How to Consolidate Student Loans
Get a clear picture of your overall debt., Assess your current situation., Understand the potential disadvantages of consolidation., Decide who to contact.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get a clear picture of your overall debt.
Student loans can be confusing (you might have any combination of Stafford, Perkins, PLUS, and other federal loans, and you might also have private loans), and many borrowers don’t have an accurate sense of what they owe and to whom they owe it.
Check your records, and make sure you have a complete list of all your loans, who services them, and what your current monthly payments are – whether you have actually been making those payments or not.
If you are unsure about your federal loans, visit the National Student Loan Data System at https://www.nslds.ed.gov/npas/index.htm.
This site will allow you to see all of your federal financial aid records.
If you are unsure about your private loans, follow up with the appropriate lender or lenders.
They will provide documentation about what you owe and what the terms and conditions of your loans are. -
Step 2: Assess your current situation.
Once you have accurate, complete records, ask yourself whether you need to consider consolidation.
Are you currently making your payments on time? Can you afford those payments? Are any of your payments delinquent? Are any of your federal loans in default status (meaning that you have not paid for 270 days)? If any of the following situations apply, you may be a good candidate for consolidation:
Your federal loans are in default.
Consolidation will move them out of default status and minimize the effect on your credit rating.
Your private loans are delinquent, and you are unable to get caught up.
Consolidation will help you get the debt under control and minimize the long-term damage to your credit.
You are making payments that you cannot afford, and you are worried that you will wind up delinquent or in default.
Consolidation may help you get a lower monthly payment so that you can keep your loans current.
You are making multiple monthly payments on different loans and want to simplify the process.
Consolidation will allow you to make just one payment, if your loans are either all federal or all private.
If you have both, you’ll have two payments, as you can’t consolidate them together. , Consolidation does have a downside.
Lower monthly payments mean that you’ll likely wind up making those payments for more years, and you’ll pay more in total.
In addition:
For private loans, a fee of up to
18.5% of your loan balance may be added to your principal.
Your interest rate may increase.
Federal interest rates are capped at
8.25%, but that’s still quite high, especially when you consider that you may be paying for decades.
Private lenders’ rates vary, but in general, consolidating your loans may entail a rate increase.
You may lose benefits associated with specific loans.
Consolidating eliminates your previously existing loans completely and merges them together under a new loan with different terms and conditions.
Certain benefits, including principal rebates or interest rate discounts, will not carry over.You won’t be able to “unconsolidate” your loan.
Once you’ve completed the consolidation process, you can’t go back to your previous situation.
You could find yourself stuck with less-than-ideal terms and conditions. , For federal student loans, there’s no question – you are better off consolidating with the Department of Education, where interest rates are capped and you keep your access to programs like deferment, forbearance, and forgiveness.
For private loans, you’ll have to shop around, comparing servicers like Chase, NextStudent, Student Loan Network, and Wells Fargo, which are highly rated by Forbes.As you compare consolidation loans with various private companies, pay particular attention to the interest rate – this will make a huge difference in how much you wind up paying overall. -
Step 3: Understand the potential disadvantages of consolidation.
-
Step 4: Decide who to contact.
Detailed Guide
Student loans can be confusing (you might have any combination of Stafford, Perkins, PLUS, and other federal loans, and you might also have private loans), and many borrowers don’t have an accurate sense of what they owe and to whom they owe it.
Check your records, and make sure you have a complete list of all your loans, who services them, and what your current monthly payments are – whether you have actually been making those payments or not.
If you are unsure about your federal loans, visit the National Student Loan Data System at https://www.nslds.ed.gov/npas/index.htm.
This site will allow you to see all of your federal financial aid records.
If you are unsure about your private loans, follow up with the appropriate lender or lenders.
They will provide documentation about what you owe and what the terms and conditions of your loans are.
Once you have accurate, complete records, ask yourself whether you need to consider consolidation.
Are you currently making your payments on time? Can you afford those payments? Are any of your payments delinquent? Are any of your federal loans in default status (meaning that you have not paid for 270 days)? If any of the following situations apply, you may be a good candidate for consolidation:
Your federal loans are in default.
Consolidation will move them out of default status and minimize the effect on your credit rating.
Your private loans are delinquent, and you are unable to get caught up.
Consolidation will help you get the debt under control and minimize the long-term damage to your credit.
You are making payments that you cannot afford, and you are worried that you will wind up delinquent or in default.
Consolidation may help you get a lower monthly payment so that you can keep your loans current.
You are making multiple monthly payments on different loans and want to simplify the process.
Consolidation will allow you to make just one payment, if your loans are either all federal or all private.
If you have both, you’ll have two payments, as you can’t consolidate them together. , Consolidation does have a downside.
Lower monthly payments mean that you’ll likely wind up making those payments for more years, and you’ll pay more in total.
In addition:
For private loans, a fee of up to
18.5% of your loan balance may be added to your principal.
Your interest rate may increase.
Federal interest rates are capped at
8.25%, but that’s still quite high, especially when you consider that you may be paying for decades.
Private lenders’ rates vary, but in general, consolidating your loans may entail a rate increase.
You may lose benefits associated with specific loans.
Consolidating eliminates your previously existing loans completely and merges them together under a new loan with different terms and conditions.
Certain benefits, including principal rebates or interest rate discounts, will not carry over.You won’t be able to “unconsolidate” your loan.
Once you’ve completed the consolidation process, you can’t go back to your previous situation.
You could find yourself stuck with less-than-ideal terms and conditions. , For federal student loans, there’s no question – you are better off consolidating with the Department of Education, where interest rates are capped and you keep your access to programs like deferment, forbearance, and forgiveness.
For private loans, you’ll have to shop around, comparing servicers like Chase, NextStudent, Student Loan Network, and Wells Fargo, which are highly rated by Forbes.As you compare consolidation loans with various private companies, pay particular attention to the interest rate – this will make a huge difference in how much you wind up paying overall.
About the Author
Anna Thompson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
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