Consolidating Student Loans Under $10,000

by Marc Lindsay

Before we get to the answer, you should firstly ask yourself do I need to consolidate my student loan that's under $10,000? Believe it or not a $10,000 student loan debt is not a very large one. If you're still studying or going to keep studying then the best thing to do is not to consolidate your loan just yet.


When consolidating your loans you'll reduce your monthly payments however once you've consolidated your loans not every lender will be happy when you want to re-consolidate your loan again. However there are ways to re-consolidate your student loans but we'll get to that in a minute.


To answer the question, yes you can consolidate your loan if it's under $10,000 however the lowest amount you can consolidate is around $7,500. If you've got anything lower than this amount it is not worth consolidating.


Suppose your still studying and are thinking of lower your repayments. The first thing you should do before consolidating is to see if you need more money first. If you have another 2 or 3 years left then you should borrow more before you consolidate.


Once you've figured out how much you need the next thing to do is consolidate your loan. If you consolidate your student loans with a private lender you might not be able to re-consolidate your student loan if you need more money. So make sure you ask your lender before you consolidate if they can re-consolidate your loan later in the future.


Not everyone lender will want to re-consolidate your loan so you'll need to get around 4 student consolidation loan lenders on hand in case you can't find a lender willing to re-consolidate your loan.


Now here's a tip for you supposing that you already have a consolidated loan.


If you already consolidated your student loan then you should be aware of a small loop hole. However this only works if you have a federal student loan. First thing you need to do is go out and get another federal student loan. Then the next thing you should do is go to your current loan consolidator and ask them to combine your new federal loan with your existing consolidated loan.


This is technically re-consolidating your loan however it works with most lenders because you're adding a new loan to your already consolidated loan.


To conclude the best tip I can offer you are this. Before you study, work out how much money you'll need to borrow for your entire course. Then consolidate your loan immediately to lower your repayments. But make sure your lender allows you to add additional federal loans in the future and you'll be set for your studies. Good luck with the rest of your studies.


Consolidate Student Loans and Student Loan Consolidation Programs information, reviews and tips to help you with your student finance.


Article Source: ArticlesToReprint, free content for your website

Consolidate Student Loans - Why, How And When

by Martin Haworth

A student should always, once through college, initiate steps to consolidate their student loans. This article details the benefits available to graduates, parents or students who take those steps.


The Consolidation of Student Loans Brings Reduced Payments


When a student gets all his or her loans under the same Social Security number, then the government will agree to consolidate those student loans. The student's individual loans are paid off, giving the student one large loan.


Moreover, when the government takes steps to consolidate student loans, it also takes two other important steps: It extends the loan and it lowers the loan rate.


There is not set way by which a loan provider can bring down the rate on a consolidated loan. A reputable loan provider carefully examines all the possible ways that a student's rate might be made lower.


The loan provider then establishes that low rate as the rate for a consolidated and extended loan.


The government's willingness to both extend the loan and to lower the rate can save students considerable money. Although the payment schedule has been extended, the person with the consolidated loan can feel free to pay the loan off ahead of schedule.


In other words, there is no prepayment penalty levied on those who make an early pay-off after choosing to consolidate student loans.


Two More Reasons to Consolidate Student Loans


It was mentioned above that the rate on a consolidated loan is lower than the rate on each of the original loans. Besides being lower, that rate is also fixed. The rate on a Stafford or Perkins Loan is variable.


The rate on a consolidated loan does not change during the course of the loan.


A student with a consolidated loan does not need to spend time keeping track of the payment schedule for two, three or more loans. That student loan recipient can just make a single monthly payment.


Often the student elects to make that single payment through an automatic debit. That can decrease the loan rate by another 0.25%.


Still Other Reasons to Consolidate Student Loans


Gradate students who consolidate student loans can learn then about fellowships and graduate school loans. Parents who consolidate their loans can search for free money or private loans. Those benefits come on top of the loan's lower interest rate.


When you consolidate student loans, you provide yourself with a chance to improve your credit score. No graduate wants to face credit problems that have been caused by his or her need to take out loans in order to cover college expenses.


In light of all the above benefits, students should ask this question:


Who Can Qualify for the Program to Consolidate Student Loans?


Before allowing a student to consolidate student loans, the government looks to see if the student or graduate owes $10,500 or more.


The government also checks to see if the loan recipient has any loans in default.


(c) 2007 Best Student Loan Guide. Products, services and step-by-step guidance to help you make the best decisions you can. Checkout Martin Haworth's website for all you need at http://www.best-student-loan-guide.com


Article Source: ArticlesToReprint, free content for your website