President Obama had a lot to say during his recent state of union address, and whether you thought his ideas were good or bad, his student loan reform plans are very good news for college students with seemingly endless amounts of student debt. Whether you fall in the category of having multiple student loans to payback, or you’re repaying a student loan consolidation, it seems that you may soon have legislation in place that may actually save you some money over the life of your loans.

Obama’s student loan reform plan boils down to several key points which I’ve summarized below:

1. Families would receive a $10,000 tax credit for attending four years of college.
2. Pell Grant limits would be increased.
3. Once the repayment period begins (six months after graduating or dropping out), students would need to make payments equivalent to 10% of their current income instead of 20% which is currently the standard.
4. Any remaining student loan debt will be forgiven after 20 years of paying them back instead of the current 25 years. Additionally, grads who find a career in the public sector will be eligible to have their student debt forgiven within 10 years. Click this link for more information about federal loan forgiveness programs.

This new student loan plan would cost the federal government an estimated $1-$2 billion over the next five years. Much of the costs would be carried by the restructuring of the current student loan infrastructure, such as by streamlining the loan process and eliminating private lenders from the equation.

These changes would have a huge impact when consolidating student loans as well. Think about it…Will you even need student loan consolidation anymore? It’s a valid question considering student loan payments would be half what they are currently (from 20% to 10% of anyone person’s income). This means that paying back student loans would be much more manageable than ever before, and may greatly reduce the need for consolidation. Of course I’m jumping the gun a bit considering these proposed changes to the student loan sector have yet to be put into law, so it could be months, or more likely years, before we see any of this reform put into law. Until then, consolidating student loans may still be one of the best options available to college grads looking to reduce their payments or lower their interest rates.

One thing’s for sure—under the Obama administration, and hopefully beyond his tenure, the cost of attending and paying for college is becoming increasingly affordable. And that’s extremely important as we try to crawl our way out of this recession.

Tags: consolidating student loans, obama, Student Debt, student loan debt, student loans

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As most other types of lending have virtually dried up in the past two years, student loans are on the rise at a record pace. This almost ensures that student loan consolidations will be up in the coming years as these student loans become eligible for repayment.

Mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and other lines of credit are tougher to get than ever. Banks are still a bit cautious in terms of lending to consumers in this down economy, but the same can’t be said for the student loan lending market. Student loans are more popular than ever as laid off workers return to school to further their education and those with an associates or bachelors degree go back to school to try and get an edge in this competitive job market.

It’s a smart move by consumers who are looking to further their education. If you’re laid off right now, why not go back to school and learn a new trade or gain more knowledge in one you already know. The job market is in the hands of the employers who have their pick of employees out there, so it’s essential nowadays to have an edge over the next guy.

Since student loans are not like other types of loans in that they can be considered an investment into your future, it’s not a bad thing to take out a few federal loans in order for you to afford to go back to college. Though you will acquire some student debt while attending college which must be paid back starting six months after you graduate or dropout, a college degree is really the only way that most laid off workers will be able to stay afloat in this terrible job market.

Consolidating student loans can be a great option for many grads who may be about to begin the student loan repayment process but think that they may not be able to afford the payments. This is a common problem that is directly attributed to the down economy and how difficult it is to find a steady job. Consolidating student loans into one easy to manage loan can help you reduce your monthly payments and sometimes even lower your interest rates. Student loan consolidation may not be the best choice in every case, however, so checkout some of my other posts on how to consolidate student loans here at CSLO so you can make an informed decision before you sign the dotted line.

Tags: college degree, competitive job market, consolidating student loans, Student Debt, student loan consolidation

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If you are a college student or will be one in 2010, now is the time to begin thinking about completing your FAFSA, or your Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form must be completed by any student who plans on using federal student loans or receiving federal grants from the U.S. government. Even if you do not plan to use federal student loans to cover some, or all, of your college expenses this year, it’s still a good idea to submit a FAFSA because you may qualify for free grant money.

A common mistake made by many college students is waiting until the last minute to file their FAFSA. This is a big mistake that can lead to receiving no funding at all. You must keep in mind that the amount of time it takes to file a FAFSA application often exceeds a month, so if you wait until the very last moment, it may just be too late.

The submission deadline for the 2010-2011 school year is midnight June 30, 2010. The state deadline is usually much sooner than that–some state deadlines are as early as March 1st. Find your state’s FAFSA submission deadlines here.

I recommend completing your FAFSA as soon as possible so that you have it done and out of the way. It can be completed at the start of the new year, so don’t procrastinate and risk forgetting to file or filing too late. You can quickly and easily fill out the application online, which I recommend because the filing times are usually much quicker. Just make sure to follow all of the instructions given to you at the FAFSA website so that you don’t miss a step, fill in the wrong information or don’t have the proper financial papers available at the time of filling out the application.

You can head over to the FAFSA website to get started on the application for federal aid. The great thing about the online submission process is that automatically saves your progress as you fill out the information so you can come back to the application at a later date if necessary.

Happy 2010 everyone!

Tags: Application, FAFSA, Federal, federal student loans, student loans

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