How Consolidation of Student Loans Works

by: Joe Eitel

The consolidation of student loans can be a huge lifesaver. A college education is expensive, and it is almost impossible to get a degree without taking out at least a few student loans. However, these loans do not have to rule your finances for years to come.

Student loans can create a huge debt that hits you from nowhere. It is very easy to forget that you are accumulating debt while attending school. Most loans are made on an academic deferment, not requiring any payment at all until your schooling is complete. Many of these loans also accumulate interest throughout your schooling, even though no payment is required.

Six months after you graduate, or possibly less, the debt becomes a reality. Loans taken out at the beginning of your academic career may have terms of just a few years, with thousands of dollars in interest tacked onto the loan amounts, making for large payments. You must start paying on these loans right away, even if you have not yet found employment in your new occupation.

Masters degrees, doctorates, medical school and law school are some of the most expensive types of education. In these areas, you could easily accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans and interest by the time you graduate and begin working in your chosen field. In the case of doctors, you will likely be expected to begin payment on your student loans before you finish your residency. Lawyers are also expected to begin paying on loans when they complete law school, even if they have not yet taken the bar examination. In other words, you will likely have to start paying this enormous debt long before you are truly making enough money to do so.

The only way to make this debt manageable is through consolidation. Consolidation of student loans makes your student loan debt much more manageable. The lending institution that consolidates your loans begins by buying all of your educational debt. Essentially, they are paying of the student loans for you. This debt is then handled as one, newer, lump sum loan that you repay in reasonable increments.

Not only does loan consolidation make payments more manageable, it also saves you a lot of money. Many consolidation loans carry lower interest than at least some of the original loans. You also avoid multiple finance charges and late fees that can add up quickly.