NewAmericaFoundation asked:

On Tuesday, March 31, the New America Foundation’s Education Policy Program hosted “The Future of Federal Student Loans” This event featured representatives from the Obama administration, the student loan community, and New America’s Education Policy Program to discuss the pros and cons of the President’s proposal to stop guaranteeing federal student loans and to instead make the loans directly. On Feb. 26, the Obama Administration laid out a bold plan to expand financial aid, paid for in part by ending the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program and instead contracting with companies to service loans. This proposal is controversial in the lending community, the higher education community, and on Capitol Hill. For more information, full video and a transcript of the event visit: www.newamerica.net

Hollo asked:


How many kinds of federal student loans are there besides Perkins, Stafford and PLUS Loans? When do you apply for the loans?

TNP Girl asked:


I am due to start paying lmy federal student loans back in September. How do I even begin the consolidation process, or possibly deferrment of my loan payments for another six months. Any help would be great.

shavon asked:


What Loan company will take over my federal student loans when the loans are in default so I can go back to school?
My loans are government loans from Saillie Mae. I owe them under $5000.
I heard about this company that will take over your school loans from them but I don’t know the name of the company.

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:

Dat_1_Chiq asked:


What Loan company will take over my federal student loans when the loans are in default so I can go back to school?
My loans are government loans from Saillie Mae. I owe them under $5000.
I heard about this company that will take over your school loans from them but I don’t know the name of the company.

I am at the point where I can’t get a federal student loan until I pay this off.

(c) 2008 Vernon DeFlanders

In our day when a bachelor’s degree doesn’t get you all that much any more, students are being taken advantage of. I can understand higher prices for graduate school, but the undergrad prices are absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. Current first-year students had been expected to graduate in 2011 with an average loan obligation of $21,000  a number that would have continued to increase for subsequent classes. But by converting loans to grants, Bowdoin will eliminate a significant debt burden for next year’s entering class while capping debt at current levels for continuing students. So the future, we could see Sharia student loans that work like venture capital. The lender would get a cut of the student’s future earnings.

A student that gets a federal student loan made directly to them must be a half or full time student attending university or college. Payment does not start until they drop to less than a half time student or finish school. Loans that parents take have a much higher limit but payment for these federal student loans starts immediately. Interest begins to accrue immediately on private student loans made to parents or students but the limits are higher and after graduation, payments start. Between tuition, room and board, books, and other necessary items, many students find themselves short of the final total. One way to save money when searching for a college education is to choose the institution wisely. Financial note: Alternative college student loan financing is based largely on an individual’s and/or cosigner’s FICO score. Generally speaking, the higher the FICO score the lower the interest rate will likely be.

During college or university, student loans continue to accumulate posing a very unnerving picture when the time comes for the students to start paying them back. Freshly out of college or university after completing their education, it can be very difficult to start making monthly repayments on loans, other debts and student loans. Most graduates have to work their way up into high paying jobs but still need money during this time for accommodation, food, clothing, transport, other items and loan repayments. It is inconvenient, problematic, and expensive to make student loan repayments along with other debts such as other loans, overdraft and credit card debts.

One of the easiest and best alternatives for paying back several loans plus the interest is to consolidate all the loans and increase the repayment length. A student loans debt consolidation program helps a graduate by adding the loans together resulting in only one payment instead of three, four or more payments. This also drops the interest rate and reduces the payment amount. It is very difficult paying multiple lenders at once not only financially but because it is easier to miss a payment accidentally.

Consolidating your student loans generally means one lender will group together your various loans and lock them in at a new, fixed rate. Many people who consolidate their loans appreciate having only one bill to pay every month as well as the knowledge that their rates won’t change over time. Also, students loans are not enforceable when the school has closed prior to the student completing his education. These challenges could be raised in a Chapter 13 proceeding and decided by a bankruptcy judge. There’s just one number to call to change your address or student status, or request deferment forms. The variable interest rate will never exceed 8.25 percent and may be lower during in-school, grace and deferment periods.

Agencies may also use student loan repayment benefits in conjunction with a physicians’ comparability allowance (PCA). However, 5 CFR 595.105(e) requires that the amount of the PCA be reduced by the amount of the student loan repayment. You can repay on an “income-contingent” basis, meaning your financial income will determine the amount of your monthly payments. Our international student loan program requires a US co-signer and is available for both graduate and undergraduate study. Also, we would like to provide you with some very important information regarding federal student loan consolidation. You must consolidate during your grace period to avoid an interest rate increase of 0.60%. Compare and apply for student loans from multiple lenders to make the best education financing choice for you and your family. We understand that students need the most affordable student loan rates on the market, access to true professionals that enjoy helping others, and repayment flexibility. Join thousands of other students and graduates today and get the peace of mind that comes with financing your education through a world-class lender like ScholarPoint.



By: Vernon DeFlanders

About the Author:

Should I consolidate my college loans or not?

1. Still in school, yes! Rates are low, but they’re scheduled to go up. Your college loan payments will then remain as manageable as possible when you leave school. If you have graduated, or will be graduating this May or June, yes! Graduates can lock in historical low rates, and reduce their monthly payments more than half. You can lock in a rate even while still in school, and even if you have been out of school for a couple of years can get a good deal, too.

2. The newest twist in the consolidation puzzle is the “in school consolidation”, affecting students who are currently enrolled and will be enrolled past the July 1 consolidation. You can consolidate your existing college loans now to secure the low rates for at least part of their student loan portfolio.

3. Consolidating could save thousands of dollars in interest payments on college loans. There are impending student loan rate changes and new interpretation of regulations by the Department of Education, also, Congress is considering ending the fixed-rate program. Experts are urging students to consolidate to relieve themselves of a higher debt load.

4. Many students and families are looking for a simple, clear answer about whether to consolidate college loans or not. The simple answer is to take some of the bite out of the debt by loan consolidation. You could live like a miser and save as much money as possible or consolidate your federal student loans now.

5. For students still in school, you have an opportunity to choose consolidation. Consolidating would put a college loan borrower into repayment status, but the student can defer payments until after graduation by making a deferment request. Consolidating today can have payments put off until graduation.

6. The federal loan program allows consolidation, which is when a borrower pools his student debts together so that only one monthly payment is necessary, rather than several. It’s not just the convenience of one payment that is making consolidation so compelling. The most significant aspect of the program is that it allows a person to permanently lock in a lower interest rate on loans. These loans are backed by, or granted directly by, the federal government.

7. Rates for federal Stafford loans, the most prevalent type of student loan, as well as some other types of federal student loans are set annually based on the rate of 91-day U.S. Treasury bills at the end of May. The exact rate won’t be known until the end of the month, but experts say it will be about 2 percentage points higher. (Private loans and federal loans cannot be consolidated together.)

8. For the first time, the U.S. Department of Education will allow students still in school to consolidate federally backed loans. Federal PLUS loans can also be consolidated. PLUS loans are used to help pay the cost higher education.

9. Students, regardless of enrollment, should absolutely consolidate their college loans, arranged through the student’s lender. There are no fees, no credit checks, and interest rates are expected to move higher. Those are good reasons to consolidate.

10. Act quickly to put lock on current federal-aid interest rates. Graduates should act now to insulate themselves from a drastic rate change. Apply early. Do not wait until the last minute to file paperwork. Those who have already graduated or left school should not wait to investigate consolidation. In the first six months after graduation, you are in a grace period. Within that six-month window, you can lock in a low rate on Stafford loans and spread the repayment over as long as 30 years. If you’re going to consolidate, now is the best time to do it



By: Georgio Heberto

About the Author:

Taffeta548777 asked:

Student loans and student loan consolidation Private Federal Knowing your payment is always beneficial when you are determining which Student Loan would be the best out of the many Student Loan Programs available.In the meantime, soak up all , or at least much of the information that is available…