Which One Is For You? Student Loans

By Frank Miller


Students and families are often confused with the variety of options available when it comes to financing a college education. There are a myriad of options, from college scholarships and grants to federal and private student loans. As part of the Higher Education Act of 1965, President Lyndon Johnson created this law which was intended "to strengthen the education resources of our college and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education." This increased all sources of federal funding provided to universities and added in grants and other forms of financial aid.

The Federal Stafford Loan is available to both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at least half-time at a college or university accepting federal aid. This is a need-based program in which undergraduates may borrow up to $5,500 per year in subsidized funds based on academic level and graduate level students may borrow up to $18,500 per year (up to $8,500 in subsidized funds and the remainder in unsubsidized funds). The funds are sent directly to the school and are applied to the student's account. To ease the financial burden, payments are not required until six months after the student graduates. When looking to apply for a Stafford Loan, students should see what types of borrower benefits each lender is offering. As these student loans are all fixed at the same interest rate set by the U.S. Government, lenders are offering incentives to borrow by way of discounts, such as waived fees, rate reductions for early payment and cash back. While a Federal Stafford Loan is certainly a necessary start, it doesn't always cover the entire cost of education. A Parent PLUS Loan is a common way that parents contribute to their child's education. This credit-based loan allows parents to borrow the total cost of undergraduate education including tuition, room and board, supplies, college fees and more, minus any other aid received. Once the loan has been put into the student's account at the school, repayment begins shortly thereafter, at which time the student loan consolidation process can be performed. At a fixed interest rate, the Parent PLUS Loan is an easy and cost effective solution to help bridge the gap between Stafford Loan funding and the cost of education.

An average graduating student gets a degree along with a $20,000 loan to pay back, this amount can be considered high when comparing the student's situation at that period of time. Living in the transitional phase from changing career and with their first step in the real world these students normally lack the ability to carry their financial burden successfully upon their shoulders. Considering this fact the government offers federal loan consolidation programs that can mitigate the need of paying numerous bills each month. The new loan offered by the federal government student loan consolidation program is a fixed rate loan unlike any other student loan, these loans are very easy to apply for compared to other federal loans for regular students and can also help you to save a lot of money at the end of repayment period.

The Perkins Loan is another federal loan available to both undergraduate and graduate students offered on the basis of financial need, other aid received and availability of funds at each school. The federal government lends schools funds for distribution to its neediest students. The school, therefore, is the lender, and undergraduates may be awarded up to $4,000/year and graduates may be awarded up to $6,000/year. These loans need to be repaid directly to the school and have a fixed 5% interest rate since the program was started. Students can take advantage of a nine-month grace period and a ten-year repayment term. However, if consolidated with any existing federal student loan, including Stafford or Graduate PLUS Loans, this can extend the repayment term. Consolidation has been mentioned a few times and it's really in the best interest of students to take advantage of this upon graduation. Each federal loan, on its own, has a 10 year repayment term, regardless of total loan debt. Consolidation fixed the interest rate and extends the repayment term, allowing more time to repay an often hefty federal loan debt.

Once approved the lending company will pay all the previous loans taken by the student and the student has only to pay the new loan amount with a lower interest rate in an even longer period of time. These student loan consolidation programs come with various repayment periods which are lower than many other federal loan programs, thus students can use the grace period to further reduce their rate of interest. A major advantage of consolidating your loan is that it gives you time to settle down after your college period, most students can not find a job instantly they leave their college which can be an added pressure on students who already face problems of repaying their loan. Consolidating several loans you can get enough time to think about your career prospective and decide to choose a better paying job than choosing a less attractive job with low pay only to pay for your education loan.

For graduate students who are considered independent or have families of their own to support, or no living parents to assist with educational funding can apply for PLUS loans. PLUS loans are low interest loans for graduate students and parents. These loans are under the same criteria as the Stafford loans, you're required to complete and submit FAFSA and a MPN. Typically direct student loans have a limit on the total amount. Most students manage to get by with loans of $8,000. Direct student loans have a fixed interest rate that is set every July 1st. There is also a loan fee that can be up to 4%. This fee is usually used to offset the cost of the programs or services.




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