School Loans - Need Based vs Non-Need Based Loans

If you are thinking about applying for a new school loan or consolidating your current school loans now that you have graduated, the information provided in this article should help you determine which loan you will need and the terms and conditions of the various loans.

Generally, student loans are categorized into either need base loans or non-need based loans, and there are federal and private loans available which fit into both of those categories.

Features of Need Based Loans:

1. Lower Interest Rates: The federal government is the main provider of need loans. The Stafford loan is the most popular need based loan which is a fixed interest rate loan of 6.8 percent. The Perkins loan has a rate of 5 percent.

2. Delayed Repayment: Need based federal loans do not require you to repay the principal loan until after you graduate or leave school. This is a deferred payment loan.

3. Interest Subsidization: As interest accrues on the loan, the government will pay this interest while you are in school and for up to 6 months after graduation.

Features of Non-Need Based Loans: Non-Need based loans are for students and their families who cannot afford to pay 100 percent of the college tuition and costs, but do not qualify for need based loans due to their income level. Non-need based loans typically have a higher interest rate, have no in-school interest subsidy and may require immediate repayment of principal.

There are four main types of School Loans that you need to know about;

Perkins Loans are need-based loans and are awarded by the financial aid office to students with the highest need. The interest rate is very low-5 percent-and you don't make any loan payments while in school.

Subsidized Stafford Loans are need-based loans with a fixed interest rate of 6.8 percent. With subsidized loans the federal government pays the yearly interest while you're in school.

Unsubsidized Stafford Loans aren't based on financial need and can be used to help pay the family share of costs. You're responsible for paying interest on the loan while in school. You may choose to capitalize the interest. The advantage of doing this is that no interest payments are required. The disadvantage is that the interest is added to the loan, meaning that you will repay more money to the lender.

Grad PLUS loans are student loans for graduate students sponsored by the federal government that are unrelated to need. Generally, students can borrow up to the total cost of education, minus any aid received. The advantage of this loan is that it allows for greater borrowing capacity. However, students should consider lower-interest loans, such as the Subsidized Stafford or Unsubsidized loans prior to taking out a Grad PLUS loan.

You can read more about federal and private loans that are incorporated into the need and non-need categories at our website listed below.

School Loan Consolidation

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When to consolidate your School Loans!

Lot's of people with school loans aren't quite sure when they should consolidate. These tips will help you decide on the right time for your situation.

There are no deadlines in the Federal Consolidation Loan program. There are several things to keep in mind, however, regarding when to do a school loan consolidation. Your loans must be fully disbursed to be eligible for a Federal Consolidation Loan. They also must be in their grace period or in repayment.

It is best for you to consolidate while your Federal Stafford Loans are still in their grace period, when they still have the lower in-school interest rate.

If you are consolidating your federal student loans during your grace period but are worried about losing your grace period, section D on the Federal Consolidation Loan application includes a question that allows you to enter your grace period end date. If a date is provided in this question, the lender won’t complete processing of the application or fund the loan until near that date. So you can apply for the consolidation loan at any time during your Federal Stafford Loan grace period, qualify for the lower in-school interest rate, and postpone the start of repayment on the debt until near the end of your grace period.

The longer you postpone funding of your Federal Consolidation Loan, however, the more interest will accrue on any unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans (or any other federal student loans for which you are responsible for the interest) that are included in your Federal Consolidation Loan. You should also know that, while funding of your Federal Consolidation Loan is pending, interest may accrue on your Federal Stafford Loans at a different rate than the rate used to calculate your Federal Consolidation Loan interest rate.

If your loans are already in repayment, federal student loan consolidation may still be beneficial. It allows you to fix the interest rate on your federal student loans while rates are still low.

For more information...visit our website at Student Loan Debt Consolidation

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Top Financial Mistakes Made by College Students.

1. Blowing your student loan money!
Instead of using your financial aid for books, tuition, room & board, many students will choose to finance their extravagant lifestyle of partying, clothes, gadgets, and eating out. These school loans you've worked so hard to get should be paying for your education, not you social life...so use the money wisely. You'll be paying them off for many years to come.

2. Credit Card Debt!
Even responsible adults can rack up some hefty credit card debt, but students, who have no viable income besides their school loan money, and what cash mom & dad give them, have no business getting multiple credit cards. This is a recipe for credit disaster, because now students will not only have their school loans to repay when they graduate, but large credit card balances. Nellie May, the largest student loan maker, says that most graduate students have an average of $5800 in credit card debt.

3. Not Paying Your Bills on Time!
Racking up huge credit debt and not paying your bills on time is a good way to ensure that you can't purchase a car, rent an apartment or even get a cell phone after you graduate. Keep the credit cards to a minimum, and pay your bills on time to keep your good credit rating. You'll thank yourself in a few years.

4. Bad Budgeting!
Being a college student generally means living on a fixed income. Weather it be your financial aid money or money from a part-time job, or even money from Mom & Dad, the cash is usually limited and setting up a budget is important. A monthly budget doesn't mean you can't do the things you want to do, but simply a plan so you know the "must-pays" actually get paid. Figure out exactly what bills and expenses you have every month and plan for those first. Any money after that you can budget for social / recreational items like CD's and kegs.

5. Going to a College that's too Pricey!
Instead of going to your local community college for your pre-req classes and spending $25 a unit, many students feel they have to go to the 4 year university straight out of high school. Many end up returning home and going to a C.C. anyway, but attending a local school first is a good way to save money, and get those required classes out of the way cheap. After you've completed these courses, transfer to a 4 year school to complete your undergraduate degree. This will save thousands upon thousands of dollars that you would have racked up on student loans, and been paying off well into your 30's.

So many bad financial decisions students make is a result of poor financial education. Students haven't been taught by their parents or high school teachers the importance of maintaining a good credit score, paying bills on time, and budgeting income. Wise spending during the college years will ensure that the money you make after graduating will be spent on things you want, not credit card payments, collection companies and school loans.

To get more information on School Loan Consolidation and ways to lower your student loan payment, visit http://www.SchoolLoanInfo.com

What you should know about school loan debt consolidation.

What is Student Loan Consolidation?

Consolidation Loans combine several student or parent loans into one bigger loan from a single lender, which is then used to pay off the balances on the other loans. It is very similar to refinancing a mortgage. Consolidation loans are available for most federal loans...including FFELP (Stafford, PLUS and SLS), FISL, Perkins, Health Professional Student Loans, NSL, HEAL, Guaranteed Student Loans and Direct loans. Some lenders offer private consolidation loans for private education loans as well. School Loan consolidation is among the most important and advantageous financial decisions recent graduates and former students can make.

Why Do Most Students Consolidate Their School Loans?

- To lower monthly payment amounts by up to 45%

- To give them an opportunity to build their credit rating

- To make only one student loan payment each month

The Scoop on School Loan Consolidation Discounts.

Why Lenders Offer Loan Discounts.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 sets the maximum interest rates and fees on student loans. This helps protect loan gouging by student loan lenders, making access to student loans relatively easy for those who are in need of financial aid. Nothing, however, prevents a lender from charging lower interest rates and fees. (The illegal inducements regulations prevent lenders from providing immediate rebates, which would be similar to paying borrowers for their loans. However, most lenders work around these restrictions by instituting a one month delay in rebate discounts, or by providing the discounts when the loan enters repayment)

Lenders offer loan discounts for competitive reasons. Originally the competition was with the Direct Loan program. However, with the repeal of the single holder rule, lenders are increasingly competing with each other for the highly profitable student loan market. If you currently have multiple student loans, you should get the proper information regarding consolidation of those loans.

Visit SchoolLoanInfo.com for more information on School Loan Consolidation

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