In addition to federal student loans, most states in the US offer their own financial aid. In Alaska, the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) oversees all state-level student loan services. These loans are meant to take care of educational costs when federal aid, grants, and scholarships fall short. There are three main types of student loans given by the state of Alaska: […]
10 Best Student Loan Calculators Most people know that keeping track of their money is important, but many people find the numbers and equations to be overwhelming. Although it might be unpleasant at times, being aware of your obligations to your student loans can help you repay them more efficiently in the long run. Here are ten calculators that can help you plan your finances. […]
MyFedLoan.org: The federal government is the lender, but federal loans have servicers as go-betweens between the government and you, the student. FedLoan is one of those servicers. These types of services make the borrowing process much less confusing. Their website is excellent and easy to navigate. It is painless to view your account balance, summary, and other details. You can make payments quickly and easily online, as well as set up payments in advance and view your payment history. […]
CU Student Loans is a partnership of Credit Unions offering private student loans to those who need funding above and beyond what they are able to get through grants, scholarships, and Federal loans. The advantage of using a Credit Union, as opposed to a bank, is that Credit Unions are not-for-profit. This means that more savings are passed on to you, rather than fees, because you are a part of the Credit Union; you have to be a member in order to use their services. […]
SunTrust is a private lender and you can consolidate your private student loans through them. Perhaps you already have a student loan through them; they do offer many loan options to students. They offer undergraduate and graduate loans and also have a scholarship sweepstakes where they give away a $1,000 scholarship every two weeks. SunTrustEducation.com [...]
SimpleTuition is not a lender but a service provider. You don’t come here for just a “yes” or “no” answer; you come here for options. The site allows you to comparison shop for lenders and provides information about both federal and private options. The estimates given are just that- estimates. When you apply directly to the lender, your rate will be determined by more specific factors and your credit score will be taken into account. The estimates given by SimpleTuition don’t use credit scores to determine the rates presented. This might mean that the rates are inaccurate for you, but it also means that you can get a better look at different lender rates without getting any hits on your credit, which is a very good thing. You can then decide which lenders you want to pursue further. […]
Combining your private student loans can make life simpler. You will have only one monthly payment, and it will be much easier to see where you are at with your debt. Some people do this as soon as they get out of school and others wait until the grace period for their loans is over to take advantage of that time without having to make payments. It is good to remember that loan consolidation is a process. First you need to research lenders, ideally you will want to find a co-signer, then you will need to apply, and finally you will need to be approved. The approval process can take up to 60 days, so you might want to begin the process before your grace period runs out. […]
The StudentLoanNetwork is an excellent place to go for information about anything related to student loans. They are a lender but primarily provide the service of allowing you to compare lenders. They also explain everything clearly to help you understand and find what you are looking for. Regarding loan consolidation, they have a site specifically for that subject: StudentLoanConsolidator.com You will find information about both federal and private loan consolidation as well as all the benefits and different repayment options available to you. […]
StudentAid.ed.gov: This website will answer all of your questions about federal student aid. It is common advice to first check out all federal options available to you before looking at private options. Definitely, you want to obtain as much scholarship and grant money as you can, because this money isn’t loan money- you don’t have to pay it back! Federal loans can also help out with interest, through subsidized loans and rates. […]
Graduation day is arguably one of the best days in the entire college experience. After years of study, students are now ready to pursue a career in their chosen field and reap the rewards of their hard work. It also means that the start of student loan repayments is just around the corner. Sarah Ang, writing on Mashable.com says “Recent grads may very well agree that student loan debt is like the bastard child of the collegiate experience: unexpected, unwanted and very expensive for years to come.” […]