Every year that passes, student debt just keeps on increasing. Many blame it on the high costs of College and Graduate schools.
Every year that passes, student debt just keeps on increasing. Many blame it on the high costs of College and Graduate schools. Recent studies by the National Center for Education Statistics say that 50% of college graduates have availed of student loans with a $10,000 average for every student. There is a wide array of financial aid options available to students which range from grants, scholarships, federal loans as well as private student loans. Most of which can be easily obtained by a student who qualifies and passes all the requirements. The great thing about these loans is the fact that you are not required to pay them till you graduate or stop going to school.
So once you've finished school and graduated, you have to start paying back the debt. Some companies would offer a 3-5 month grace period allowing you to first get a job or something so you could pay them off. But of course, getting a job isn't that easy and just like any other fresh graduate would have to start at the bottom with very low pay. So how do you pay your student loan? Or at least decrease it so it would be easier to pay off. There are many different ways to do it but the most common ones are; consolidation and refinancing.
Consolidating your loan would benefit you by reducing the interest rates that you have to pay as well as your monthly payments. Secondly, you also reduce the number of your creditors. Making it easier for you to keep track of the payments you have to pay. You no longer have to worry about missing out on a payment just because you forgot or got it mixed up with the others. To a fresh graduate busy with looking for a job, this would offer some relief. Many fresh graduates make full utilization of their grace periods before they start paying. Do the same, get some part-time work, sell stuff, do little things here and there that would help you get a good head start before you start actual work and begin paying off what you owe.
But take note that you cannot consolidate your student credit card debt with your student loan as this two are very different from each other. But you can, however, consolidate your credit card debt through private agencies and then, possibly, consolidate your student loan debt into the same loan. Remember that federal funded loans have lower interest rates when compared private so if you consolidate them into one you would have to pay a higher interest rate. So the best thing to do is to just separate them. But of course, you can't just decide these things on your own even if you will have the last word. To get a better picture of the pros and cons, talk to a professional with expertise on the subject. They would be able to help you out and suggest the best possible ways to reduce your debt.
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