Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

The students loan forgiveness and the service payback program is usually constituted to offer financial assistance to students so that the college learning can be made more accessible, and also to encourage the students to be able to work in areas which is experiencing expertise shortages, one of the first Federal students loan forgiveness program is known as National Defense Student Loan Program, this program was authorized by the National Defense Act in 1958, at first it was meant the program was meant for the public school teachers but as time went by the Federal Student Loan program made some provision that allowed the program to be expanded to contain the new categories of those who borrow.

There are several loan forgiveness suggestion which have been introduced in recent Congress meetings, and already in the 109th Congress meeting several bill was introduced including that of Student loan which is sometime known as service payback provisions, this report give an overview of the current major federal loan forgiveness program administered by the U.S Department of Education (ED), their work is to give a short summary of the other major federal loan programs, and there after discus the legislation and policy issues which are involved, the loan forgiveness or Service payback programs varies with the work contingent of students financial aid.

The Federal Student Loan forgives covers all or a portion of a student's School costs if they would accept to work in a specific area after their completing their education, these programs help in settling the students cost or a portion of their learning cost when they are still in school and those who get these programs are supposed to give services in return for have received the service, in fact they are not forced to provide these service, but they have to accept to provide services, and this has to take place some years in Advance of offering their services, and those students who are un able to meet their side of the agreement usually faces financial penalties.

The Loan forgiveness programs normally repay a given percentage of former students educational debts in exchange for in designated duties, these programs helps in paying off the debts which the students have been having or sometime they pay apportion of their loan after the student has started working in the job which he accepted to work in, the repayment program can run for some years for the graduates during the time they are offering their voluntary work, or after they have completed offering their service. The Student loan program is just provided to help student complete their college studies after which they can volunteer to work in order to pay back their loans, it is like giving back to the community of what they have given you.

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Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

One of the most intimidating things about graduating college is the prospect of paying back the student loans used to finance your education. Many students are unaware of the large number of student loan forgiveness programs that can eliminate all or a portion of your college loans at no cost to you.

To qualify for one of these programs, there are certain criteria that you must meet, ranging from performing volunteer work to working in a particular profession or even agreeing to work for a certain period in a disadvantaged community.

The value of these programs ranges from a few thousand dollars to more than a hundred thousand, depending on the amount of student loans you have and which program you choose to apply for.

Because many students are unaware that these programs exist, many of these receive only a few applications each year, leaving tens of thousands of dollars untouched. If you want to get a head start in life by getting rid of your educational loans as soon as possible, the following information will help you get started.

Student loan forgiveness programs differ from student loan repayment programs. They are created by the Federal Government and are good for federally funded loan programs such as the Stafford and Perkins Loan programs. Participation in one of these programs means that all or a portion of your student loan debt is simply "erased" or taken off of the amount you owe.

On the other hand, repayment programs, which are more common than forgiveness programs, are used on any type of loan ranging from private loans to federal student loans. In most cases, these programs are offered by your employer who makes payments on your behalf to lenders.

To find a student loan forgiveness program, start by talking to your school's financial aid department. If you go into certain professions such as teaching, nursing, or law enforcement, you may be eligible for such a program as long as you agree to work under certain stipulations.

This can be a great opportunity because it allows you to begin working in the career of your choice right away, helping you gain experience, while paying off your college loans at the same time. For students who have recently graduated, many employers in these fields offer repayment programs as an incentive to hire talented graduates, so be sure to inquire with any potential employer as well.

For student loan forgiveness programs that are based around volunteer work, contact your local AmeriCorps or PeaceCorps program. Both of these agencies are willing to pay off all or a portion of your student loan in exchange for volunteer service. In some cases, you can complete your volunteer work while you are still in school, and many students find that the experience is deeply rewarding on a personal level. Volunteer work also looks great on employment and graduate school applications, so there are many reasons to consider these programs.

With some careful planning, you may never have to make a payment toward your loans at all. Talk to your financial aid office and look for online resources to get started today.

Steven C. Brown is helping nursing students prepare for exams and tests. Read more about nursing careers and the TEAS test when applying for a nursing school.

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5 Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

Federal student loans always have to be paid back. The loan program requires repayment after graduation or six months after the borrower is no longer attending college.

These loans have varying repayment options, including deferring payments if the borrower is unemployed or underemployed.

Student loan forgiveness offers a few options to the borrower to give them the opportunity to have part or all of their loans forgiven under certain circumstances.

Volunteer Work:

The federal government allows a borrower to volunteer with three different organizations for a partial and up to total loan forgiveness. Volunteer with Americorps for 12 months and receive up to $4725.00 for loan repayment.

Peace Corp volunteers will be granted loan repayment in differing amounts depending on length of service. Fifteen percent of the loan total is forgiven for each year of volunteer status with a maximum amount forgiven of 70 percent.

VISTA offers the borrower a chance to volunteer and receive a partial student loan forgiveness. Volunteer 1700 hours through VISTA and receive $4725.00 for loan repayment.

Military Service:

Student borrowers have the opportunity to join the Army National Guard and receive up to $10,000 for educational loan payments depending on length of military service.

Teachers:

Borrowers that become teachers in schools that have a certain population of low income students may be eligible to receive forgiveness of their Perkins loans. The National Defense Education Act allows teachers to have loans forgiven at a rate of 15 percent of the loan for each of the first two years of teaching and twenty percent in years three and four. Thirty percent of the loan is forgiven in the fifth year.

Teacher's in Mississippi that hold an alternate route teaching license and are employed in schools with a teacher shortage may be qualified to utilize the teacher loan repayment plan.

Legal and Medical Studies:

Law school loan borrowers who work in non profit or public interest law positions may be eligible for student loan forgiveness. The US Department of Health and Human Services has a program for doctors and nurses who practice medicine in areas that do not have access to proper medical care. Federal loan borrowers should contact the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) for a listing of all medical student loan forgiveness options.

Law Enforcement:

Alaska offers educational loan repayment to those who were granted a Michael Murphy Loan. Student borrowers whose field of study was probation, law, parole, penology, or another related field of study have the eligibility to receive loan forgiveness, at the rate of 20 percent a year, if they are employed as an Alaska State Trooper.

All of these programs are a fantastic way to serve your state or country and have the ability of receiving a forgiven loan. People who are interested in public sector work should definitely take advantage of one of these options.

Jenny Miles writes about financial problems such as debt management and wage garnishment. Learn more about dealing with a defaulting student loan on her blog.

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Student Loan Consolidation Programs

For most students, student loans are a necessary part of their financial plan to prepare and pay for their education. Most borrowers will incur both federal and private over the course of their educational experiences. Although these loans serve the same function, they often have different terms and conditions that make each a unique entity to be contended with upon graduation. After leaving college, most borrowers will seek to merge their borrowed money in order to simplify their monthly finances and student loan consolidation programs are the way they make this happen.

Federal vs. Private Student Loan Consolidation Programs: There is a Difference

Since most students will utilize both federal and private student loans to pay for their education, it is important to note that these two credit are incompatible during the consolidation process. By law, federal loans may only be combined with other federal student loans during a consolidation situation.

On the other hand, private loans may be merged with any other type of private loan regardless of what lender originated the credit. Basically this means is that if a borrower has private loans from three different lenders, he may choose to consolidate all of these borrowed money under one of these lenders or another lender of his choosing. Of course, the borrower must meet certain conditions before lenders will consolidate his loans; these requirements vary across lenders so research each student loan consolidation program to choose the right one for your situation.

Federal Loan Consolidation Programs

Obviously, these are controlled by the government and the conditions of consolidation are mandated by federal policies and procedures. The Higher Education Act (H.E.A.) grants student loan consolidation programs for both types of federal: the Federal Family Education Loan (F.F.E.L.) and Direct. Under these programs, loans with varying terms and repayment schedules are transferred into a single loan for the borrower to manage. This new loan typically has a lower interest rate and the repayment period is extended in order to make monthly installments more manageable. In most cases, these attributes produce less defaults and a more controllable student loan debt.

Private Loan Consolidation Programs

Most borrowers have private loans through various lenders and the differing policies often lead to confusion. Employing the use of a private loan consolidation program is a fantastic way to lower monthly loan payments and combine all your loans under one company. Refinancing private loans have the following added benefits:

1. Lower monthly payments - this is usually the main goal a borrower strives for when researching consolidation programs.

2. Interest Rate Reduction - Existing loan holders will not lower interest rates if your credit score has improved over the course of your financial history. Consolidating results in a reduced interest rate, thereby saving the borrower money. Borrowers with lower credit ratings can consolidate with a co-signer to lower their interest rates.

3. No Prepayment Penalties - under most loan consolidation programs for student, any monies received in excess of the scheduled payment is applied directly to principal, thus shorting the life of your loan.

Loan consolidation programs for students are an ideal way for a borrower to more accurately manage his student loan debts and take control of his financial accounts. Employing the use of such programs will save a borrower money while improving his credit profile.

To know more on What are the advantages, disadvantages and benefits of Student Loan Consolidation Program kindly visit Student Loan Refinance Rate

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Where to Find Consolidation Programs to Help Pay Off Student Loans

Knowing exactly where to start looking for consolidation programs that help you get a handle on your college student loans is the first step to getting debt free from your education loans. There are two major programs that the federal government makes available to student loan borrowers to combine debts and lower monthly repayments. And, new recent enhancements to these federal student loan consolidation programs are making them attractive options.

The benefits of consolidation are important. Only one lender and one monthly payment. Payments made by electronic payments keep your credit rating pristine by not even giving you the option to miss a bill. The new Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) plans have options which could help get your loan excused after a specified period of making timely payments.

Consolidation programs available from the federal government include:

DIRECT LOANS -- Direct consolidation by the U.S. Department of Education. Borrowers make payments directly to the department. Most favorable terms.

FFEL LOANS -- The Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. While FFEL finding is subsidized and supported by the U.S. government, these are in reality made by private lenders, such as your bank or your credit union. Therefore, your FFEL consolidation is repaid directly to the private lender who originated your paperwork, unless that lender has re-sold the note. In that case, you make your payments to the new entity.

Getting a Direct or FFEL consolidation loan depends on which option you originally took out to attend college.

In either case, the repayment (equaling the total amounts you've borrowed, the interest rate on the notes, and other features not listed here that you've already agreed to) will almost certainly be structured in a similar manner.

General Requirements:
The following federal college loans are eligible for consolidation:

Subsidized and unsubsidized Direct and Federal Family Education (FFEL) Stafford LoansDirect and FFEL PLUS Loans (aka "parent loans")Federal Perkins LoansFederal Nursing Loans, andHealth Education Assistance Loans.

However, you need to keep in mind that private educational loans are not eligible at this time.

A student loan borrower is free to get an FFEL consolidation during any of these three different time periods:

1. During your grace period after completing college
2. At the time you are in the repayment phase, or
3. During any qualifying periods when you have been granted a deferment or forbearance.

Therefore, as you can see, there is always an opportunity to get relief from mounting bills.

To apply you should contact the consolidation department of a participating FFEL lender for an application or more information.

For students still in school, the avenue exists that they you will still qualify for direct consolidation loans.

But beware that if you have defaulted on your student loan, there are a number of very specific requirements you must meet before you can get them consolidated to a more manageable sum. This is why it's critically important that you avoid default.

The interest rate you wind up paying by consolidating can easily be found with this online calculator at http://www.findhow2.com/free-loan-calculator-for-personal-loans.html

Maximum length of consolidation is 30 years. You can make monthly or quarterly payments. And there are no fees or early pre-payment penalties.

To apply, call 1-800-557-7392. (TTY users for the hearing impaired phone number: 1-800-557-7395)

Or, you can apply free online at: https://loanconsolidation.ed.gov

New rules announced to federal student loan consolidation programs now offer you some of the best options to get rid of student loan worries and find better terms to pay off student loans.

Gaining access to these critical consolidation programs should be your first stop as you attempt to become free of loans you took out to attend college. Others have done it and so can you.

Steve Johnson is the writer and publisher who founded FindHow2.com offering free articles on credit restoration, debt reduction, and personal financial management. One of the most popular topics at FindHow2.com includes free resources for student loan forgiveness programs.

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