If you’ve recently finished school and are currently in your six-month grace period before you have to make your first student loan payment, you may have questions about the best way to tackle your debt. Yes, you can simply make monthly payments on your various loans, but with a little planning, you can save thousands of dollars, minimize your monthly payments, and improve your credit score in the process.

Currently the average undergraduate finishes school with over $16,000 in student loans. For many students, this hefty amount owed is piled onto existing debt such as car payments and credit card bills. So, if you feel overwhelmed with what you owe, you are not alone. Rest assured, however, you can tackle your debt successfully and effectively by taking a proactive approach.

First, remember that your student loan debt is probably at an interest rate much lower than your credit card debt. The highest interest rate on student loans compares favorably with the exorbitant rates issued by credit card companies. With rates as high as 30 percent, concentrating on paying down credit card debt should be a primary focus.

If you have no other liabilities other than student loans, congratulations! But, you’ll still need to be strategic about how you will pay back what you owe. Most standard student loans have a ten-year payback period and a monthly payment schedule, but there are many more cost-effective options that are worth exploring.

Before you make that first payment, call your lenders and verify what the monthly amounts will be. If you simply cannot afford to make the payments, ask about alternative payment options. Most lenders offer graduated payment plans where monthly payments start about 50 percent below the standard amount and gradually increase over time. As well, you can frequently extend your repayment period up to 30 years. However, you will need to be careful about paying so little per month that you are only paying interest and no principal.

Another very effective way to decrease what you are paying each month is to is to consolidate your loans by doing a student loan consolidation. This is a great option for borrowers who have several loans at different interest rates. By consolidating these loans, you can lock in a fixed interest rate, lower your payments, and extend your repayment period. Also, consolidation can be quite beneficial for improving your credit because existing loans will be paid off before a new loan is issued. You can ask your current lenders if they offer consolidation plans. If not, there are many lenders who can help you with your loans, and you are able to consolidate during your grace period. Make sure to ask about interest rate discounts that are usually offered for signing up for auto-pay and for having extended on-time payments. Most borrowers who consolidate their loans will save a substantial amount on their monthly payments, up to 60 percent each billing cycle. However, remember that the interest rate on consolidated student loans changes every year on July 1st. Thus, if you are considering consolidation, make sure to submit your application well before this date. Interest rates will be going up more than 2 percent this year, so don’t delay.

If you are approaching the end of your grace period, and you are currently unemployed, disabled, or planning to return to school, you can defer payment on your loans for up to three years. The government will pay the interest on your subsidized loans during this time.

Like deferment, forbearance is another option to delay repayment for as long as three years. You can apply for forbearance by proving financial hardship to your lender. However unlike deferment, you will be responsible for accrued interest during the forbearance period.

No matter how you go about repaying student loan debt, by all means, do not default on these loans. There are serious consequences for not paying back what you have borrowed. Defaulted loans will appear negatively on your credit report, and this may prevent you from qualifying for other types of credit such as mortgages and car loans. As well, defaulted loans will be turned over to a collection agency, and you could possibly be sued. You may even have your wages garnished or your income tax refunds intercepted. And, of course, you will not be able to apply for additional student loans until you either repay the loans in full or make payment arrangements with the lender.

Yes, paying your loan payments is the best way to prevent defaulting on your student loans. Also, make sure to notify your lender with any changes that affect your loans such as name changes or new addresses and phone numbers. If you do experience financial difficulty, don’t delay in asking for forbearance, deferment, or an alternative payment plan. Once you have defaulted, you won’t be able to qualify for these options. And, don’t forget to keep careful records of your loans. Save promissory notes, cancelled checks, and letters that you send to your lender.

Tackling your student loans is possible, and with a little financial know-how and advanced planning, you can customize a payment plan that will work with your financial status. So, go ahead and get started! The sooner you take control of your debt, the sooner you will pay it off.

By: Mike O’Brien

Many recent graduates are finding it harder and harder to stretch new paychecks. Graduation may be a milestone in itself, but alongside a college diploma are the endless monthly bills. Living on one’s own has never been easy. Private student loan consolidation is often used to lower monthly payments and improve credit ratings.

Accumulating Debts

Often, the accumulation of other debts is to blame for such a sorry state of affairs after graduation. Take the case of 25-year-old Tamika Gambrel, who has a $60,000 a year job but still finds it difficult to make ends meet. She has to pay $840 for the apartment, $280 for the car note and a hefty $24,000 credit card debt that came from her college days. She speaks frankly about her debts:

“After four years, I walked away owing only $28,000 in loans. Considering that tuition and room and board alone at Colby was $35,000 a year, I think I did alright.”

Not everyone could put up such a brave face in the face of debt. Some just decide to file for bankruptcy, instead of getting a private student loan consolidation.

Fees Not Letting Up

According to the College Board:

“The cost of attending a public, four-year college or university in the 2007-08 school year–including tuition, fees, and room and board–was $12,796, up 35% over the past five years; for private schools, the cost was a hefty $30,367.”

These figures are by no means fixed. As we all know, tuition fees and other related fees increase and decrease depending on inflation and other economic forces. But people still want to borrow money for their college days, because indeed it’s a chance to get a better shot at life. Private student loan consolidation becomes a chance to get better rates in the end.

Know Your Debts First

To “retire” your student loans faster, you have to know your loans. Log on to www.nslds.ed.gov (National Student Loan System) to read about the specific details of different student loans. Check the status of your loans, as well as the variable interest rates and the principal. Make sure too that you obtain the required personal identification password (PIN). This can be obtained from the Department of Education. Log on to www.pin.ed.gov for more details.

Another important thing to remember is that federal loans and private loans are different. Federal loans have caps on their interest rates while private loans do not. Often, private loans are costlier. And another thing: federal loans and private loans cannot be consolidated by one large loan. They must be consolidated separately. And again, federally subsidized loans have the government backing it up (Uncle Sam pays the interest rates while you’re in school).

Make sure that you only go to attractive private student loan consolidation deals. The case of Gambrel was actually good: she had been able to get consolidation at a 2.87% interest rate. Gambrel acknowledges: “I got very lucky. At the time I graduated, jobs weren’t plentiful, but student loan consolidation programs were very, very attractive.” This just goes to show that careful financial planning can lead to beneficial results.

By: W. Darren -

It is very important for you to give some serious thought to how much debt you are willing to shoulder and then map out a plan to repay loans as quickly as possible. Unlike grants or work-study aid, loans remain a part of your life long after college graduation.

Some advisors suggest that monthly student loan repayments should not exceed 10 to 15 percent of a new grads starting monthly income. And you should ponder how you would support your family while doing this. Lets take a look at some different suggestions.

Tips For Managing Your Student Loan Debt. need to borrow smart and only borrow what you need. Your actual repayment amount is going to be much higher once interest is calculated. So don’t assume that you are paying back exactly what you’re borrowing. You need to budget and stick with it.

Federal student loans come in two sizes, subsidized and unsubsidized. Subsidized loans are where the government pays the interest on the loan for the duration of your education.

Unsubsidized loans interest begins accumulating immediately. To save yourself some money, max out your subsidized loan borrowing power first.Pay interest on your unsubsidized loans as you go along. If you find yourself with any extra money use it to start paying the interest payment (only). You’ll find yourself facing lower loan payments when it comes time to repay your principal.

Try to avoid private loans, it it’s within your means. If you are forced to take out private loans, borrow the least amount possible and pay off the balance of these loans first. The interest and fees are the highest of all loans.

Many students enter school with a fair amount of credit card debt. Interest rates on these cards are often times extremely high. If you’re making the minimum payment or something close to it, interest accumulation will make paying off your balance very difficult.

If you have additional borrowing power on a federal student loan, borrow the extra amount to pay off your credit card in full. The benefits are obvious; you are using a lower interest rate loan to pay off a higher one. Then you have to be dedicated and budget yourself to pay off the balance monthly.

Loan Repayment Options.Always factor in fees when you are considering education loans. Up to 4 percent of the total amount of a loan may be eaten up by the up-front fees; 3 percent to the lender and 1 percent to the guarantor. The standard repayment program involves making equal monthly payments over a 10-year period.

The extended repayment program can extend the repayment period to upward of 30 years, depending on the total amount of debt and which lender is involved. Under the graduated repayment plan, payments gradually increase, usually every two years.

The income-contingent repayment plan ties the repayment amount to income and often allows for a longer repayment period. Be careful to balance long-term cost of these repayment plans against short-term payment relief. Although you will be paying less per month, you could end up owing and paying significantly more in the long run because you are slowing down your repayment of the principal.

By: Court Tuttle