Private Student Loans

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There are many ways to finance your college education. There are scholarships, grants, low interest student loans, and private loans. The private loans are recommended as a last resort for financing. These types of loans are taken out by either your parents or yourself.

The private student loan can be applied for with a cosigner if you have no established credit. It is also acceptable to have your parents or grandparents cosign because they may be more credit worthy.

In many cases a private student loan can qualify for special interest rates from certain lenders. With any loan, the smart thing to do is borrow only what you will need for your schooling.

One of the nice things about the private student loans is there are no financial restrictions. However, the interest rate on the loan is calculated by your credit score or the credit score of the cosigner. The better the score, the better the interest rate. Some of the private loans are offered with special interest rates.

In most cases, the student must be enrolled more than half time in a four or five year college. The student must be making progress towards his or her degree. The Salliemae programs offer loans from $1,500 on up per year of college. The private student loan can be repaid with no prepayment penalties. You can even have the loans calculated for up to 30 years in some cases.

The most important thing to remember when financing your college education is eventually the money does need to be repaid. This is why it is best to only borrow what you will need for your tuition and or expenses. The last thing a person needs is to be in debt right after college. With grants and scholarships, there is no debt.

You do have the option of loan consolidation w...

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...as soon as you realize you are in financial trouble.

This is one of the times when a consolidation loan may just work. Again, it is advisable to speak with the school or financial institution which issued the student loans.

There are ways to get out of default if you find yourself there. The loans are not considered in default for 270 days. This is when the loans can be referred to the credit agencies and collection agencies. You can speak with the lender and start making payment arrangements.

When you make nine payments on time then you are no longer considered in default. This means payments you make on your own. This does not include payments made when your wages are garnished. When you make six timely payments you can once again apply for Title IV student aid. Failure to keep up with the payments will make you ineligible for this program ever again.

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