Whether you’ve only been out of college a few months and are still looking for a job, or you’ve just lost a job you had for the past five years, you may not always be fully financially equipped to handle your student loan debt. When unexpected expenses or hardships hit, even the most responsible borrowers can find themselves struggling to make their student loan payments.

But the good news is that your federal student loans come with repayment plans and deferment and forbearance benefits that could help you when you’re having trouble making your monthly payments.

To help you avoid getting caught in financial trouble with missed payments and defaulted student loans, NextStudent, a leading Phoenix-based education funding company, offers this quick guide to your deferment and forbearance benefits.

Postponing or Reducing Your Monthly Student Loan Payments

If you’re having trouble affording your monthly payments, don’t just ignore your monthly bills; always communicate with your lender about your financial situation and ask about your deferment and forbearance options. Deferments and forbearances allow you to temporarily postpone or reduce your monthly student loan payments while keeping your credit score intact.

Deferments and discretionary forbearances (granted in cases of financial hardship) aren’t automatic. You need to contact your lender to request a deferment or forbearance. You may be required to complete a deferment or forbearance request form and to submit supporting documentation.

Most federal student loans (including Perkins loans, Stafford loans, PLUS loans, Grad PLUS loans, and consolidation loans) come with deferment and forbearance benefits. Some private student loans may also offer deferment or forbearance periods—you’ll need to contact your private student loan lender.

Deferment

Deferment allows you to temporarily stop making payments on your student loans.

You may be able to request a deferment on your federal student loans if you are:



Enrolled in school at least half time

Unemployed

Experiencing economic hardship

In the military and have been deployed



When you’re in deferment, you’ll only be charged interest on your unsubsidized student loans. The interest on your deferred subsidized student loans will be paid by the government.

You can choose to make interest payments on your unsubsidized student loans during deferment in order to avoid having any accrued unpaid interest added to your principal student loan balance.

For your private student loans, contact your lender to see if they offer deferment periods under certain enrollment, military service, or financial circumstances.

Forbearance

Forbearance allows you to temporarily reduce or postpone payments on your student loans. You may request a discretionary forbearance in cases of unemployment or financial hardship. Generally, your lender can grant a forbearance for up to a year at a time.

When you’re in forbearance, you’re responsible for all interest that accrues, whether the student loans in forbearance are subsidized or unsubsidized. You can choose to make interest payments during forbearance in order to avoid having any accrued unpaid interest added to your principal loan balance.

Avoiding Default

Just like making on-time car or credit card payments, timely student loan repayment can be a way for you to build credit or improve your credit score. At the same time, every student loan payment you miss can bring down your credit score. Miss enough payments, and your student loans could go into default, which can cause damage to your credit that takes years to repair.

The key to avoiding default is communicating with your lenders about your financial situation and requesting a deferment or forbearance if you need one. More likely than not, your lenders are going to be willing to work with you to help keep you from defaulting by keeping your student loan repayment affordable, even when you’re facing tough financial circumstances.

NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we’re dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding simple. Learn more about Student Loans, Private Student Loans and Student Loan Consolidation at NextStudent.com.

By: Jeff Mictabor

Student loan consolidation is essentially considered as a tool to manage one or more debts. Such a loan also allows any student to combine his/her federal or private student loans into one single mortgage with extended loan terms, which subsequently minimize the monthly payment.

For US students, there are two types of student loan categories namely as mentioned below

1. Federal student loans

2. Private student loans.

Federal Student Loan Consolidation:

The Federal student loan consolidation allows a student to consolidate all his loans for one single loan at a lower interest rate. The student could also lengthen his term (tenor) of payment. Many financial institutions provide federal consolidation student loans. The students have a right to choose the most reasonable loan package that suits them.

But ultimately, like several other loan options, the federal student loan consolidation also has its disadvantages. Though the students are offered a consolidated loan for less monthly installment, it unanimously increases the full total amount that has to be repaid.

Nevertheless, some of the beneficial features of Federal consolidation student loans are as follows:

* Interest Rate: Federal consolidation student loans have lower rate of interest than most of the private loan schemes.

* Monthly Payments: There is subsequent reduction in your monthly payments. As a student, this can take the load off from your monthly budget and you can also pay the installments easily.

* Single Loan: With loan consolidation, there is only one payment check to be paid each month. This is very convenient and uncomplicated form of payment scheme for any student.

Eligibility Factor for Consolidation Loans

A student is eligible for federal consolidation loans, when he/she is not enrolled in any school and has repaid the loans without any default. Even students who are in grace period after post graduation can apply for such loans. The minimum loan amount should be $10,000 or more.

Students having federal educational loans are also qualified to get a consolidation loan. Private education loans are not considered for student debt consolidation loans. Many institutions and companies provide federal student consolidation loans such as credit unions, banks and secondary markets.

Mixing up private loans and federal loans for student debt consolidation is not a good idea, as the federal loan interest amount is tax deductible. Some loan amounts are also forgiven depending on the nature of job or service. Private student loans are bereft of such benefits, as they are treated at par with normal loans. Combining private and federal loans for consolidation of debts makes you lose all the wonderful advantages of Federal consolidation loan student.

Student loan consolidation is specifically meant to minimize the monthly pay amount and for extending the repayable loan terms. It is very convenient for students struggling to pay their monthly installments scattered in several outstanding loan forms.

By: Daisy Wilson

Private student loans are credit-based and have more attractive repayment terms as well as interest rates. It can really help in saving money every month unlike the Federal student loans. Private student loan consolidation is simply the process of refinancing and combining private student loans into a single debt only. It may result to a lower monthly loan payments thus will also lessen your worries about your multiple loans.

The very main essence of a private student loan consolidation is to lessen the monthly payment of students who have multiple loans. By getting quotes from various lenders, a student can have knowledge about how to get the best deal with all the prevailing market rates present nowadays. Furthermore, private student loan consolidation can result to an extended loan payment. This gives the student borrowers enough time to pay their loans with fewer burdens. These beneficial advantages offered by the private student loan consolidation are not possible if students have several loans to handle.

There are various private student loan consolidation companies which offer more benefits. One of these is the interest rate reduction which can result to lower loan monthly payments to think of. The options for the loan repayment procedures depend upon the qualifications being required by a particular lending company. Thus, it is also the work of the lending company to choose the best private student loan consolidation program suitable for a particular student loaner.

Indeed, private student loan consolidation brings various benefits. However, one should still be aware of some situations like the drawbacks of having a private student loan consolidated.

Student loans are indeed a very big help for students who are deeply in need of some financial aids. However, all students who have decided to avail of a particular student loan should bear in mind the responsibility in repaying the borrowed amount of money. In fact, there are so many ways on how to pay off student loans.

The very first thing to do is to develop a plan on how to pay off student loans. Second is to look for a summer jobs or internships to be able to save a lot of money and not waste your valuable time. Part-time jobs will also do to help pay a loan.

Also, take into consideration to consolidate current student loans to have lower interest rates. Furthermore, one should perform volunteer works like teaching, medical works or even military works to reduce at least somehow a debt. It would also be good to apply for some grants and scholarships while in school to lessen the burden.

And lastly, take good care of the credits. Late payments should be avoided to have a good credit score.

It is important to pay off private student loans as quickly as possible. Sometimes, early paying off of the loan will lessen the burden along with a particular student loan. To make paying off easy, one can start paying off first the non-subsidized loans for it has an obligatory interest. Also, if one has several loans already, paying off first the smallest loan would be much better.

Just always remember to always do the best in paying off student loans. Be a responsible student loaner!

Failing to pay off student loans can stick with you for decades. You can’t go bankrupt on student loans so don’t count on that as saving you down the road!

By: Bill Miller