Loan consolidation provides good opportunity to the borrowers to consolidate various types of federal student loans into one loan. If one has single outstanding loan, he or she can still consolidate it by replacing it with a consolidation loan. Anyways, with the help of loan consolidation, you can pay off your student loans by making a single payment every month instead of multiple monthly payments.
Before opting for loan consolidation, one should see whether or not the terms and the conditions associated with it best suit his or her requirements. Consolidation of loans into a single one may imply longer time period for loan repayment as well as lower monthly payment and in turn, one will pay more over the years. So, the terms and the conditions associated with loan consolidation may not be appealing to the borrowers.
Student loans that can be consolidated
Majority of the federal loans targeted at the students can be clubbed into one Direct Consolidation Loan. Private student loans are not eligible for consolidation under this scheme. However, for the loans which have the history of default, certain requirements must be fulfilled to consolidate those into a single loan. Some of the federal student loans which are eligible for consolidation are listed below.
Subsidized and unsubsidized Direct and FFEL (Federal Family Education Loan) Stafford Loans
Direct and FFEL PLUS Loans
Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS)
Federal Perkins Loans
Federal Nursing Loans
Health Education Assistance Loans (HEAL)
Requirements for loan consolidation
Generally the students who have graduated, have left school or dropped before half-time enrolment, are eligible for this facility. To qualify for loan consolidation, the following requirements have to be met.
- One should have at least one direct loan or FFEL loan for which the repayment process is continuing.
- One can also consolidate even the grossly defaulted education loan. But for that to happen, satisfactory repayment arrangements should be made with existing loan servicer. Else the borrowers should agree to repay the new Direct Consolidation Loan under the Income Contingent Repayment Plan or the Income Based Repayment Plan.
- If a borrower already has a Direct Consolidation Loan, he/she cannot opt for further consolidation unless and until a supplementary Direct Loan or FFEL is included.
For consolidation of loans, the borrowers need not to pay any application fees. A fixed rate of interest is generally charged throughout the entire life span of the Direct Consolidation Loan. The interest rate charged cannot be more than 8.25%.
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