Private loan » Federal Student Loans

Student Loan Repayment Using OPM (Other People’s Money)

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:06:07 +0000

This article is an overview of ways to have other people make student loan repayments for you, or at least of portion of them. These programs aren’t for everyone, but the shoe probably fits quite a few people.

Join The Military
The SLRP (Student Loan Repayment Program) is used by the military as a recruiting incentive. The Army and Navy can repay up to $65,000 of student debt, and the Air Force will pay up to $10,000. 15% of the loan balance or $500 is paid each year, whichever is greater. Reservists can also take advantage of this program, but in lesser amounts (up to $20,000). There are also a number of loan deferments possible for people in the military. So if you are thinking about joining the military make sure you ask about the SLRP and make sure this benefit is specified in your enlistment agreement. Only federal student loans can be repaid in these programs.

Teachers
There are several programs available for teachers to get help paying off their federal (not private) student debt. The Stafford Loan Forgiveness Program gives eligible teachers grants to repay student loan debt of up to $5,000 after they have taught for 5 consecutive years in a low income school. Teachers can also qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. After 10 years in public service a person’s student loan balance can be forgiven. A teacher can enroll in an IBR (Income Based Repayment) Plan during those 10 years, and this will provide the lowest monthly payments possible until the loan is forgiven after 10 years. There are also some state programs available to help teachers pay off their student loan debt. Check the state government web site or call the education department of your state government to inquire if any programs are available that might help you.

Health Care Workers
There are a number of federal programs for student loan repayment that apply to health care workers. Under the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, “full-time professionals engaged in health care practitioner occupations and health care support occupations” and “medical specialists” can qualify for up to $10,000 in student loan repayments over a period of five years. Also, Nursing Education Loan Repayment Programs (NELRP) will pay up to 60% of student debt for nurses who work in a critical shortage facility. There are also student loan repayment programs with the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the National Institute of Health.

Federal Government Workers
If you are employed by the federal government it is possible to obtain loan relief from the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program. This program is designed to retain or attract talent, and the borrower must agree to stay with the agency making the debt payments for 3 years. $10,000 of debt relief can be paid each year up to a total of $60,000.

Legal Workers
In order to attract attorneys to become public defenders, the government has instituted the Loan Repayment for Civil Legal Assistance Attorneys Program. There is a minimum service period of 3 years and up to $6,000 of student debt can be paid off each year with a maximum of $40,000 of debt relief.

Other Options
Of course friends and family can be asked at graduation time to make a financial contribution that will go toward paying off student debt. A couple of interesting web sites exist as well which give credit for many common purchases, and payments are made against student loans to help offset outstanding balances. Among these are upfriends.com. Small amounts can build up over the 10 years or longer life of the loan and make a real impact. Every little bit counts and helps.

By: Walt Ballenberger

Federal Student Loans Suspended?

admin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:09:15 +0000

The student loan industry faces many challenges. Lately, Federal subsidies have been cut back. This means that companies offering Federal student loans are no longer seeing a profit. Administering Federal student loans is no longer a viable option for most banks and other institutions. If they can only lose money by offering Federal student loans, then why should they offer them?

Many banks and institutions complain not only of the lack of subsidy money from the government, but also about the credit crisis. Subprime mortgage lending has run many banks into the ground. People are defaulting more than ever on home mortgages and costing the banks an arm and a leg. The rates have been affected all around. Credit is sometimes only being offered to only the best candidates and at a premium rate. Variable rates may be bound to skyrocket and many people will just be turned down.

Luckily, Congress just passed a bill to increase Federal student aid. This should increase the amount of money available to students, but it could be harder to find. The government subsidy money paid to financial institutions for administering Federal student loans has been significantly reduced. The subsidies had to be reduced in order for the government to have the money to lend, but the result is that many institutions can no longer afford to administer Federal student loans. The subsidies have not been taken away all together, only reduced. This was done to eliminate the taxpayer funded inflated profit being made by the lending institutions.

Many institutions will still offer Federal student loans and private student loans, but they may come at a higher price, require higher credit ratings or you may need a cosigner to qualify. Interest rates may have to go up to cover the cost. These types of loans are normally backed by bond securities, which investors are now turning their noses up at due to the credit problems today’s market is experiencing. All of these things combined are affecting student loans through a virtual domino effect.

All of this just means that you will need to be more diligent in your search for the student loan that is right for you. Although incentives and special circumstance loans are waning, you can still find student loans that meet your needs and bridge the gap between what you have saved and what you owe. Many people are finding that the internet is an invaluable resource when searching for student loans. Now you can go to sites such as http://www.student-loans.net and compare loans from multiple lenders. Unbiased information may be hard to come by at an individual bank or school, so do your research before you take on a Federal student loans or private student loans.

By: Evelyn A. Saunders

Finding the Right College Student Loan

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:32:43 +0000

Are you getting ready to go to college? If so, you should be aware of the many different college student loans available today. Paying for school can be tough and sometimes you need that little extra help. With a college student loan you can achieve that goal.

Many people can find themselves still paying off college loans ten years after they graduate. This is sometimes because they didn’t fully know what they were getting into when they applied for a college student loan. A college student loan has to be repaid at some point but you also end up paying the interest.

We all know education is expensive, no matter which route you choose. You might have a scholarship or grant but these alone do not always cover your college costs. This is where you might consider getting a student loan.

A scholarship or grant will pay for your tuition but what about your dorm and books and just living expenses in general? This is where a college student loan can come in handy. It can help you pay your way through college comfortably but not excessively.

There are different types of college student loans you need to be aware of. Federal Student Loans: These are loans that the government funds. These are quite popular among college students and can come with different benefits. You might get a lower interest rate, fees and flexible repayment terms.

There are other loans considered a Federal Student Loan such as: Stafford loans, Perkins loans and Sallie Mae college student loans. Many of these loans give you the option of not repaying your loan until you have completed school.

Private Student Loans: This type of loan is usually based on your credit score. The lenders that offer this type of loan have no federal tie. There are many lenders that offer private student loans such as Bank of America or Wells Fargo. These private college student loans can fill in the space between monies received from federal loans or other financial aid forms.

Bad Credit Student Loans: These help many students that have bad credit afford to go to school. You can apply for a fast student loan, loans that require no credit check or even direct loans. You might choose these options if you are worried your credit is not good enough.

Student Loan Consolidation: This is a way for students to pay their bills and loans off faster. This loan will combine every bill and leave you with one single payment.

You might look into loan forgiveness programs if you have not so perfect credit. These programs will take away all your debt in return for you volunteering in a program and even signing up for the military.

You always want to make your payments on time. Keep your account status in good standing and this will also help improve your credit score and history as well.

College student loans can be risky if not looked into with great detail. Ask any questions or concerns you might have to your lender, and always be one hundred percent sure you picked the right student loan before signing on any dotted lines. You could end up paying off your college student loan for a good twenty years after you graduate if you aren’t careful.

By: Jon Arnold

Low Interest College Loans – Where To Look For A Suitable Deal

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:15:53 +0000

Now that you are aspiring to pursue college studies, you would need financing various expenses through a loan. And surely the loan must come at lower interest rate so that you are not at all under any stress of repaying it. Well, there are many sources where from a student can find low interest college loans depending on his or her personal circumstances.

The best considered source of low interest college loans are federal student loans. These loans can be categorized under Perkins loan, subsidized or unsubsidized Stafford loans. A student can choose these loans as per his or her prevailing circumstances. But one common feature of these loans is their lower interest rate as these loans are federal loans. Perkins loans are made to students in greatest needs. Such a student does not repay the loan until he or she completes education. Perkins loans are of lowest interest rate. Stafford subsidized loans are funded by the government and hence interest rate is very low. Unsubsidized Stafford loans are meant for all type of students and interest payment continues throughout the loan repayment duration.

Those who fail to avail Federal loans; they can borrow money through private lenders. These lenders offer college loans at low interest rate on certain condition. For instance, secured loans are of lower rate. Parents will have to pledge home or any valued asset as collateral of secured student loans to get it at low rate. Also, parents past credit history should be good. There are many online lenders providing low interest college loans. You can search them on internet.

In case a student is tagged bad credit, he or she should take private student loan with a co-signer who has excellent or good credit history. The lender may reduce interest rate as the repayment responsibility is with the co-signer. These are some of the aspects of low interest college loans that you should keep in mind prior to applying for it.

By: Julia Russell

How To Consolidate Federal Student Loans

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:25:05 +0000

Federal student loan consolidation is a program by which students can consolidate their loan liabilities and pay them off with much more convenience and ease.

As we all know that loan consolidation is a service that is provided by a bank or any financial institution for the compilation of liabilities or debt taken up by an individual under one lender, and by simultaneously reducing the interest rates. Apart from reducing the interest rates, the organization also decides upon a fixed interest rate on the basis of the debt amount.

Often, students take up educational loans for various educational expenses, which they find difficult to repay because of the mismanagement of interest payments of different loans. In such a case, consolidate federal student loans are a good option as it takes the burden off their shoulders by managing the loan amount as well as interest repayment.

Additional Time Period For Student Loan Consolidation

Federal student consolidation loans also give the students an extension period to repay the loan amount as well as the interest. No matter from where you borrowed money, a loan consolidation program is available for federal as well as private loans.

If you also wish to choose a student loan consolidation program you must look for an appropriate lender, as the terms of the federal student loan program are same regardless of the service providers. There are no extra fees charged by the organization for providing the service not even any penalties or application fee. Federal loan consolidation is a program that is initiated by the U.S. government, so there a few rules, which every organization has to abide by for providing this service.

Are you a student, who is looking for loan consolidation program to get rid of the growing debt as soon as possible? Do you really find it difficult to payback the debt due to so many interest dates? Well, do not think too much and opt for consolidate federal student loans today!

By: Ricky Lim

Got Bad Credit? Student Loans Are Still Possible

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:31:50 +0000

Even with bad credit, student loans are still a real option for achieving the necessary funds required to attend college and university programs that run for two and four years. Bad credit student loans are also useful for attending specific trade school courses.

Student loans are assumed to be out of the question when there’s a prior money management problem leading to bad credit. Credit scores are often used in determining funding levels for students. If you are going through a private loan agency or company, student loans can be a problem even with thin credit, which is not the same as bad credit.

Here’s a way to handle problems of bad credit and student loans with a thin credit or no credit history. Search and study student loan options that are not based on credit scores. The truth is the federal government gives many different federal student loans that are either subsidized or unsubsidized that are not tied to your credit score for eligibility. Examples are Stafford Loans and Perkins Loans. Many also include scholarships, Pell grants and other private grants and bursary programs.

Stafford loans being one of the most common bad credit student loan can actually prevent a student from paying interest on the loan provided they qualify for a subsidized loan. Note that students will still pay the principal or total amount of the loan. The government will not charge any interest provided they follow the payment plan.

Subsidized loans are granted based on a student’s resources and financial ability to pay back the loan. Students will have six months to earn a living after graduation before payment starts. If the student drops down to a part time program or even drops out of school the payment process remains and interest may be charged.

Another option for a bad credit student loans that can be subsidized and can be applied yearly are Perkins Loans. Under the Perkins loan program, the total amount borrowed per student for all education years cannot exceed $20, 000 in total.

With both Stafford and Perkins loans the amount of the loan is capped, and will not typically be more than $5000 per year, even in senior years.

By: Iyke Phelim

How To Find A Low Rate Student Loan ?

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 03:28:28 +0000

Student Loan Programs are generally designed to offer a low interest rates and very flexible repayment terms than conventional car or home loans. But finding a low intrest student loan will require some serious work on your part.
Federal loans, federally guaranteed loans, private loans, parental loans – how do you find the one that’s right for you?

Federal Student Loan Programs

Your first stop should always be the federal student loan programs. Even if you don’t think you are eligible, it is worth completing the standard application form and submitting it just to see if there are grants or other types of loans you might be able to obtain. Also, most colleges and universities require you to complete the federal form because they use the information it contains to assess your eligibility for state aid as well as their own institutional programs.

During the late 1990’s and the early 2000’s the interest rates on federal student loans were at historic lows. The rates have since moved back up some, but they are still substantially lower than those available through conventional loans.

Alternative Student Loans

There are alternative sources of low interest student loans if you look around a bit. There are many lenders with special loan programs for student needs that are similar but not exactly the same as the more well-known federal student loan programs. Most private lenders offer interest rates that are lower for student loans than for conventional loans, but they are generally still a bit higher than the federal rates. Shop around with several lenders, comparing interest rates, terms and conditions, and repayment requirements.

Despite the slightly higher interest rates of alternative student loans, they are a good option for many people who don’t qualify for enough other aid to fully cover their college expenses. Before you commit to any loan make sure you carefully compare all of your options, looking at long term benefits as well as short term expediency.

By: Maria Sundar

Finding Low Interest Student Loans

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 03:21:42 +0000

Discovering the right scholarship which will fit your wants is indeed a very challenging and time consuming matter but there is great news that will show you the right track to take in order to acquire the student loan needed to attend college. Nevertheless, there are a variety of student loans obtainable in the market and you simply have to know which one is the best for you. It is a real challenging task since not only do you not know which will be good for you but you also demand a student loan that carries a low interest rate so that you have to pay back less money and it doesn’t take filling out multiple applications to accomplish this chore.

What you have to do is diligently go through the points of all the loans that come your way and make the pick and if you speak to a financial adviser they will instruct you on perchance the best means required for you to get the exact loan. Put in some time and effort and seek out the loan that matches your requirements just right merely keep in mind there are federal student loans that help anyone who wants to go to college and could maybe be a great fit. If you land on one such loan then ultimately your intent and money are the best alternative and both will be helped.

Now let me tell you about a student loan that you would be prepared to go for as soon as you know about it. The loan is a Stafford student loan which can be availed by undergraduate, graduate as well as professional students who are in financial need for getting their education. These loans have a lower interest rate which is either subsidized, implying that the government is responsible for paying the interest while you are in school and unsubsidized when you are responsible for paying all the interest. So you do not have to apply for those private student loans that receive higher interest rates. However,in the case of unsubsidized payments you can owe the payment when you are ready to pay after school and then accumulate the entire money and pay it off.

The Stafford Loans are very good since you get to approach many rewards and are the education loans that numerous acquire. The advantages are that you acquire a fixed interest rate of 6.8%, borrower benefits that will drastically reduce the percentage of interest by 2%, make your education more affordable therefore. You can even defer from paying up your loan for a maximum time period of nine months after leaving school. You further will require no credit check too and thus even if you have a bad credit report you are nonetheless eligible for a low credit interest loan.

Nevertheless, Stafford Student Loans are not your only selections. You can also choose financial aid, if you wish to. Nonetheless, if you are requiring for your loan to take care of each of your expenses then you are being unreasonable and so you should look to any private loan with a government loan to look after all your needs. Many loans companies will provide you with calculators that will tell you the exact amount that you want to pay monthly along with the interest rate obtainable. It will likewise offer you comparisons with other loans so that you can make a informed selection of the loan that you wish to avail. All of this is exceedingly important since at the end of the day repayment of the loan is essential and crucial to you, so knowing all your details will help for sure.

By: Lee Beattie

What You Need to Know About Federal Student School Loans

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 02:54:30 +0000

School loans are considered “financial aid” but differ greatly from scholarships and grants because loans need to be paid back. There are three major types of loans, Federal Student Loans, Federal Loans for parents, and Private Loans. This article focuses on the most common type of school loan, the Federal Student Loans.

As the name implies these loans are given directly to the student by the government. Within this main category there are two types of loans; subsidized, which means that the interest is paid by the government while the student is in school, and unsubsidized, which means that the student must pay the interest. However, with unsubsidized loans there is the option to have the interest payments put on hold and added to the total loan until the student is done with school and in a better position to make payments. Subsidized loans are reserved for students who demonstrate a financial need: usually low family income.

Loan amounts are decided based on the students needs, and the students access to family resources, scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid. Nearly all full-time students are eligible for at least some amount of loan. Both the subsidized and unsubsidized loans offer a six-month grace period to allow the student to find a job in their field and become more financially stable before payments are due. If a borrower becomes a part-time student there is a three-month grace period before payments are due. With Federal Student Loans there is a limited amount that a student can borrow each year.

There are two ways that a student may receive Federal Student Loans; Federal Direct Students Loans (FDLP) or Federal Family Education Loans. FDLP loans start with funds from the U.S. Treasury, these funds are then sent through the U.S. Department of Education and then distributed to the college or university. The school then uses it to pay school expenses and the remainder is available for the student to withdraw. Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL or FFELP) are funded by private banking organizations. The advantage of FFELP loans is that students have payment options available to them that are similar to the options available when taking out a home loan or consumer loan.

Students can apply for Federal student loans online. Most universities and colleges provide computers in their financial aid office where students can apply with the help of people who use the system constantly. Applying online is done through a program called Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. By applying online you will automatically be considered for any type of aid including grants, which do not have to be paid back. Applying online can help you find out how much help you will be receiving as much as seven days faster, which will make it easier to secure other funds if necessary.

If a student has turned in a FAFSA application in the past, they can use something called a renewal FAFSA that automatically inserts information that does not change such as name and the school you are attending. This makes the process even faster. Students are also able to sign their application by using a pin number given to them by FAFSA, so there is absolutely no paperwork to be sent through the mail.

By: Chris Simons

Why Should I Consolidate My Student Loan?

admin — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:20:52 +0000

College loans are used to pay for assorted college related expenses; they’re usually offered as interest-deferred until the student leaves school. From the perspective of a lender, a college loan is a sound investment; most college students more than triple their immediate annual income after graduation, and this makes lending large sums (tens of thousands) of dollars very easy and sensible to do.

Most college loans have a grace period; during the first six months after leaving college, the loan doesn’t require payment, and isn’t accumulating interest – this window is meant to let the new college graduate find a job and settle in to their career, cover moving expenses and the like, before the clock starts ticking on their loan.

Unfortunately, the job market for new college graduates doesn’t always guarantee a lucrative starting career. Even with a good degree most students have to get an entry level position. Also, around that time in life, graduates are often getting married or having kids. These factors can turn a student loan into a nightmare of debt, as they juggle payments from multiple lenders and try to live within their means as other expenses accrue. Fortunately, there’s a way out. College loan consolidation lets you borrow a lump sum of money from another lender to pay off all your student loans. In return, you get a lower interest rate over a longer term; your monthly bills drop considerably; the monthly savings can be used to cover the bevy of new expenses you’ve got as you work your way into your professional life.

College loan consolidation programs in the United States come in two varieties – private and Federal. Federal student loan consolidation can happen if you have outstanding federal student loans that total more than ten thousand dollars, and are finished with school. If you do not fulfill these requirements, you must use a private lender.

Private lenders will look at your credit history and determine your monthly payments and interest rate. As with any private loan, it’s worth it to shop around, for lower monthly payments or better terms. It also makes sense to watch interest rates – if interest rates are low, consolidate your loans now before they rise again.

By: Nicholas Hurd