It’s time to consolidate your student loans and you want to know exactly what to expect. You can always contact a lender by phone to discuss terms and have them try to sell you on consolidating with their programs. You can visit your local banks and financial institutions to see what deals they offer. The easiest way to get payment information on your potential consolidation loans is by going online to find a loan calculator. There are a number of websites that have this feature and it is easy to use.

Knowing the Difference

When you are looking at consolidation you will find that lenders offer a variety of similar interest rates to attract borrowers. Small differences in percentages can make a big difference in payment so you need to know how much those little points will cost you. The student loan consolidation calculator takes into account your loan amount, percentage for interest and term for repayment.

Using the Calculator

You will need to enter the loan amounts and interest rates for your outstanding loans. Sometimes you will be able to enter the total amount of your loans combined to do this step. You need to make sure you enter your base interest rate for the consolidation loan. There is usually a section where you enter the duration for repayment so you can get a better idea of how much each installment will be. Finally, you click the ‘calculate’ button and get all the information you need.

You should be aware that the information from online student loan consolidation calculator. It is considered as estimates of the actual amount. There may be fees, charges or a change in rate that will affect your particular repayment. Your credit will also affect the consolidation loan you get if you are consolidating private loans.

By: Sara Sentor

About the Author:

ihcuids asked:


I’m on disability right now and was thinking about going back to college. Can I keep my disability but apply for a Stafford loan or other financial aid?

With the rise of tuition costs around the world, a decent college education is being put further out of reach of an increasing number of deserving students each year. One also needs to understand that it isn’t only the tuition cost that needs to be met in order to pay for a student’s college education. There are several other major and miscellaneous expenses such as boarding, food, clothes, books, general recreation etc. which need to be taken care of as well. Under these circumstances, to get a student loan is probably the best option aspiring college students.

There are different options available as far as the type of student loan is concerned. This wide variety of loans gives students the power to pay for various college expenses. However, varying options also present a different kind of problem, especially when you are trying to comprehend which student loan scheme will work best for your needs.

In this article, we will discuss different kinds of college loans you can apply for to help you choose the type which suits your requirements.

Let us take a look at the three chief categories of student loans:

1. Direct Student Loan: If one opts for Direct Student Loan plan, then they are required to repay the loan in six to nine months after, they have completed the course for which the loan was granted. The interest rates in a Direct Student Loan plan are lower compared to the other types of student loan plans, mainly because this type of loan is provided through the school in which the student has enrolled for his or her desired course.

2. Federal Student loan: Federal Student Loans, which are also known as PLUS loans have rates of interest as low as 9% or less. The most important feature of this student loan scheme is that the lenders only consider the applicant’s personal credit history and are in no way concerned with the candidate’s income. Guardians who have a dependent child, who is enrolled in full time or part time course in a particular institute are the only ones eligible to apply for this particular kind of loan.

3. Guaranteed Student Loan: Guaranteed Student Loan, which is commonly known as Stafford loan, is another popular option among the different Student loan plans, with a considerably low rate of interest. There are two parts to the Guaranteed Student Loan scheme. These are subsidized and unsubsidized. If one opts for a subsidized loan, then the government is liable to pay the rate of interest on the principal amount, while the student is in school. This type of loan is absolutely based on the financial requirements of the student concerned.

The other kind of Guaranteed Student Loan, that is an unsubsidized loan, requires the rate of interest to be paid while the student is still in the school and the principal amount needs to repaid after the completion of the course.

The borrower must start repaying the loan amount after six months of course completion, regardless of which ever type of Guaranteed Student Scheme he or she chooses.

Since higher school or college studies, are by no means inexpensive these days, it is extremely important to make the right decision while applying for a student loan. Although, it is assured that the three above mentioned types of student loans will be permitted by every college and course, you would be well advised to be meticulous in conducting your research on funding a college education program. Remember that the course your life will take is at stake, so make your decision only after you’ve found the best available funding option.

By: Robin Silfies

About the Author:

gserrado asked:


I am on my last year of Grad school and I run out of student loans. I had the federal loans and a citi-assist loan but my school is telling me that I maxed out on the amount of loans I can get (the full cost of attendance). What can I do? I see there are private student loan option but some say maximum is total cost of attendance… this means I am ineligible? what are my options?

chrissy asked:


it seems like there aren’t any lenders that do federal student loan consolidation programs. Are there any out there? not private loans.so far it seems like the dept of ed has ended other programs. please help
thanks Ruth. Can you ask your relative if it was a federal loan?
New question, is it possible to debt consolidate federal student loans?? so there’s debt and then student loan consolidation.

blueyedwoman2006 asked:


I am wondering how student loan consolidation works,,, once i consloidate my loans do i get a sum of cash? i know i have gotten offers that say up to $2000 now if you consolidate. does that mean i get $2000 for myself, or do they take that off the ammount of the loan.