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Study loans and student grants are 2 different entities and for each class, there are 2 different schemes. One of them is the FAFSA ( Free Application for Fed Student Aid ) which supplies a grant scheme called the Federal Pell Grant and the second is provided by a campus itself which is under the scheme called the Federal Supplement Academic Oppurtunity Grant.

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University payment plans are a brilliant option for reducing college loan borrowing, but only if you can afford your payments. Tread carefully. Get full details about your university’s repayment schedule options, figure out price of attendance, have at least a semester in savings before you begin, and borrow Fed. college loans if your cash is tight.

Non-public education loan consolidation is one of the best ways of reducing your student loan burden. Students with multiple education loans can use this technique effectively to reduce finance burden. There are lots of fiscal establishments who offer personal academic loan consolidation nowadays.

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Loan consolidation service replaces one or two different loans with one single loan on completely different, and can be agreeable, terms. It will no doubt reduce monthly payments briefly but can have a worse net effect than the combined effect of all prior loans. The decision to go for such service should be made after debating one’s budget and spending activities.

When you think about using loans to pay for your university education, think how you will pay back those loans. Your student loan payments shouldn’t be more each year than 8 % of your yearly salary. If your average college loan payment is more than this, your available cash for everyday routine expenses will be limited and you’ll have a tougher time getting other categories of loans, like one for an automobile or a mortgage.

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A student deferment form need to be submitted for each semester enrolled to ask deferment of your loan payments. The form is normally submitted at the start of each semester. The student deferment form must be certified by your college registrar.

It’s not an easy time to be graduating from college with student loans. With the unemployment rate soaring toward 10 percent and the average starting salary for college graduates down 2.2 percent this year, student loan borrowers — whose average debt from student loans tops ,000 — are now having an even tougher time affording their student loan payments.

The good news? Starting July 1, 2009, graduates with federal college loans may be able to qualify for a new government program that can reduce the monthly payments on their student loans based on their income.

Income-Based Repayment for Federal Student Loans

The income-based repayment program, created by Congress in 2007 as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, will cap a borrower’s monthly student loan payments at a percentage of her or his income, when the borrower’s income is at least 50 percent higher than the current federal poverty line for the borrower’s family size.

These income-based student loan payments will be calculated as 15 percent of the amount by which a borrower’s adjusted gross income exceeds 150 percent of the poverty line.

(For individuals, the 2009 poverty line is ,830 in all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The complete federal poverty guidelines for 2009are available on the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)

For example: 150 percent of the current individual poverty line of ,830 is ,245. If a borrower’s annual adjusted gross income is ,000, the monthly payments on her or his eligible student loans would be capped at 9.44 — 15 percent of the difference between ,000 and ,245, divided by 12 months. If a borrower’s annual adjusted gross income is ,000, the monthly payments on any eligible student loans would be capped at 6.94 (,000 – ,245, multiplied by 15 percent, divided by 12).

Income-based monthly payments will be adjusted annually, based on a borrower’s federal tax return from the previous year. As a borrower’s income rises, the income-based repayment cap will also go up. If the income-based repayment cap reaches a level higher than what a borrower’s monthly payment would be under a standard 10-year student loan repayment plan, the borrower will no longer qualify for income-based repayment for her or his student loans.

Borrowers whose adjusted gross income falls below 150 percent of the poverty threshold won’t be required to make any payments on those student loans that qualify for income-based repayment.

Even if no payments are due, however, interest will continue to accrue on those college loans. Unpaid interest will also accrue if a borrower’s income-based monthly payments aren’t sufficient to cover the full monthly interest on the qualifying college loans. Any accrued unpaid interest will be added to the student loan principal and capitalized when the borrower no longer qualifies for income-based repayment.

Subsidized Interest and Student Loan Forgiveness

For those borrowers who hold subsidized student loans or a federal consolidation loan that included subsidized Stafford loans or Perkins loans, the government will cover any unpaid interest on those subsidized loans (or on that portion of a student loan consolidation that’s comprised of subsidized loans) for the first three years that a borrower is in income-based repayment.

The longest that a borrower can remain on the income-based repayment plan is 25 years. After 25 years of income-based payments, the government will forgive any remaining principal and unpaid interest — although borrowers should note that under current tax law, this forgiven student loan debt would be taxable.

Borrowers who are employed full-time in qualifying jobs in the public service sector may have their remaining student loan debt forgiven after just 10 years in the income-based repayment program, and this forgiveness would be tax-free, thanks to a ruling from the U.S. Treasury last year.

Qualifying for Income-Based Repayment

To find out if you qualify for income-based repayment on your federal college loans, you’ll need to contact your lender and provide information about your financial situation — you’ll need to demonstrate “partial financial hardship,” as defined by federal regulations.

Only federal Stafford and Grad PLUS student loans in good standing, along with consolidations of these college loans, are eligible for income-based repayment. Federal Perkins loans are eligible only if they’ve been included in a federal student loan consolidation. Other college loans are ineligible:

Private student loans. The income-based repayment program applies only to federal student loans. If you’re having problems meeting the monthly payments on your private student loans, you should contact the lenders to see if they’re willing to work out more affordable repayment plans for you. Keep in mind, though, that private student loans typically have less flexible repayment options than federal student loans.
Federal PLUS loans. If your parents took out PLUS parent loans to help you pay for college, they won’t be able to take advantage of income-based repayment on their PLUS loans. Consolidation loans that included PLUS parent loans are also excluded from income-based repayment. Any Grad PLUS loans you took out as a graduate student, however, as well as consolidations of Grad PLUS loans, are eligible.
Defaulted student loans. Your student loans don’t have to be new to be eligible — even long-time graduates may be able to qualify for income-based repayment on college loans taken out years ago. But you can’t be in default on your loans. To qualify for an income-based repayment plan, any federal college loans you have in default will need to be rehabilitated first.

There are many  student loan consolidation services that can support you assemble your loans into a single one without consideration of your possessing federal student loans, such as Stafford, plus, of Federal Perkins loans or personal ones. Consequently, student loan consolidation services can result in smaller interest rates, lower monthly payment, and less tension on financial affairs. Lots of consolidation services propose fixed interest rates for the existence of loan. This is so advantageous that consolidation loans typically have longer terms than other loans, normally from 10 up to 23, even 30 years.

The advantages of consolidating such loans are apparently realized; yet, there are so many services available to aid you in this operation. While some offer federal student loan consolidation, others assist you to consolidate both federal and private student loans. Thus, it is fundamental to ensure that the student loan consolidation service online that you take fits your student loan consolidation needs.
There are some facts that you should pay attention to in order that you make the appropriate decision on implementing student loan consolidation online.

In fact, it is likely a distraction for students who pay so much time and attention to so many installment paid every month, thence they might not centre on education. They would be using a adequate number of hours on examining the different installments and writing checks. Fortunately, student loan consolidation turns to be a good way to take all the loans together and places them under one single loan which gets repayment process more convenient.

Usually, in order to get the best student loan consolidation rates, students have to have good credit rate. The chances of getting a student loan consolidation are really high when the credit score is commonly above 660. You will no more have to worry about this since the internet can help a lot in finding the best student loan consolidation program and aids in calculating the credit rate of a student as well.

Basically, the student loan consolidation rates are based on the financial condition of the student, and the other manner of taking a student loan consolidation is by refinancing, home mortgage, and home equity loan.

It is now possible to consolidate student loan online and it offers the benefits of doing researches and checking the best student loan consolidation rates among all programs. Just atke notice of the fact that s student loan should be consolidated only if it lower than the current interest rate.

Then how could the student apply and complete a student loan consolidation online? It is simple to apply online, e-sign or complete a matter promissory note for your student loan. If you are ready to accomplish your application, you can select your loan type in the following ones, including Federal Stafford loan, Federal parent plus loan, Federal Graduate plus loan, Alternative or private student loan, and student loan consolidation.

For example, Federal Stafford Loans are low-interest loans for students enrolled at least haft time as an undergraduate or graduate student in eligible institution. Students and families of all income levels have approach to federally guaranteed loans for college.  Click the link for e-sign to practice online, or click print to print a paper copy of the Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note.

Federal Parent PLUS Loans are also open for your educational costs if you are recruited at least half-time at an eligible institution, but the loan is made to parents. Eligibility is not settled on need or income, but parents must not have an adverse credit history. Click Apply Online for a quick and easy pre-approval decision from an Edfinancial Services Lender.

To find more about other 3 online student loan consolidation types stated above, see Student loan consolidation rates. You will happily find out more details about this subject or other ones connecting to Online Student Loan Consolidation.

College students are often cautioned to avoid private student loans unless absolutely necessary, urged instead to take advantage of all other financial aid options first.

The advice is sound. Generally speaking, private student loans, which are offered by banks, credit unions, and other private lenders, don’t offer the same level of borrower protections and benefits that government student loans do.

As a student, you should seek out grants and scholarships first — money for college that you won’t have to repay — before taking on student loan debt. Then, if you’re still going to need college loans, you should, in general, make sure you’ve maximized all your available federal student loans before you consider taking out a private student loan.

Interest Rates & Repayment Options

Federal education loans have fixed interest rates and more flexible repayment terms than private loans. The Department of Education offers income-based repayment options that keep your monthly payments at a figure you can afford, repayment extensions to give you more time to repay, and loan deferments and forbearances that can temporarily postpone your student loan payments if you’re facing financial hardship.

If you go to work in the public sector, you may also be eligible for the discharge of some or all of your federal student loan debts.

With private student loans, on the other hand, your interest rate is almost always variable, and private lenders aren’t required to provide the kind of repayment flexibility that comes standard on federal college loans.

The current foreclosure crisis that began mushrooming, in part, because of adjustable-rate mortgages should be enough to make anyone leery of adjustable-rate loans on anything.

But it’s worth keeping in mind that when interest rates are low, as they are now, adjustable-rate private student loans can have a lower interest rate than their fixed-rate federal counterparts.

If you have excellent credit, or if you have a parent or co-signer with excellent credit, you may qualify for the lowest-rate private college loans, which currently carry interest rates that are as much as 3-percent to 6-percent lower than the rates on federal student and parent loans.

Interest rates are destined to rise as the economy continues to recover from the recession, so private loan rates won’t always be this low, but if you or your parents are in a position to pay that private student loan off relatively quickly, you may be able to save money over a government-issued college loan.

Covering Your College Costs

So why take out a private student loan at all?

Private student loans are meant to “fill the gap” in college funding that may be left after you reach your federal student borrowing limits. In many cases, families find that scholarships and federal financial aid simply aren’t enough to cover the rising cost of college.

Without private student loans, you may not be able to pay for college or continue your studies.

Statistically, college graduates have a better chance of being gainfully employed than non-graduates do, and college graduates, on average, earn more money in their jobs than workers who don’t have a college degree. For you as a college student, better job and salary prospects may make the burden of a reasonable amount of private student loans easier to bear.

Working With Private Student Loan Lenders

Student loan companies aren’t deaf to the economic realities that college graduates are facing. Recently, some of the largest private student loan lenders have instituted new guidelines for the repayment and forgiveness of student loan debt.

Wells Fargo and Sallie Mae, for example, both announced this year that they would begin discharging private student loans upon the death of the borrower. Beforehand, that debt was being left to the co-signer to repay.

And as the recession and large swaths of unemployment among recent college graduates has led to higher rates of delinquency and default on college loans, some private lenders have shown a slight uptick in their willingness to work out modified repayment plans with troubled borrowers who are unable to repay their private student loans.

Being a Smart Student Borrower

For students who must turn to private education loans, it pays to shop around. Interest rates are always important, but they aren’t the only factor worth considering. Repayment policies, payment deferral options, default and late-payments penalties, interest-rate caps, and other terms may give some private student loan programs a clear advantage over others.

Always be mindful of the total amount of your debt from all sources, school loans and otherwise, and aim to limit your reliance on college loans, both federal and private.

The Department of Education’s National Student Loan Data System can help you track all your federal loan debt. Additionally, if you’re carrying debt from multiple federal college loans, the Education Department’s student loan debt consolidation program can help simplify the repayment process and may lower your monthly loan payments.

As you begin to repay your school loans, make it a priority to pay off the higher-interest loans first.

By taking advantage of college scholarships, using all your federal financial aid options, and minimizing the amount of debt you take on to pay for school, you can benefit from the careful and limited borrowing of private student loans to help pay for your college education.

In general, a student is not allowed to get a private education loan if he hasn’t maxed out the Federal Stafford Loan yet, either a Stafford Loan or a Perkins Loans. However, since college fees are getting higher, the need to obtain loans by students is also rising. As a result, students become helpless over multiple loans even before graduating.

Why do student opt to consolidate their private student loans?

Many students decide to consolidate their private student loans, primarily because these are likely to have higher interest rates, shorter payback periods, and is deficient in security compared to federal loans.

Private student loan consolidation

Fortunately, there are available solutions to fix such adversity. Students may opt to consolidate their loans. Private student loan consolidation is a great way to notably lower your periodic payments by combining all your private student loans into one manageable loan. The main advantage of consolidating private loans is obtaining a single periodic payment to one lender.

However, students ought to know that private student loans cannot, in most cases, be consolidated with federal student loans. The low interest rates on federal consolidation loans are not available to private education loans. Furthermore, given that the financial institutions did grant your consolidation requests, automatically the term of the loan changes, it will surely reduce the stress of multiple payments. On the other hand, it allows you to budget your finances more effectively.

Is it possible to consolidate private student loans even with bad credit history?

It is given fact that studying is difficult but adding the stress of managing your finances is a real headache. That is why many are faced with bad credit records because they are unable to make payments due to varying reasons. A bad credit student loan consolidation is a great way to help students manage their finances effectively. Bad credit is the term used whenever a student cannot repay his loans. In order to solve their debts, student loan consolidation is a good financing solution accessible to students. A student loan consolidation would greatly improve the student’s credit standing, thus making his loans easier to repay.

Although, bad credit loan consolidation is more expensive for the reason that the student’s bad credit history marked his credibility to make payments and what creditors do is to increase the interest rates for that person. Nonetheless, it is still a great choice considering the repayment terms are convenient and stress free.

Before you consolidate your private student loans…

Choose only the best financing institution that will handle your private student loan consolidation. It is best that you know what type of loans you have and how much money you owe before you see these firms. Government lenders may offer the best repayment terms and interest rates, but may only allow you to consolidate federal loans and not private loans. So, before you actually make your mind up on student loan consolidation, you should equipped yourself with the right information on the terms and conditions that will apply, should you wish to continue with consolidation. A piece of advice: Plan first before you act!

Not every student arrives at college fresh out of high school. A growing number of students over the age of 25 are returning to the college classroom or enrolling at a college or university for the first time — a trend that means more independent students are seeking financial aid and student loans as a way to pay for college.

This trend also means that some returning students may have already exhausted their available federal student loans. Federal college loans not only carry annual borrowing limits but lifetime maximum borrowing limits. Students returning to college who previously took out federal college loans their first time around may have less federal student loan money available to them.

The Association for Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education reports that students over the age of 25 represent nearly half of all currently enrolled college students. This migration back to the classroom is not merely the product of the current economic downturn, however: According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of students age 25 or older in college classrooms rose from 28 percent in 1970 to 41 percent in 1998. The number of students age 35 or older at degree-granting institutions increased from 823,000 in 1970 to nearly 3 million in 2001.

Clearly, the current “aging” of the college student population was underway long before the Great Recession took hold.

Finding Financial Aid as a Returning or Older College Student

Determining eligibility for federal financial aid as an older student can be challenging. In some cases, today’s older student may be relatively well-established financially and may hold a number of assets, including real estate, investments, and retirement savings. At the same time, the older student may have additional liabilities, including a mortgage, credit card debt, and student loan debt from a previous run at the college-and-university track. S/He may also be supporting children who are themselves in college.

The FAFSA

For any student, regardless of age or level of educational attainment, the first step in finding financial aid for college need to be the filing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA takes into account a student’s broad financial picture — from income, assets, and liabilities to the number of other family members in college — to determine eligibility for federal financial assistance.

Federal financial aid can include need-based grants (Pell Grants) and subsidized student loans (Perkins loans and subsidized Stafford loans), as well as unsubsidized student loans (unsubsidized Stafford loans) that are available regardless of a student’s financial need. For graduate students, credit-based graduate student loans (Grad PLUS loans) are also available.

The Financial Aid Office

If you’re a returning student, a consultation with a financial aid officer at your institution could be very helpful, since rules and regulations regarding student financial aid have changed significantly in the past few years. A financial aid officer may also be able to help you determine your eligibility for federal student loans and how previous student loans may affect your current borrowing limits.

Your financial aid office will also have information about locating grants, scholarships, and work-study opportunities, though many older adults may already be employed full-time. Consider asking your financial aid office about student loan companies that offer non-federal, private student loans, which may be used to pay schooling costs not already covered by your federal student loans or other federal financial aid.

Other Financial Aid Considerations

Returning students may also be eligible for itemized tax deductions related to college expenses. These tax deductions may help take the bite out of returning to school. Consult a tax advisor for help.

Federal financial aid is largely reserved for students who are seeking a degree, although in some cases, non-degree-seeking students may be eligible for federal financial aid if the courses they take are prerequisites for a degree program.

Keep in mind, however, that as a student loan borrower, you’ll be on the hook for any student loan debt you incur, even if you don’t complete a degree as planned. Current U.S. bankruptcy law prohibits bankruptcy courts from discharging either federal or private student loan debts except in the most extreme of circumstances, so if you’re a prospective returning student, make sure to thoroughly research all your academic options and their costs before entering a degree program that will require you to take on significant debt from student loans.

How can Direct Student Loans help pay for college or career school expenses?

Direct Loans are low-interest loans for students and parents to help pay for the cost of a student’s education after high school. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) rather than a bank.

Direct Loans are:

Simple-You borrow directly from the federal government.

Flexible-You can choose from several repayment plans that are designed to meet the needs of almost any borrower, and you can switch repayment plans if your needs change.

What kinds of Direct Loans are available?

Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans- Your eligibility for Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans is based on the information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSASM). No interest is charged on subsidized student loans while you are in school at least half-time, during your grace period, and during deferment periods. Interest is charged on unsubsidized loans during all periods.

Direct PLUS Loans-Direct PLUS Loans are low interest loans available to parents of dependent students and to graduate and professional degree students. Interest is charged during all periods.

Direct Consolidation Loans – Direct Consolidation Loans are loans for borrowers who want to combine their eligible federal student loans into a single loan.

What are the eligibility requirements?

You must be enrolled at least half-time at a school that participates in the Direct Loan Program, and you must meet general eligibility requirements for the Federal Student Aid programs. You can find more information about these requirements on the Direct Loan website at www.direct.ed.gov, or by contacting your school’s financial aid office.

How do I apply for aid?

You apply for a Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan and other federal student aid by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The information from your application will be shared with the schools that you have identified on the FAFSA. Some schools have additional application procedures-check with your school’s financial aid office to be sure. After your FAFSA has been processed, the school will notify you, usually through an award letter, of the types of aid for which you are eligible.

How do I take out a Direct Loan?

You must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN). The MPN is a legally binding agreement to repay your loan to the Department. In most cases, one MPN can be used for loans that you receive over several years of study. Before receiving your first Direct Loan, you must sign an MPN that you’ll get from your school or from the Department. Check with your school’s financial aid office.

How much can I borrow?

The maximum amount you can borrow each school year depends on your grade level and other factors. It ranges from ,500 per year for a dependent freshman to ,500 per year for a graduate or professional degree student; however, the actual amount you are eligible to borrow each year is determined by your school and may be less than the maximum amount. There are also limits on the total amount of your loan debt. Graduate and professional degree students who need to borrow more than the maximum subsidized or unsubsidized loan amounts to meet education expenses not covered by other financial aid may be eligible to receive a Direct PLUS Loan.

What is the interest rate?

Direct Loans have a fixed interest rate that differs depending on the loan type and other factors. Check with your school’s financial aid office or the Direct Loan website at www.direct.ed.gov for details and current interest rate information.

Is there a charge for this loan?

Yes. In addition to interest, you pay a loan fee that is a percentage of the principal amount of the loan. We deduct the fee before you receive any loan money, so the loan amount you actually receive will be less than the amount you have to repay.

How will I receive my loan money?

Your school will generally disburse your loan money by crediting it to your school account but may also give some of it to you directly. Your loan money will usually be disbursed in at least two installments.

How will I repay my loan?

When you receive your first Direct Loan, you will be contacted by the servicer for that loan. Your loan servicer will provide regular updates on the status of your Direct Loan and of any additional Direct Loans that you receive.

When do I have to begin repaying my loan?

Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans have a 6-month grace period that starts the day after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment. You don’t have to begin making payments until your grace period ends. Note that repayment on a Direct PLUS Loan begins 60 days after the last installment of the loan for that school year is made; however, there is the option to defer repayment of a Direct PLUS Loan. See “Repaying Your Loans” on Student Aid on the Web at www.studentaid.ed.gov.

How much time will I have to repay my loan, and how much will I have to pay each month?

Generally, you’ll have from 10 to 25 years to repay your loan, depending on the repayment plan that you choose.  Your monthly payment amount will be based on how much you borrowed and how long you take to repay. You may choose one of several repayment plans:

Standard Repayment Plan-Fixed monthly payments for up to 10 years.

Graduated Repayment Plan-Payments that start off lower at first, and then gradually increase, usually every 2 years. The loan must be repaid in 10 years.

Extended Repayment Plan-Fixed or graduated monthly payments over a period of time, not to exceed 25 years. To be eligible for this repayment plan, you must have more than ,000 in Direct Loan debt and you must not have had an outstanding balance on a Direct Loan on Oct. 7, 1998.

Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plan-Your monthly payment is adjusted each year based on your annual income (and your spouse’s income, if you’re married), your family size, and the total amount of your Direct Loans. After 25 years, any unpaid loan amount will be forgiven. (This plan is not available to parent Direct PLUS Loan borrowers.)

Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan-Your monthly payment is capped at an amount that is affordable based on your income and family size. To find out if your federal student loan debt is high enough to qualify for this plan, use the repayment calculators on Student Aid on the Web at www.studentaid.ed.gov or on your loan servicer’s site. Your monthly payment amount may be adjusted annually. If you repay under IBR for 25 years and meet other requirements, any remaining balance will be forgiven. (Direct PLUS
Loans made to parents may not be repaid under IBR.)

You can change plans at any time. There’s no penalty if you make payments before they are due or pay more than the amount due each month. For more information about these repayment plans, or to use our online calculator to calculate your estimated loan payment under different repayment plans, go to Student Aid on the Web at www.studentaid.ed.gov or to your loan servicer’s website.

Can I ever postpone making loan payments?

Yes, under some conditions you may receive a deferment or forbearance that allows you to temporarily stop or lower your payments. For example, you may qualify for a deferment if:

You return to school at least half-time at a school that’s eligible to participate in the Federal Student Aid programs.

You are studying full-time in a graduate fellowship program.

You are in an approved full-time disability rehabilitation program.

You are unemployed or meet our rules for economic hardship (limited to 3 years).

You may also qualify for a deferment based on active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard. Refer to the Master Promissory Note for your loan or contact
your loan servicer for more information about specific qualifications for deferment based on military service and for other available deferments.

If you don’t qualify for a deferment but are temporarily unable to make loan payments for such reasons as illness or financial hardship, we may grant you a forbearance.

Can my loan ever be cancelled, discharged, or forgiven?

You must repay your loan even if you don’t complete or can’t find a job related to your program of study, or are unhappy with the education you paid for with your loan. However, we will discharge (forgive) your loan if you have your loan cancelled in bankruptcy, if you become totally and permanently disabled, or if you die.

We may discharge some or all of your loan if:

Your school closed before you completed your program.

Your school forged your signature on your promissory note or falsely certified that you were eligible for aid.

Your loan was falsely certified through identity theft.

You withdrew from school but the school didn’t pay a refund that it owed. See Student Aid on the Web at www.studentaid.ed.gov for more information about refund policies.

You also may qualify for forgiveness of some or all of your loan balance:

If you teach full-time for 5 years at a school or educational service agency serving low-income families and meet other requirements; or

After you have made 120 payments on a Direct Loan while employed in certain public service jobs (additional conditions apply).

For more information about loan forgiveness options, go to Student Aid on the Web at www.studentaid.ed.gov.

Where can I get more information?

For more information about the Direct Loan Program and other Federal Student Aid programs, contact the financial aid office at your school or go to Student Aid
on the Web.

The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform has issued a report that recommends the elimination of subsidized federal student loans in order to reduce federal spending. The recommendation is one of 50 that the bipartisan panel, which was created by President Obama and charged with finding ways to reduce the federal deficit, brought forward.

Federal subsidized student loans are government-issued student loans on which the government pays —subsidizes — the interest while a student is in school or in an approved deferment period. During deferment periods, which are granted on a case-by-case basis when a student loan borrower is experiencing financial hardship or other extenuating circumstances, the borrower isn’t required to make principal or interest payments on his or her federal college loans.

Subsidized student loans, awarded on the basis of financial need, are available to low-income students and students from low-income families. The President’s fiscal commission estimates that eliminating the federal interest payments on these subsidized college loans would save about  billion annually.

The proposal to eliminate subsidized federal student loans isn’t a recommendation to shutter the federal student loan program altogether. Federally funded student loans are also available in an unsubsidized form, and these unsubsidized student loans are awarded to eligible students, regardless of income bracket, who qualify for federal college financial aid to help them pay for college.

Do Student Loan Subsidies Benefit Students?

A growing number of policy groups support dispensing with federally subsidized student loans. The College Board recommended the same move in 2008, and some Democratic lawmakers also included the elimination of subsidized student loans in the initial draft of the student loan reforms that were enacted in 2009. The provision was dropped after student advocates and higher education lobbyists successfully persuaded House Democrats to retain the student loan subsidies.

Supporters of dropping the subsidized interest benefit say that subsidized student loans don’t do anything to make college more accessible to the low-income students to whom the loans are awarded, since borrowers don’t reap the benefit of the subsidy until after they’ve graduated.

Others who support the move to do away with subsidized student loans argue that student borrowers shouldn’t receive a benefit designed to reduce student loan debt that’s based on what the borrower’s family income was 10 or 20 years earlier.

Instead, proponents contend, already-available flexible student loan repayment plans like income-dependent payments, graduated payments, and repayment term extensions are more effective and fairer.

A new income-based repayment plan, instituted last year, is based on the student loan borrower’s post-graduation income, a better measure of a borrower’s long-term financial outlook.

Graduated repayment, in which a student loan borrower’s monthly payments start out low and gradually increase every two years — designed for borrowers who expect their income to increase steadily over time — is available to all borrowers of federal college loans, regardless of their family income at the time they attended college.

More Proposed Changes to Federal College Financial Aid

Eliminating federal student loan interest subsidies isn’t the only change the fiscal commission recommends. The commission’s deficit-reduction proposal would also put an end to payments to colleges and universities for the administration of campus-based federal financial aid programs.

Colleges and universities administer certain federal financial aid awards locally —Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Perkins loans, and federally funded work-study programs. A school may retain as much as 5 percent of the federal financial aid funds provided for these programs to cover the cost of administration. Institutions that distribute federal Pell Grants also receive a small fixed payment to cover administrative costs.

Under the proposed deficit-reduction plan, the 5-percent administrative fee would be eliminated, and all federal funds would be delivered in the form of student financial aid, with no portion of those funds being siphoned away any longer in the form of administrative costs.

The commission’s rationale for eliminating these administrative fees is that colleges and universities benefit from federal grant programs because, unlike college loans, the federal grant dollars effectively increase enrollment by making college more affordable for students.

From Policy Proposal to National Law

The fiscal commission doesn’t have the final say on which recommended reforms are enacted. Currently, the commission’s report is in draft form. The commission must prepare a final recommendation no later than Dec. 1, 2010, and the final draft must have the approval of at least 14 of the commission’s 18 members.

Once the report is finalized and presented to the White House, legislators are expected to take up the recommendations and convert them into legislative mandates.

The commission’s recommendations are designed to balance the federal budget by 2015. If adopted, the recommendations would involve a broad set of austerity measures, including both spending cuts and tax reforms.