compared to the Perkins and Stafford Student Loans, which are borrowed in the student’s name, the PLUS Loan is completely different in that it is a loan for parents of dependent undergraduate students. A big advantage of this type of student loan is that it covers any remaining balance not covered by other forms of aid – in essence the loan limit covers your entire educational expense.

Now that we’ve familiarized ourselves with the different types of federal student loans, let’s identify the attributes of a private student loan. This is a loan from a financial institution that takes into account your creditworthiness, not your need for aid. Your credit is reviewed by lenders and if approved, you can get a substantial size student loan in minutes, sometimes up to $30,000. A downside to private student loans is that repayment terms typically cap at 15 years, compared to 30 years for a federal loan. Also, if you become disabled or deceased, your heirs are required to payoff your student loan, whereas in a federal loan, the loan is forgiven, making repayment unnecessary.

As you can see, you have several choices when it comes to student loans. Making sure you choose the best option is a matter of getting informed on these choices, and picking to student loan that best fits your needs.

For more articles and suggestions, visit http://www.Bills.com



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Unless you plan on being a student the rest of your life, student loan repayment is inevitable, and the ins and outs of student loan repayment can be confusing and overwhelming. The financial advisors at NextStudent, a leading Phoenix-based education funding company, would like to help clear the murky waters by defining terminology and laying out your student loan repayment options.�

Understanding Your Student Loan Repayment Options

A grace period is a pre-determined amount of time allotted to student borrowers after they leave school or drop below half-time enrollment before they must begin repayment of their federal student loans. Grace periods vary in length based on the type of student loan: Stafford loans have a grace period of six months; Perkins loans have a grace period of nine months. PLUS, Grad Plus and Federal Student Loan Consolidation loans have no grace period.

Deferment allows you to temporarily postpone your student loan payments (in most cases, up to a total of three years over the life of the student loan) if you’re unemployed or experiencing economic hardship. You can also request in-school deferments on your federal student loans while you’re enrolled at least half time.

While you’re in a grace period or in deferment, the interest on your Perkins and subsidized Stafford loans will be paid by the government. But you’ll be responsible for the interest on your PLUS, Grad PLUS and unsubsidized Stafford loans—any unpaid interest that accrues on these student loans during grace and deferment periods will be added to your principal loan balance for you to repay once repayment starts or resumes. If you want to avoid interest being added to your principal loan balance while you’re in a grace period or in deferment, you can choose to make interest-only payments during that time.�

Forbearance also allows you to temporarily postpone your student loan payments. When you’re in a forbearance period, you’ll have to pay any interest that accrues, even on Perkins or subsidized Stafford loans.��

Repayment Plans

Perkins, Stafford, PLUS and Grad PLUS loans have a standard repayment period of 10 years. If your standard monthly payment amount is higher than you’d like, you have three other repayment plans you can choose from that may make your monthly payments more affordable:

Extended Repayment is available to you if your federal student loans total more than $30,000 and if you received your first federal student loan on or after October 7, 1998. Depending on your student loan amount, you could extend your repayment period up to a 25-year term.

Graduated Repayment allows you to make lower payments at the beginning of your repayment term and gradually increases your monthly payment amount over time.

Income-Sensitive Repayment bases your monthly payment amount on your monthly income. You have to submit documentation of your income to qualify, and you have to requalify each year.

Student Loan Consolidation

If you’ve taken out any federal student loans, you’re eligible to apply for a Federal Student Loan Consolidation from NextStudent, which might give you more time to repay your student loans and could substantially reduce your monthly student loan payment.

The repayment term on a student loan consolidation will range from 10 to 30 years, depending on your total outstanding student loan amount. Student loan consolidation loans generally have the standard federal deferment and forbearance benefits.

When your student loan consolidation is in deferment, the government will pay the interest on that portion of your student loan consolidation loan that was originally a Perkins loan or subsidized Stafford loan. During deferment, you’ll only be responsible for paying the interest on that portion of your student loan consolidation loan that was originally a PLUS, Grad PLUS or unsubsidized Stafford loan. When your student loan consolidation loan is in forbearance, you’ll be responsible for paying all interest that accrues.

You can consolidate one or more qualifying federal student loans and take advantage of one easy-to-manage loan with a single monthly payment. Our online applications are fast and easy, and there are no fees to apply for a student loan consolidation.

NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we’re dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding simple. Learn more about Student Loans, Private Student Loans and Student Loan Consolidation at NextStudent.com.



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If you’re a parent or ex-student who took out any Federal PLUS Loans or Stafford Loans prior to July 1, 2006, those student loans are subject to variable interest rates that will adjust every year. When interest rates rise, your monthly student loan payments may also go up. If you’re on a tight budget, higher monthly payments may prove difficult to manage. Do you wish, instead, you could have a set monthly payment for your federal student loans that you know would never change? Student loan consolidation may be for you.

Federal student loan consolidation gives you the security of a fixed interest rate. By consolidating your federal parent student loans, you’ll replace your variable-rate college loans with a fixed-rate consolidation loan, so you’ll never have to worry about interest rates rising and leaving you guessing about your monthly payment amount.

Take the Hassle Out of Repaying Your Student Loans

If you have multiple college loans in repayment and you’re juggling multiple bills, multiple due dates, and multiple monthly payments to multiple lenders, a student loan consolidation could help make your repayment easier to manage. With a student loan consolidation program, you can bundle all your eligible federal parent or student loans into one single consolidation loan with just one monthly bill and one monthly payment that’s fixed for the life of your college loan.

Cut Monthly Payments on Your Student Loans by up to 40%

Besides offering you convenience and the security of a fixed interest rate, a student loan consolidation could also help you cut your monthly student loan payments almost in half. When you consolidate your college loans, you may be able to extend the repayment term on your parent or student loans by up to 20 years. With that longer repayment term, since you have more time to repay, the amount you have to pay each month will typically go down. By consolidating your college loans, your monthly payments could go down by up to 40%!

Apply in Minutes to Consolidate Your Student Loans

You can apply for your student loan consolidation in minutes, either online or with a quick phone call to NextStudent. It’s fast, easy, and free to apply, and there are NO fees, NO credit checks, and NO co-signers required.

There are also no prepayment penalties on your Federal Consolidation Loan. When you consolidate your student loans with NextStudent, you’ll never be charged extra for paying more than the minimum each month or for paying off your student loan consolidation early.

Who’s Eligible for Student Loan Consolidation?

To be eligible to consolidate your own federal student loans, you can’t currently be enrolled in school more than half time. The student loans you’re looking to consolidate must be in repayment, in a grace period, or in an authorized deferment or forbearance period.

Your parents can consolidate the PLUS loans they took out to help you pay for school as soon as those student loans have been fully disbursed and have entered repayment, even if you’re still in school full time. Although your parents can consolidate their PLUS loans, you won’t be able to consolidate your own college loans with your parents’ loans.

Student Loan Consolidation for Private Student Loans

If you have private student loans in addition to (or instead of) your federal student loans, you won’t be able to consolidate your private student loans under the federal student loan consolidation program. But you may be eligible to consolidate your private student loans separately with a Private Consolidation Loan, which offers the same convenience of a single consolidated loan for your private student loans.

NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we’re dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding simple. Learn more about Student Loans, Private Student Loans and Student Loan Consolidation at NextStudent.com.



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There are a number of different types of student loans. They are all created to help students and parents discover the right choice for their respective situation. The overall cost of both private and public colleges are steadily increasing and students need to find the means for funding their education. Deciding which student loan, whether a private or federal student loan, is a very important decision. You will eventually be responsible for paying it back, so research all of your options. &nbsp

What is a Student Loan?

If you are a student who is preparing to borrow money as part of a student loan, prepare to learn all that you can about what a student loan is and why you need it. It is meant to help you as you pursue your collegiate education. Because the cost of education is continually rising, student loans give you more opportunity to go to the school of your choice. Be prepared to begin repaying of the loan a short time after you have finished your education. &nbsp

Types of Student Loans

There are three primary types of student loans available, a federal student loan, a private student loan or a parent loan. Two of the most common federal loans used by students are Stafford loans and Perkins loans. What is beneficial behind a federal student loan is that federal laws regulate the interest rates charged for these programs. A lender has to offer a federal loan at the specified interest rate, which is usually lower than the national interest rate. A federal student loan can also be consolidated after the student graduates, allowing the student loan repayment plan to fall under one large umbrella.

Private student loans are different from federal loans, and students applying for these don’t have to fill out federal forms. Private lenders offer these loans, making them cost more because there is no legal requirement to stay within a certain interest rate. Private loans also require a student to submit their credit history, and the interest and fees paid on the student loans are based upon the student’s credit score. Parents may be required to co-sign for a private student loan, making them responsible if the student has to defer payments at any time.

A parent loan, or the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), is a type of student loan parents apply for to encompass any additional cost their child’s financial aid or student loans won’t cover. PLUS loans, like other federal loans, come with a fixed interest rate. These loans can also be consolidated, like the Stafford and Perkins loans, and parents are fully responsible for repaying PLUS loans to the lender after they are distributed.

Finding student loans that are right for you doesn’t have to be a difficult task. It just takes a little time and research before making a final decision. Talking with your college’s financial advisor can help you go down the right path when choosing a loan. It is important to go over all the student loan repayment options when choosing a loan program from a lender because you will be financially responsible after graduation. Deciding upon the right loan can help you achieve your dreams of higher education.



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If you’re a graduate or college parent with any outstanding federal student loans, you may be able to lower your monthly student loan payments by up to 42% just by consolidating your parent or student loans. When you consolidate your college loans, you may be able to extend the repayment term on your parent or student loans by up to 20 years. With that longer repayment term, since you have more time to repay, the amount you have to pay each month will typically go down.

NextStudent, a leading Phoenix-based education funding company, offers a student loan consolidation program with no application fees, no processing fees, and no credit checks. By consolidating your parent or student loans, your monthly payments could go down by up to 42%.

Here’s an example: Estimated monthly payments on a $75,000 NextStudent Federal Consolidation Loan fixed at 7.25% and repaid over an extended term of 30 years are $512, versus estimated monthly payments of $879 on a $75,000 Federal Stafford Loan issued at 7.22% and repaid over 10 years — a 41.8% reduction in monthly payment amount. (Your actual payment reduction may vary and will depend on the terms of the student loans you’re consolidating.)

Replace Your Variable-Rate Student Loans With One Fixed-Rate Student Loan Consolidation

If you took out your Federal PLUS Loans or Stafford Loans prior to July 1, 2006, those student loans are subject to variable interest rates that will adjust every year. So when interest rates rise, your monthly student loan payments may also go up. Student loan consolidation puts an end to rate increases and rising payments.

NextStudent’s student loan consolidation program gives you the security of a fixed interest rate. By consolidating your federal college loans with NextStudent, you’ll replace your variable-rate college loans with a fixed-rate student loan consolidation loan and lock in your new monthly payments, so you’ll never have to worry about interest rates rising and leaving you guessing about your monthly payment amount.

Make Repaying Your Student Loans Convenient and Hassle-Free with Student Loan Consolidation

If you have multiple college loans in repayment and you’re dealing with the hassle of multiple bills, multiple due dates, and multiple monthly payments to multiple lenders, a student loan consolidation could help make your repayment easier to manage.

With a student loan consolidation program, you can bundle all your eligible federal parent or student loans into one single consolidation loan with just one monthly bill, one lender, and one monthly payment that’s fixed for the life of your student loan consolidation.

Apply in Minutes to Consolidate Your Student Loans

Typically, you can apply for a student loan consolidation in minutes. Just visit an online student loan consolidation lender or make a quick phone call to the lender of your choice. It’s fast, easy, and free to apply, and there are NO fees, NO credit checks, and NO co-signers required.

There are also no prepayment penalties. When you consolidate your federal parent or student loans with NextStudent, you’ll never be charged extra for paying more than the minimum each month or for paying off your student loan consolidation early.

Student Loan Consolidation for Private Student Loans

If you have private student loans in addition to (or instead of) your federal student loans, you won’t be able to consolidate your private student loans under the federal student loan consolidation program. But you may be eligible to consolidate your private loans separately with a Private Consolidation Loan, which offers the same convenience of a single consolidated loan for your private student loans.

NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we’re dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding simple. Learn more about Student Loans, Private Student Loans and Student Loan Consolidation at NextStudent.com.



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If you’re a former student or a college parent with any outstanding federal student loans, you may be able to get up to 20 more years to repay just by consolidating your eligible federal parent or student loans. With that longer repayment term, since you have more time to repay, the amount you have to pay each month will typically go down. You may be able to cut your monthly student loan payments by up to 42% — just by consolidating!

Cut Your Payments on Your Student Loans by up to 42%

Here’s an example of how you can lower your monthly student loan payments when you consolidate your federal college loans and take advantage of a longer repayment term: Estimated monthly payments on a $75,000 student loan consolidation fixed at 7.25% and repaid over an extended term of 30 years are $512, versus estimated monthly payments of $879 on a $75,000 Federal Stafford Loan issued at 7.22% and repaid over 10 years — that’s a 41.8% reduction in monthly payment amount. (Your actual payment reduction may vary and will depend on the terms of the parent or student loans you’re consolidating.)

Get More Time to Repay Your Student Loans

Federal PLUS parent loans and Stafford student loans are issued with standard repayment terms of 10 years. You may be able to get up to 30 years to repay these federal parent and student loans when you consolidate them into a student loan consolidation.

How long you get to repay will depend on the total outstanding balance of your education debt: If your outstanding education debt totals $20,000 – $39,999, you’ll have 20 years to pay back your student loan consolidation.? If your outstanding education debt totals $40,000 – $59,999, you’ll have 25 years. If you have $60,000 or more in education debt when you consolidate your federal student loans, you’ll have 30 years to pay back your Federal student loan consolidation.

No Fees. No Credit Checks. No Prepayment Penalties.

Even though you can get more time to repay your federal parent and student loans by consolidating, there are no prepayment penalties on a Federal Consolidation Loan, so you won’t be assessed any additional fees for paying more than the minimum each month or for paying off your student loan consolidation early, should you choose to.

There are also no application fees, no processing fees, and no credit checks when you consolidate through the federal student loan consolidation program.

Replace Your Variable-Rate Student Loans With a Fixed-Rate Consolidation Loan

If you took out your Federal PLUS Loans or Stafford Loans prior to July 1, 2006, those loans are subject to variable interest rates that will adjust every year. So when interest rates rise, your monthly student loan payments may also go up. But you can put an end to rate increases and rising payments when you consolidate your parent or student loans.

The federal student loan consolidation program gives you the security of a fixed interest rate. By consolidating your federal

student loans, you’ll replace your variable-rate college loans with a fixed-rate consolidation loan, so you won’t have to worry about interest rates rising and leaving you guessing about your monthly payment amount.

Make Just One Payment for All Your Federal Student Loans

If you have multiple student loans in repayment and you’re dealing with the hassle of multiple bills, multiple due dates, and multiple monthly payments to multiple lenders, a Federal Consolidation Loan could help make your student loan repayment easier to manage.

With the federal student loan consolidation program, you can bundle all your eligible federal parent or student loans into one single consolidation loan with just one monthly bill, one lender, and one monthly payment that’s fixed for the life of your consolidation loan.

Consolidate Your Private Student Loans

If you have private student loans in addition to your federal student loans, you won’t be able to consolidate your private student loans under the federal student loan consolidation program. But you may be able to consolidate your private student loans separately with a Private Consolidation Loan, which offers the same convenience of a single consolidated loan for your private student loans.



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Private student loans are credit-based and have more attractive repayment terms as well as interest rates. It can really help in saving money every month unlike the Federal student loans. Private student loan consolidation is simply the process of refinancing and combining private student loans into a single debt only. It may result to a lower monthly loan payments thus will also lessen your worries about your multiple loans.

The very main essence of a private student loan consolidation is to lessen the monthly payment of students who have multiple loans. By getting quotes from various lenders, a student can have knowledge about how to get the best deal with all the prevailing market rates present nowadays. Furthermore, private student loan consolidation can result to an extended loan payment. This gives the student borrowers enough time to pay their loans with fewer burdens. These beneficial advantages offered by the private student loan consolidation are not possible if students have several loans to handle.

There are various private student loan consolidation companies which offer more benefits. One of these is the interest rate reduction which can result to lower loan monthly payments to think of. The options for the loan repayment procedures depend upon the qualifications being required by a particular lending company. Thus, it is also the work of the lending company to choose the best private student loan consolidation program suitable for a particular student loaner.

Indeed, private student loan consolidation brings various benefits. However, one should still be aware of some situations like the drawbacks of having a private student loan consolidated.

Student loans are indeed a very big help for students who are deeply in need of some financial aids. However, all students who have decided to avail of a particular student loan should bear in mind the responsibility in repaying the borrowed amount of money. In fact, there are so many ways on how to pay off student loans.

The very first thing to do is to develop a plan on how to pay off student loans. Second is to look for a summer jobs or internships to be able to save a lot of money and not waste your valuable time. Part-time jobs will also do to help pay a loan.

Also, take into consideration to consolidate current student loans to have lower interest rates. Furthermore, one should perform volunteer works like teaching, medical works or even military works to reduce at least somehow a debt. It would also be good to apply for some grants and scholarships while in school to lessen the burden.

And lastly, take good care of the credits. Late payments should be avoided to have a good credit score.

It is important to pay off private student loans as quickly as possible. Sometimes, early paying off of the loan will lessen the burden along with a particular student loan. To make paying off easy, one can start paying off first the non-subsidized loans for it has an obligatory interest. Also, if one has several loans already, paying off first the smallest loan would be much better.

Just always remember to always do the best in paying off student loans. Be a responsible student loaner!

Failing to pay off student loans can stick with you for decades. You can’t go bankrupt on student loans so don’t count on that as saving you down the road!



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It’s crunch time for college students trying to secure the money they need for the fall semester. But with lenders continuing to suspend their student loan programs — the count now stands at 131 federal loan lenders and 30 private loan lenders — students may find themselves challenged to locate lenders that are still offering federal or private student loans.

 

 

 

In an attempt to help lenders be able to continue making new federal student loans, the government included a provision in the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act, signed into law in May, aimed at providing capital for cash-strapped lenders.

 

 

Under this legislation, the Department of Education can buy federal college loans from lenders, thereby providing these lenders with the liquidity they need to continue funding new parent and student loans. The law specifically targets lenders who, in the current credit crunch, are unable to find investors in the secondary market willing to purchase their student loan portfolios.

 

 

 

Even with this legislation in place, however, lenders continue to find themselves forced to suspend their student loan programs. As recently as July 28, the Brazos Higher Education Service Corp., the 26th-largest originator of federal student loans in 2007, and the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, the largest student loan issuer to Massachusetts residents, both announced that they would no longer be able to provide either new or current borrowers with student loans.

 

 

 

As the suspensions of both federal and private student loan programs keep spreading through all types of lenders — large and small; for-profit and nonprofit; banks, non-banks, and credit unions; state loan agencies and schools-as-lenders — students and their families are finding themselves with fewer borrowing options to get the parent and student loans they need to pay the fall tuition bills that are coming due over these next few weeks.

 

 

 

Two Major Lenders the Latest Casualties of Student Loan Crisis

 

 

 

The Brazos Group, a primarily nonprofit group of higher education lending, servicing, and other financial aid companies, first announced that it would stop offering federal college loans back n March. In May, however, after the government passed the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act, Brazos once again began offering federal parent and student loans, saying that the government’s short-term liquidity plan had renewed the organization’s confidence in its ability to continue offering student loans.

 

 

 

But Brazos once again suspended its education lending program late last month, citing continued turmoil in the student loan industry.

 

 

 

Brazos Executive Vice President Ellis Tredway said his organization simply “ran out of time to get everything in place” to issue new student loans for the fall.

 

 

 

The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, which issued more than $500 million in college loans to 40,000 Massachusetts college students and their families last year, had already suspended its federal student loan program in April. Now, MEFA has also pulled the plug on its non-federal private loan program, which provided Massachusetts students with fixed-rate private student loans.

 

 

 

“While we continue to pursue every possible option, raising the necessary funds to offer fixed–interest rate private education loans is taking longer than originally projected and has become even more challenging,” said Tom Graf, MEFA’s executive director.

 

 

 

Students Face the Uncertainty of Switching Lenders

 

 

With over 8 million students and parents having turned to federal college loans in 2006–07, according to the College Board, the number or families that stand to be affected by the ongoing wave of lender departures this year is not unsubstantial.

 

 

Last week, financial aid officers at Texas A&M University — a school with over 54,000 students — heard from seven different lenders warning that they would no longer be able to offer federal student loans, a situation that has made more than a few borrowers uneasy.

 

 

 

Dyneche Duffield, an incoming college student headed to Houston Baptist University, is uncomfortable with the prospect of having to establish a relationship with a new lender other than her local bank, which used to offer student loans.

“I would have much rather taken out a loan there than somewhere where I didn’t know anyone,” Duffield said.

 

 

 

While students like Duffield may still be able to go directly to the Department of Education for their federal college loans or find those remaining lenders who are still offering private student loans (albeit with more stringent credit criteria that are making it harder for students to qualify), the magnitude of the problem within the student loan credit markets and how deeply it has permeated the college loan industry is alarming to many administrators and officials in higher education.

 

 

 

Kathryn Osmond, executive director of student financial services at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, finds the situation with MEFA to be particularly indicative of a long-lasting and serious problem.

 

 

“An economy that is in such a tailspin that it affects a critical agency like MEFA,” said Osmond, “is an economy that scares me.”

 

 



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