In order to relieve some of the financial burden associated with furthering their educations, many students are opting to consolidate their debt at lower rates, and getting a longer period of time to repay. The following paragraphs will answer some commonly asked questions about the subject, as well describe how it can aid in debt relief.What Is Student Loan Consolidation?It is the act of combining your school loans into one in order to help manage your financial burden caused by college or trade school. When you consolidate you will only have one monthly payment to make, which is usually lower than your combined monthly payments of your unconsolidated loans. This is possible because when you consolidate, you are generally offered a longer time period to repay – sometimes up to 30 years. Many consider the lower payment a huge benefit, which it is, but it can also cause you to pay more interest, over a greater length of time, than you would with your combined unconsolidated student loans.The rates are generally lower, and most often the rate will be fixed. With unconsolidated loans, most commonly the interest rates are variable, which means they can change at any time, sometimes without much warning. With a fixed rate, the monthly interest will remain the same throughout the entire duration of your consolidated loan.What If I am Default on My Student Loan Payments?If you are default in making your payments, you may still qualify. It is important to check with your debt holder, to ensure your defaulted loan has not been subject to wage garnishment. If your defaulted debt is subject to wage garnishment, you may not be able to consolidate.How Can I Obtain More Information Regarding School Loan Consolidation?There are many ways to obtain more information regarding this issue including:· by requesting it from the financial aid office at school· by requesting it from the holder of your original student loan· by researching the internetInformation is usually available in any financial aid office of any learning institution. If you cannot get to your financial aid office, or if your financial aid office does not have the information you need, please request the information from the holder of your original loans, or search the internet for valuable information on the subject.Knowledge is the key in finding the best rates available. The more knowledge you have on the subject, as well as knowing your credit scores, the better your chances of getting a good interest rate when consolidating your loan.
