Most people aren't concerned with the amount of money they borrow in order to go to college- at least, not while they're still in college and avoiding payments by deferring them until after graduation. Students are taught to believe that going to college will result in higher paying jobs, and therefore- paying off the loans required to get that higher education will not only be “easy to pay off”, but well worth the investment, no matter how much that investment ends up being. When graduation comes and the job offers do not- many students are stuck with high loan payments that are anything but easy to pay off, and the day-to-day struggle; and living paycheck to paycheck- begins.
Education is never a bad thing; and it absolutely should be considered a valuable investment- but having tens of thousands of dollars in debt as you enter the 'adult world' after college can be an eye opening experience for most students. College does little to prepare people for the high payments that come due six months after you finish your college days. As much as having a degree should result in higher paying positions- there are no real guarantees that you will in fact find a position that pays you a high salary just because you finished college. If you do eventually land that amazing position that pays a high salary- chances are it won't be the day you graduate- and it may not even be within the six month grace period you have before the student loan statements start arriving in the mailbox- which means you've got to find another way to make your student loan payments and keep up with your day to day living expenses on a lower paying salary.
A program through Upromise.com actually lets you earn money on the things you are already purchasing- like grocery store products, online shopping, and restaurants. The money earned through this program was originally designed to help families save for college for their children; but recently, Upromise was acquired by Sallie Mae (a popular educational loan provider) and the program was expanded to allow people to apply their Upromise earnings to their own college loan payments. It works similar to rewards credit cards, in that each time you use your registered debit or credit cards to make a purchase with a participating retailer, a percentage is placed as a 'reward' in your Upromise account.
Once you create an account with Upromise, you just connect all of your existing debit cards and credit cards that you already have in your wallet. You don't need to apply for any new credit cards, but if you decide you want to increase the amount of Upromise earnings, the Citi Upromise credit card will help you earn more whenever you use that card to make your every day purchases.
You can also ask friends and family to start a Upromise account and connect their own debit and credit cards. Any earnings they get can be transferred into your account and can also be applied to your student loan debt.
You've got to buy groceries and pay for other things- you may as well connect your debit and credit cards to a Upromise account and get some of those necessary expenses back towards the cost of your educational loans. Every little bit helps!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
A Student Loan Consolidation Rate Means Lower Monthly Payments
After you have graduated from college or university, it will be time to start paying off your student loans. Since federal student loans are applied for each year, by the time you graduate, you will have several loans at various interest rates. A student loan consolidation makes perfect sense in this case.
By making a choice to apply for a student loan consolidation, a better rate of interest on the outstanding loan can be locked. The former student will also benefit from lower payments each month. This is important for individuals who are just starting their careers.
In addition to the benefits of a lower interest rate, a student loan consolidation makes sense from the point of view of the individual’s credit rating. When you choose to sign the documentation for a student loan consolidation (at any rate), your credit report will show that you have paid off all those outstanding student loans.
When your credit report shows that you have fewer outstanding loans (multiple student loans are replaced by one loan), the number of your credit score will go up. For future loans, a good credit score is vital to getting a better interest rate. Consider a student loan consolidation for this reason.
How to Apply for a Consolidation Loan
The first step in applying for a student loan consolidation is to fill out and submit the required application form. The application can be filled out either online or in a paper format. Once the application has been reviewed and approved, the lender will request payoff statements for each loan to be consolidated.
It can take some time for the consolidation lender to receive these payoff statements, so it is important that the former student continue to make the regular monthly payments on all student loans until the consolidation loan can be processed.
Once the interest rate and the student loan consolidation have been approved, a new federal loan will be taken out in the borrower’s name.
All of the previous student loans will be paid off completely. The former student will have the advantage of making one payment each month. The new payment will be lower, which will free up some cash in the monthly budget for other things.
If the borrower chooses to make these new monthly payments by way of an automatic withdrawal from his or her checking account, it is possible that he or she may be eligible for a lower interest rate on the student loan consolidation.
By making a choice to apply for a student loan consolidation, a better rate of interest on the outstanding loan can be locked. The former student will also benefit from lower payments each month. This is important for individuals who are just starting their careers.
In addition to the benefits of a lower interest rate, a student loan consolidation makes sense from the point of view of the individual’s credit rating. When you choose to sign the documentation for a student loan consolidation (at any rate), your credit report will show that you have paid off all those outstanding student loans.
When your credit report shows that you have fewer outstanding loans (multiple student loans are replaced by one loan), the number of your credit score will go up. For future loans, a good credit score is vital to getting a better interest rate. Consider a student loan consolidation for this reason.
How to Apply for a Consolidation Loan
The first step in applying for a student loan consolidation is to fill out and submit the required application form. The application can be filled out either online or in a paper format. Once the application has been reviewed and approved, the lender will request payoff statements for each loan to be consolidated.
It can take some time for the consolidation lender to receive these payoff statements, so it is important that the former student continue to make the regular monthly payments on all student loans until the consolidation loan can be processed.
Once the interest rate and the student loan consolidation have been approved, a new federal loan will be taken out in the borrower’s name.
All of the previous student loans will be paid off completely. The former student will have the advantage of making one payment each month. The new payment will be lower, which will free up some cash in the monthly budget for other things.
If the borrower chooses to make these new monthly payments by way of an automatic withdrawal from his or her checking account, it is possible that he or she may be eligible for a lower interest rate on the student loan consolidation.
A Students Guide To Federal Grants
Paying for university or college is one of the most valuable investments you can make in your life. As you know, however, it is also one of the biggest investments too. For this reason, good financial planning well in advance of attending the university of your choice is essential. You will want to create a budget and consider everything - not just tuition but also reasonable living costs. Unfortunately, sometimes budgeting simply isn't enough - and that's where federal grants come into play.
1. Grant Or Scholarship - What's The Difference?
The main difference between a grant and a scholarship is that a scholarship has far more restrictions placed upon it than a grant. Both grants and scholarships are non-repayable, that is, unlike a loan you don't have to pay them back when you are done your schooling. Furthermore, scholarships are for specific academic or athletic categories, whereas grants are awarded primarily on financial need only.
2. Raising Your Chances
There are a few things you can do to raise your chances of being elidgeable for financial assistance. The first and most important thing you can do is get good grades in school - good grades not only might qualify you for a scholarship, but they also make your chances a lot better of being accepted to the university of your choice.
3. Grants To The Rescue
Of course, what if youre not as smart as those students? What will you do to get into college by not spending a lot of money? The government can provide you money for college students who are in need of financial aid. This is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. This is a form of grant that will determine how much your familys financial strength is. You can fill out a FAFSA form in your school or via the internet in the FAFSA website at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Not only students who have financial difficulty should do this but everyone should do it. This will substantially decrease the amount you will spend to pay for college and can lessen the burden for your parents.
4. Have The Following Information Ready
- Social Security Number
- Latest W-2 forms and other records of money earned.
- Federal Income Tax Return of your parents.
- Permanent Residence Card if a non US citizen.
- Drivers license
1. Grant Or Scholarship - What's The Difference?
The main difference between a grant and a scholarship is that a scholarship has far more restrictions placed upon it than a grant. Both grants and scholarships are non-repayable, that is, unlike a loan you don't have to pay them back when you are done your schooling. Furthermore, scholarships are for specific academic or athletic categories, whereas grants are awarded primarily on financial need only.
2. Raising Your Chances
There are a few things you can do to raise your chances of being elidgeable for financial assistance. The first and most important thing you can do is get good grades in school - good grades not only might qualify you for a scholarship, but they also make your chances a lot better of being accepted to the university of your choice.
3. Grants To The Rescue
Of course, what if youre not as smart as those students? What will you do to get into college by not spending a lot of money? The government can provide you money for college students who are in need of financial aid. This is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. This is a form of grant that will determine how much your familys financial strength is. You can fill out a FAFSA form in your school or via the internet in the FAFSA website at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Not only students who have financial difficulty should do this but everyone should do it. This will substantially decrease the amount you will spend to pay for college and can lessen the burden for your parents.
4. Have The Following Information Ready
- Social Security Number
- Latest W-2 forms and other records of money earned.
- Federal Income Tax Return of your parents.
- Permanent Residence Card if a non US citizen.
- Drivers license
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