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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.
Personal Loan vs. Payday Advance: Which is Better?
So youve found yourself in a bit of a financial bind, and need a little help to get through it. Dont be embarrassed; its happened to just about everyone at some point or another. What you need to do now is figure out how to deal with it in the best way.
And if your credit cards are maxed out, and your family members or friends cant help, there are only a couple of real options: 1) a personal unsecured loan, or 2) a payday advance.
Both Personal Loans and Payday Advances may help get you out of a short term financial jam. So now comes the very valid question: Which is better? Well, that can depend a lot on your personal situation, and what you hope to get out of the situation (besides the obvious cash). So lets take a quick look at both.
PAYDAY ADVANCE (LOAN): Its a cash advance, not a loan!
Many people refer to this option as a payday loan. However, the more accurate description is “payday advance.” It is not a loan. It is a cash advance with a large fee. You write a check to the Payday Advance company. They typically give you 80% of the check amount in cash, and then they hold the check until your “payday” which is typically when the money to cover the full amount of the check will be in your checking account. The Payday Advance company then deposits the check and keeps the 20% as their fee for the cash advance.
Odds are youve seen the brightly lit signs of a Payday Advance shop next to some liquor store or in a strip mall, or you have seen them advertised on TV, in e-mails or in banner ads online. The amount of money Payday Advance companies can provide is limited by state law and is typically a maximum of about $500. In California, the maximum advance is $300.
So, the advance may be enough to get you through small cash emergencies when youre between paychecks. If you need a quick couple of hundred bucks for groceries, if your cars alternator goes out, you chip a tooth, etc a Payday Advance might be a viable, but very expensive, option.
However, very often a Payday Advance is only enough to delay the cash emergency for a few weeks, and not enough to get you totally out of it. As a result many people find themselves getting multiple Payday Advances, which can be extremely expensive when each advance costs you a 20% fee. Ten payday advances over the course of year would equal an effective interest rate of over 200%! A very expensive way to go.
And, since a payday advance is not an actual loan, it can do nothing to help your credit status.
PERSONAL LOANS: Get much more money at a much lower cost.
A personal loan is actually a loan that you repay over time via affordable monthly payments. You can get much more cash than you get from those payday advance places – and you dont pay a 20% fee over two weeks!
Of course, if your credit isnt perfect, your bank will turn you down very quickly. However, CashCall makes personal unsecured loans, up to $5,000, to people in a cash jam, who have less than perfect credit! This is the kind of money that can really help if youre facing major car repairs, medical issues, looming bills, etc. The loan money is placed directly into your checking account in about a day, and there are no limitations on how you can use your cash. Its up to you.
A personal unsecured loan from a company like CashCall doesnt require any collateral or security. You dont need to be a homeowner, you dont need to turn over the title to your car you dont need to do anything except apply, and provide some simple paperwork. The cash can be in your checking account the next day.
You use the money to get out of the jam youre in. And then, you can either make the affordable monthly payments or repay the loan when you can. There are never any fees or penalties for repaying the loan early, and you will minimize the interest you pay by repaying the loan sooner rather than later.
Another benefit of a personal loan from CashCall is that you can actually improve your credit score by making your monthly payments on time. Thats right, you can rebuild your credit because CashCall provides all three credit agencies (Experian, Transunion, and Equifax) with your payment information because it is an actual loan, not a cash advance! And in the long term, thats the kind of thing that can truly get you back on your feet.
CashCall Personal Loans offers high-interest-bearing, unsecured term loans to qualified borrowers who typically use the loans for one-time purchases and debt consolidation. These loans of up to $5,000 are processed entirely over the Internet, phone and fax, and funds are wired into the borrowers checking account typically within 24 hours. CashCall Personal Loans are a good alternative to Payday Loans for borrowers. While interest rates are high, they are typically much lower than those of payday lenders, and CashCall Personal Loans have the potential to help customers rebuild their credit score by making payments on time.