Student Loans: Tips For Every College Student And Parent

If you would like to attend school but think it is impossible due to the very high costs, dont worry, there are student loans that you can apply for. Almost every student at some point will get a student loan to help finance at least part of their education, and you can get one too. Keep reading and learn how to apply for one.

Be sure you know about the grace period of your loan. Each loan has a different grace period. It is impossible to know when you need to make your first payment without looking over your paperwork or speaking with your lender. Be sure to be aware of this information so you do not miss a payment.

Keep good records on all of your student loans and stay on top of the status of each one. One easy way to do this is to log onto nslds.ed.gov. This is a website that keep s track of all student loans and can display all of your pertinent information to you. If you have some private loans, they will not be displayed. Regardless of how you keep track of your loans, do be sure to keep all of your original paperwork in a safe place.

Pay off your biggest loan as soon as you can to reduce your total debt. When you owe less principal, it means that your interest amount owed will be less, too. Set your target on paying down the highest balance loans first. Once a large loan has been paid off, transfer the payments to your next large one. When you make an effort to pay off your largest loans with the largest payments possible and pay the minimum on smaller loans, youll find that it is much easier to eliminate your debt.

Try getting your student loans paid off in a 10-year period. This is the traditional repayment period that you should be able to achieve after graduation. If you struggle with payments, there are 20 and 30-year repayment periods. The drawback to these is that they will make you pay more in interest.

Try to make your student loan payments on time. If you miss your payments, you can face harsh financial penalties. Some of these can be very high, especially if your lender is dealing with the loans through a collection agency. Keep in mind that bankruptcy wont make your student loans go away.

The Stafford and Perkins loans are good federal loans. These are both safe and affordable. They are an excellent deal because for the duration of your education, the government will pay your interest. The Perkins loan interest rate is 5%. The Stafford loans are subsidized and offer a fixed rate that will not exceed 6.8%.

The unsubsidized Stafford loan is a good option in student loans. Anyone with any level of income can get one. The interest is not paid for your during your education; however, you will have 6 months grace period after graduation before you have to start making payments. This kind of loan offers standard federal protections for borrowers. The fixed interest rate is not greater than 6.8%.

Exercise

Exercise caution when considering student loan consolidation. Yes, it will likely reduce the amount of each monthly payment. However, it also means youll be paying on your loans for many years to come. This can have an adverse impact on your credit score. As a result, you may have difficulty securing loans to purchase a home or vehicle.

Most people who attend school, especially pricey colleges and universities need some sort of financial aid to make it possible. There are many different student loans available if you know where and how to apply to them. Thankfully, the tips above showed you how simple it is to apply for a student loan, now go out and do it!