Student Loan Consolidation – Lower Your Payments

Often times it makes good economic sense to consolidate your all of your student loans upon graduating. Each of the loans that you applied for and received each year or semester of school is considered a separate loan. The average student graduating from a four-year private school leaves college with about $27,000 in student loan debt. After you graduate, you will get offers from lenders to consolidate these loans.

Student loan consolidation is big business. A huge profit margin exists for any loan consolidator that can capture you as a client. Virtually all of the risk is assumed by the taxpayers and all of the profit goes to whoever can talk you into letting them consolidate and service your loan. Consolidating your student loans means bundling all of your loans into one big loan with a single lender and a single payment plan. This will almost always lower your total monthly payment. Despite a possible lengthened repayment period, loan consolidation is usually a wise move.

There is practically no way to get out of paying off student loans. The notable exceptions to this rule include joining the Peace Corps, the AmeriCorps and some selective teaching gigs. You cannot declare personal bankruptcy and be relieved of student loan debt. Bankruptcy laws make an exception for student loan debt. It cannot be erased.

Assuming you have decided to pay off the loans, understanding the details of student loans will make the repayment process easier to cope with. For all three major types of federal loans there is a six-month grace period after graduating during which you do not have to begin to repay. The Federal Perkins Loans, the Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans, and the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans all give this initial grace period.

Interest rates are set for each type of student loan once per year. Current federal student loan interest rates for all of the types of student loans are fairly low compared to five or ten years ago. Interest rates you can expect to see when consolidating your student loans are also comparitively quite low historically speaking. Some variation in your interest rate can be expected based upon your credit worthiness and credit rating. One common solution for borrowers with poor credit ratings would be to use a cosigner who has better credit than you.

You should also not be afraid to negotiate with your lending institution for a lower rate. For example, you might offer to have the payment automatically deducted from your bank account or other automatic payment method. If your lender will not make a sincere effort to lower your interest rate, you should be prepared to take your business to the next financial institution down the street. They are in competition for your business. Don't let the bank make you feel like they are doing you a favor. You are the customer. Make the bank earn your business.

With your student loans consolidated you should see a low enough monthly payment to get through your initial period of employment after school. As your income increases over time you can expect your payments to be less of a burden on your budget with each passing year.