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Saturday 27 August 2011

Benefits Of Using Federal Student Loans For School Tuition

By Tom Addison


Sometimes you'll need more than scholarships and grants to cover your entire cost of college. Federal student loans are very helpful in this scenario. They offer plenty of advantages over private ones including more time to pay back and lower interest rates.

The repayment plans are flexible enough to work with any budget. You usually have a period of six months before you have to start repaying your loan once you graduate. This gives you adequate time to find employment or another way to acknowledge your debt.

The four main types of repayment plans are standard repayment, income-based repayment, extended repayment, and graduated repayment. You pay the same amount each month based on your interest rate and principal amount under a standard repayment plan. An income-based repayment schedule shapes your monthly payments around your annual income. If you borrowed $30,000 or more you have the option to extend the loan for 25 years if needed. Graduated repayments allow you to start off with a low monthly payment and end with higher payments.

There are also a series of deferments and forbearance options that can be exercised given you qualify. Usually a deferment will be granted if you return to school, are having an economic hardship, or another related circumstance. Forbearances are usually granted under the conditions that you have poor health, facing personal problems, or your monthly payments exceed 20% of your income.

They offer the benefit of fixed interest rates. Your rate will not go up and down with the market and will stay the same throughout it's duration. The interest is usually very low compared to unsubsidized and private rates. In addition, your approval is almost guaranteed given you do not have any negative outstanding balances with the Department of Education.

In many cases you will need a little more financially than just grants or scholarships. You can subsidize your educational fund with federal student loans. You'll enjoy very attractive interest rates with them. Other benefits include flexible repayment schedules, grace periods, and forbearance and deferment options.




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