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Loan consolidation
The HEA or Higher Education Act offers for a loan consolidation program both under FFEL and Direct Loans. An original loan consolidation made by the borrower is paid off and a fresh consolidation loan is produced. Several types of Federal education loans that have different conditions and repayment schedules are combined into one new loan simply provided by the program. An interest rate could be lower than more than one of the original loans, in cases of a direct Loan consolidation. Both loan consolidation programs have monthly repayment amount is usually lower on a consolidation and an amount of time is extended for the repayment beyond what was obtainable in the separate loan consolidation programs. Features like this is more manageable in debts and there’s a lower prone on defaults made by the borrowers.
Possible consolidated loans
Loans that may be combined or consolidated under both FFEL and direct loan consolidation programs comprise:
- Federal Perkins loans (includes national direct student loans and national defense)
- Health related education loans that includes HPSL (health professions student loans), HEAL (health education assistance loans), nursing student loans (NSL), and LDS (loans for disadvantaged students)
- Student loans made under FFEL
- Prior to FFEL Consolidation loans
- Loans made under the FFEL plus program
Other loan types that the law allows by the federal direct loan consolidation program in consolidating direct loans include subsidized and unsubsidized student loans, direct PLUS loan and prior direct loan consolidation. These types of direct loans cannot be consolidated under the FFEL program.
In Federal Direct Loans, the qualifiers are the students whose lenders do not offer an acceptable, income sensitive repayment plan and borrowers with one direct loan, at least. Borrowers with single loan can qualify in federal loan consolidation.
Consolidating is a manageable method by scattering out the repayments over a longer period or reducing minimum monthly payment. One payment is also made instead of several dues each month and deferments and other benefits can be worked out with one servicer. Variable rate loans are locked in a fixed lower interest also. These are for federal direct loans.
Though the loan consolidation has an advantage, disadvantages are there also. When one consolidates, deferment and cancellation provisions on some loans may lose grace period and if payments are to be extended, an increase over the repayment span of the loan may be paid in extra interest.
One is tasked to consolidate their loans in school if a borrower has a direct loan or is in attending a direct loan school but is for federal direct loans only. Qualifiers may consolidate in grace period and in repayment through both federal direct loans and federal loans.
In federal direct loan consolidation, if all loans are from a single private lender, one must check first with the lender to know if they will provide a suitable income-sensitive repayment plan. If not, one can consolidate with direct loans. In federal loan consolidation, one may apply with any lender. Reconsolidation can be made through federal direct loans but not in federal loans.
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