Saturday, November 28, 2009

Understanding Direct Student Loan Consolidation


By Charles Gloson

Having the best education possible is very important for all young people. But today it can be very costly as prices rise every single year. To be able to cover the costs most students will take out a student loan, but upon graduation it can be difficult to be able to keep up with the repayments on this debt. For this reason it is now possible to acquire direct student loan consolidation.

This helps in that it will take all the separate loans into one manageable amount that is easier to pay back. Many graduates are grateful for the peace of mind it has given to them and also the fact that their bad credit rating gets wiped off their records; this then allows them to be able to use other financial services that otherwise would be out of reach.

The program has been set up and is administered by the Department of Education. As it is a federal government scheme you can be assured of professional treatment at all times.

It works by having the government recalculate all the student loans that an individual has, into one loan that is much easier to repay. It will give a fixed interest rate over the duration of the repayment period calculated through then past interest rates on the loans; this is currently fixed at a maximum rate of 8. 25%.

Through the consolidation of your loans you can often increase the duration given to make full repayment; this can be up to thirty years. To be able to qualify for the service you need to already be in a situation that involves paying back a student loan or loans. It is important to note that there is no minimum debt that is to be held in order to be eligible for this government sponsored scheme.

Presently there are four repayment plan options. It is up to you to choose which best suit your situation and requirements:

1. Standard Repayment Plan: This plan is very popular and requires the borrower to make monthly deposits of $50 for a minimum of ten years, with a maximum allowed of 30 years.

2. Graduated Repayment Plan: With this option the monthly amount that is required has to be equal or more than the monthly interest on the money. It is possible to start with low repayments but then it will be recalculated every couple of years.

3. Extended Repayment Plan: To qualify for this particular plan the debt you hold has to be larger than $30, 000. You are given a period of twenty five years to make full repayment.

4. Income Contingent Repayment Plan: This is a slightly different option as the monthly dues are worked out by equating the size of your family, current debt, and annual income.

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