March 21st, 2010
A good credit history is an essential prerequisite for applying for a student loan. A student with a good credit history always stands in good stead to qualify himself for a student loan. So, it is always advisable that students who go for loans keep their credit within limits.
Many lenders provide loans to students with no credit history. There are two types of student loans namely, federal student loans and private student loans. The former are backed by the US government (coming under the department of education?s federal student aid programs) and are approved based on the financial need of the student, whereas the latter are considered as personal consumer loans. Refinancing of federal student loans is possible at far lower interest rates than private loans. Private student loans are approved after checking the credit history of a student or his parents.
Usually, a student loan with no credit history does not require any income or a co-signer. But this is sanctioned only for a small credit limit. To get larger credit limit, the help of a co-signer is essential. Before taking student loans with no credit history, compare the interest rates and the fees from different lenders. You can get student loans applying online also. The documents needed include proof of your identity, and your place of employment. It is better to look for loans based on your job history. It is advisable to have a thorough check on the terms and conditions of a student loan before signing the deal.
By: Richard Romando
March 14th, 2010
The student loan industry faces many challenges. Lately, Federal subsidies have been cut back. This means that companies offering Federal student loans are no longer seeing a profit. Administering Federal student loans is no longer a viable option for most banks and other institutions. If they can only lose money by offering Federal student loans, then why should they offer them?
Many banks and institutions complain not only of the lack of subsidy money from the government, but also about the credit crisis. Subprime mortgage lending has run many banks into the ground. People are defaulting more than ever on home mortgages and costing the banks an arm and a leg. The rates have been affected all around. Credit is sometimes only being offered to only the best candidates and at a premium rate. Variable rates may be bound to skyrocket and many people will just be turned down.
Luckily, Congress just passed a bill to increase Federal student aid. This should increase the amount of money available to students, but it could be harder to find. The government subsidy money paid to financial institutions for administering Federal student loans has been significantly reduced. The subsidies had to be reduced in order for the government to have the money to lend, but the result is that many institutions can no longer afford to administer Federal student loans. The subsidies have not been taken away all together, only reduced. This was done to eliminate the taxpayer funded inflated profit being made by the lending institutions.
Many institutions will still offer Federal student loans and private student loans, but they may come at a higher price, require higher credit ratings or you may need a cosigner to qualify. Interest rates may have to go up to cover the cost. These types of loans are normally backed by bond securities, which investors are now turning their noses up at due to the credit problems today’s market is experiencing. All of these things combined are affecting student loans through a virtual domino effect.
All of this just means that you will need to be more diligent in your search for the student loan that is right for you. Although incentives and special circumstance loans are waning, you can still find student loans that meet your needs and bridge the gap between what you have saved and what you owe. Many people are finding that the internet is an invaluable resource when searching for student loans. Now you can go to sites such as http://www.student-loans.net and compare loans from multiple lenders. Unbiased information may be hard to come by at an individual bank or school, so do your research before you take on a Federal student loans or private student loans.
By: Evelyn A. Saunders
March 11th, 2010
If you have a high amount of student loans that you are struggling to pay off, then you may have questions about how to handle it. There are provisions with most types of student loans that allow you to defer payments or adjust payments to meet your needs. Check with your lender for specifics. Here, we will discuss common options when it comes to paying down your student loans.
If you are really in over your head and have considered bankruptcy, be prepared. Bankruptcy is not an option for federal student loans. They will not go away or be discharged even if you are filing bankruptcy. You do have some options though. You can apply to change the pay off terms of your student loans. Instead of struggling to pay them off in ten years, you can stretch them out to thirty years. This, of course, would end up costing you more interest in the long run, but it could relieve the stress of large monthly payments. If you’re missing payments because they’re too high, then it will end up costing you more anyway, not to mention that you can ruin your credit by missing payments.
Filing bankruptcy with a private student loan is not any better. There is a provision for undue hardship, but the standards are extremely hard to meet. If you can meet the requirements, then it is possible to get a private student loan discharged. This provision is very rarely awarded. You should consider different ways of paying off your student loans if possible.
One option is to talk to your lender about a graduated repayment plan. This plan allows you to start out at low payments that steadily increase over time. This gives you some time to build your income up to a point where you can afford the larger payments. Payments are figured generally once every two years, so you have some time to prepare when the payments increase.
Another option is setting up an income based repayment plan. This plan uses your adjusted gross income each year to figure the payment that you can afford. The payment is based also on the size of the loan. How many members you have in your family is also taken into consideration. Many find this a very effective way to budget for student loan payments.
In times of extreme hardship, you may qualify to defer your loan payments. This doesn’t mean that they are discharged or gone, but simply put off until a later date. Many types of student loans will not have interest accruing during the deferment period. If you don’t qualify for deferment, you may qualify for forbearance. Forbearance is like deferment, in that you can postpone payments for a set length of time. Unlike deferment, forbearance options do accumulate interest during the period that you are not making payments.
In general, you should try to pay off your student loans whenever you come into extra money. All debts need to be taken seriously and you should always pay as much as you can afford. If you are in some trouble and need to change the terms or put off monthly payments for a while, contact the custodian of the loan. Manage it well, and you can be on your way to paying off your student loans.
By: Evelyn A. Saunders