One of the most convenient ways to finance education is through student loans. However, student loans like all other loans have to be eventually paid back. After graduation you might find that the loans have accumulated and are hard to pay back. In such an event, you may consider consolidating your student loans. You can lower your monthly payments as well as save money with student loan consolidation.

Why should you consolidate student loans?

By consolidating student loans, you can combine all your loans together into a single loan. The benefit of student loan consolidation is that you will have only one lender and one payment to deal with. It will also give you the opportunity to lock in a low interest rate, which can save you hundreds of dollars over time.

What would be the cost of consolidating student loans?

When you consolidate your student loans you can bring down your monthly payments considerably, by as much as 60 %. The only drawback is that you may end up paying a larger sum of money over the life of the loan. Before consolidating your student loans, take time to evaluate the interest rate and loan terms. Shop around and compare lenders.

There are several Federal Loans eligible for Student Loan Consolidation. Many federal student loans already have a low interest rate. However, you may be able to achieve a lower payment by consolidating student loans. Below is a list of list of federal loans that typically qualify as student loan consolidation:

Federal Stafford Loans

Federal Direct Loans

Federal Perkins Loans

Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS)

Federally Insured Student Loans (FISL)

National Direct Student Loans (NDSL)

Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

Loans for Disadvantaged Students (LDS)

Auxiliary Loan to Assist Students (ALAS)

Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL)