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Financial Aid for Students (Page 1 of 2)
While navigating future dreams of career and success, students are often left bewildered and surprised by the costs of post-secondary education. While we all recognize that college and university degrees can offer opportunities we would otherwise miss, it can be daunting to imagine ourselves spending so much money on them.
Most students find that loans are a necessary reality when pursuing post-secondary attention. Although savings and scholarships will certainly contribute, loans can be a way to invest in the future even when you havent yet found ways to put money away for it. Student loans are competitive and you can find the best choice for you by considering several different options.
There are a few common loan types that you will want to investigate, including federal loans, personal loans, and consolidation loans. And as with any loan, you will need to consider the interest rate as well as loan limits and fees, and especially terms. By understanding terms you will know when it is time to start repaying, and avoid late or missed payments.
Typically interest rates are lower on federal student loans then on personal loans, which are awarded by banks and other lending institutions. Typically personal loans start incurring interest immediately and may require you to make loan repayments immediately, whereas federal loans often allow a term that includes at least the length of your post-secondary program, and perhaps several months after. With the longer term provided by federal loans, you can get some extra time to find a job after school.
Personal loans may also require a cosigner, such as your parent, and may not have the options for deferment and forgiveness that federal loans do. While private loans can be a life-saver when federal loans and other methods are not possible, it is in your best interest to try for federal loans first.
Consolidation loans are typically used when you want to refinance your student loans, either because the minimum payments are too high, or because you can save on interest rates. Keep in mind that consolidating to extend your repayment will create more costs in the end as the interest will continue to accrue. Any gain in interest may not be worthwhile, and for federal loans in particular, you are likely already getting the best rate. Finally, consolidating your federal loans can mean you lose options relating to deferments and forgiveness, so be sure if you go that route you can make your new payments on time, every time.
Dont Make This Mistake
Dont make the mistake of simply missing payments back on your student loans when the time comes. This is called a “default”, and has some severe penalties. If it occurs, your loans may be turned over to a collection agency which can incur court costs and attorney fees you may end up responsible for on top of your loans and interest. Your wages could be garnished, your tax refunds and other government benefits could be intercepted, you wont be eligible for other federal aid, and perhaps most importantly, your credit record will be damaged badly. A bad credit report can prevent you not only from obtaining auto loans, mortgages, and credit cards in the future, it could also result in job applications and rental applications being denied.
Lending
The lending of assets such as money, property, or other valuable personal belongings is a time-honored tradition. In the old days of lending, when local banks ran out of money to lend for mortgages, community growth was halted and so was the opportunity for business expansion. The federal government recognized this problem and initiated a plan to restock bank capital by substituting as a mortgage broker.
They set up the department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, as it is commonly known. Many specialized agencies of HUD developed, and you can probably recognize them by their acronyms such as VA, FHA, Fannie Mae, etc.
The federal government ran detailed studies and statistical analyses to determine why loans succeeded or failed. Their studies resulted in a set of guidelines and conditions that loans would need to conform to in order for HUD to purchase them from the banks.
These specialized agencies of HUD then offered to buy loans from the banks, allowing the banks to make a profit. This process has opened doors for investors to pool their capital and form national lending institutions, selling their pools of loans to the federal government.
The government would in turn securitize large groups of these loans and sell them to Wall Street as mortgage-backed securities. Wall Street sells these loans to national and international investors, which helps explain the daily precariousness of interest rates.
Over the years, more Americans began falling out of perfect credit, which created the necessity for lenders who were not as strict as the federal governments agencies. These lenders had the financial strength to purchase large pools of loans, securitize them and sell them directly to Wall Street for even larger profits! They translated higher-risk loans into higher interest rates and therefore higher earnings. Thus began another cycle of lending and mortgaging.