Interested in consolidating student loans?
Consolidating student loans can be a great way to manage college debt, but it may not be the best choice for your particular situation. Before making a decision about student loan consolidation, or tackling any other type of consumer debt, contact the helpful counselors at American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC).
ACCC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people find a way out of debt and make better decisions about their finances. Our credit counselors have experience and knowledge about debt management. While most student loan consolidation companies will sell you on the benefits of consolidating student loans, we’ll help you sort through the pros and cons to determine whether another form of repayment makes better financial sense for you.
Pros and cons of consolidating student loans.
On the positive side, when you have multiple loans or loans with varying interest rates, consolidating student loans can be helpful in bringing more stability to your finances and reducing your monthly payments. When you consolidate several loans into a single new loan, you’ll have just one student loan payment to make each month, making repayment easier. Consolidation can also lower your monthly payments by increasing the amount of time you have to pay the loan back and give you access to other options for repayment.
There are negatives to consolidating student loans, however. After consolidating, you will lose any benefits that the original loans offered like interest rate discounts, rebates, or forgiveness options. After consolidating student loans, you may not un-consolidate them because the old loans will be paid off and will no longer exist.
Alternatives to consolidating student loans.
Consolidating student loans may not be the most effective option for you for reducing or eliminating student debt. When you contact ACCC, your credit counselor can discuss other student loan programs, including:
- New repayment plans that extend the time for repayment, lower monthly payments, or allow you to make smaller payments now and larger payments later when you may have more income.
- Deferment and forbearance options, enabling you to postpone payments on your student loans for a period of time due to economic hardship.
- Student loan forgiveness programs, which offer forgiveness of student debts for graduates who enter specific fields like the military, healthcare, teaching, and community service.
Learn more with ACCC, and about what to do when you have defaulted on student loans.
