Many people cannot even consider attending a college or university without taking out a student loan. However, these loans should not be entered into without sufficient knowledge of pitfalls and perks. Here, you will discover some valuable information to assist you in the process.
Make sure you keep track of your loans. You should know who the lender is, what the balance is, and what its repayment options are. If you are missing this information, you can contact your lender or check the NSLDL website. If you have private loans that lack records, contact your school.
Do not overlook private sources of funds for college. Public student finances are popular, but there are also a lot of others seeking them. Private student loans are far less tapped, with small increments of funds laying around unclaimed due to small size and lack of awareness. Research community resources for private loans that can help you pay for books and other college necessities.
Try getting a part-time job to help with college expenses. Doing this can help you cover some of your student loan costs. It can also reduce the amount that you need to borrow in student loans. Working these kinds of positions can even qualify you for your college’s work study program.
Figure out what will work best for your situation. Many loans allow for a 10 year payment plan. If this won’t work for you, there may be other options available. For example, you might have to take a while to pay a loan back, but that will make your interest rates go up. You can put some money towards that debt every month. The balances on some student loans have an expiration date at 25 years.
Before applying for student loans, it is a good idea to see what other types of financial aid you are qualified for. There are many scholarships available out there and they can reduce the amount of money you have to pay for school. Once you have the amount you owe reduced, you can work on getting a student loan.
When deciding how much money to borrow in the form of student loans, try to determine the minimum amount needed to get by for the semesters at issue. Too many students make the mistake of borrowing the maximum amount possible and living the high life while in school. By avoiding this temptation, you will have to live frugally now, but will be much better off in the years to come when you are not repaying that money.
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 won’t make your student loans go away.
Perkins and Stafford are some of the best federal student loans. These two are considered the safest and most affordable. These are great options because the government handles your interest while you are in school. Interest rate on the Perkins loan is five percent. On the subsidized Stafford loan, it’s fixed at no higher than 6.8%.
Student loan deferment is an emergency measure only, not a means of simply buying time. During the deferment period, the principal continues to accrue interest, usually at a high rate. When the period ends, you haven’t really bought yourself any reprieve. Instead, you’ve created a larger burden for yourself in terms of the repayment period and total amount owed.
To make sure that your student loan turns out to be the right idea, pursue your degree with diligence and discipline. There’s no real sense in taking out loans only to goof off and skip classes. Instead, make it a goal to get A’s and B’s in all of your classes, so you can graduate with honors.
If you have yet to secure a job in your chosen industry, consider options that directly reduce the amount you owe on your loans. For example, volunteering for the AmeriCorps program can earn as much as $5,500 for a full year of service. Serving as a teacher in an underserved area, or in the military, can also knock off a portion of your debt.
To bring in the greatest returns on your student loan, get the most out of each day at school. Instead of sleeping in until a few minutes before class, and then running to class with your binder and notebook flying, wake up earlier to get yourself organized. You’ll get better grades and make a good impression.
Plan your courses to make the most of your student loan money. If your college charges a flat, per semester fee, take on more courses to get more for your money. If your college charges less in the summertime, be sure to go to summer school. Getting the most value for your dollar is a great way to stretch your student loans.
If you want to stretch out your student loans a little farther, get a meal plan which deals in terms of meals instead of dollar amounts. This allows you to not worry about what’s on your plate each time you eat because each meal is a flat rate.
Pay Off Student Loans
Your career choice may help you with student loan repayment. For example, if you become a teacher in an area that is low-income, your federal loans may be canceled in part. If you go into health care, your debt may be forgiven if you work in under-served areas. Lawyers who provide pro-bono work or work in non profit organizations may be able to get grants to pay off student loans. Peace Corp and Ameri-Corp volunteers and some others may be able to have loans forgiven.
