Here are the finest resources for direct student loan counseling

Reduce Your Student Loan Debt in Three Easy Steps

When the student loan payments begin to fall due, and you find yourself overwhelmed with monthly payments, you have to consider how youre going to handle the load. You certainly cant let the loans just slide and hope they go away because that is most definitely not going to happen.

The easiest way to reduce the amount of payments and interest on your student loans is to research the different programs that are available for student loan consolidation. There are several consolidation loan options available for student loans from Federal student loan consolidation to private student loan consolidation, and how much you are able to accomplish will be based on the policies of the lending institution. Some of these loans start as low as 2.75% with terms anywhere from ten years to twenty-five years based on the amount of the loans that are being consolidated.

Another tip to keep in mind as you research the means for obtaining a student loan debt consolidation loan that there are different programs available. The federal student consolidation loans do not always require proof of income or a credit history/ As such, these type loans are a perfect fit for students who are just leaving college and have not yet become settled in their career choices. This type loan can make a difference of up to $300 monthly on loan payments depending on how much is borrowed in comparison to what the original payments were. The difference in payments can help the student get settle into a home and career instead of struggling to make ends meet while repaying numerous student loans.

The student debt consolidation loans that are not backed by the government have a slight higher interest rate that oven starts at about 4.5% and caps at about 6.25% depending on the state. In addition, these loans require good credit as well as income sufficient to make the payments. Some of these loans allow repayment terms up to about thirty years depending on the amount of the loan. For those who have completed their degree and are settled into their career, this type of loan can ease the burden of paying back all of the numerous student loans.

When you begin to look for a student loan debt consolidation loan, you have to do some research and find the one that best suits your individual needs. You want to be sure that the plan you choose is going to allow you to make the payments on time as well as paying all of your other post-college obligations. Be careful not to accept the first deal that sounds like it fits your needs. Do some investigation and get quotes from three to five lending institutions before you make the final decision. By doing this you allow yourself the opportunity to see what other lenders have to offer and can choose from the most attractive package. After all, college costs are expensive, so consolidating those loans is a rather substantial amount of money. A difference of .25% over a term of ten years can make a tremendous difference in the final amount that you will have to pay back.

For more thorough information and tips on student loan consolidation be sure to visit our online debt consolidation blog by clicking here

More Useful Resource and Updates on direct student loan counseling

• How safe is your job? (The New Statesman)
  This has been a year of financial panic, but 2009 will be dominated by unemployment. In a flexible labour market, with few legal protections, the indebted young will be hit hardest



• Scotiabank Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
  Earnings per share of $3.05 versus $4.01, includes $0.82



• Demand for student loans on the rise; cash is short (Austin American-Statesman)
  Carlos Richardson , a sophomore studying psychology at Austin Community College, hasn't had to take out student loans ? yet.



• Answers to your questions on money woes (Provo Daily Herald)
  Money is at the top of everyone's minds these days and that means that questions are flooding my inbox. Here are a few answers that should help give a bit of clarity in this confusing and rocky economy:



• Student-loan consolidation choices shrink (Centre Daily Times)
  Kari Schoeneweis will face more than $60,000 in student loan debt when she graduates from Carlow University in spring.



• Options for Reducing Student Loan Debt (Washington Post)
  When she graduates from Columbia University next year with a master's degree in public health, Erin Wheeler is hoping to get a job in international reproductive health.

• Federal Student Aid - Direct Loan Servicing
  Services include account management, online payments, loan consolidation, and tax information.



• Student Aid on the Web
  For FFEL loan entrance counseling, please contact your loan provider for more information. ... Direct Loan Borrowers. About Direct Loans ...



• William D. Ford Direct Loan Program
  One of the Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs provided by the Department of Education that provides students with a way to borrow money to pay for education after ...



• Entrance and Exit Counseling
  ... receiving a student loan, borrowers must complete an entrance counseling session. ... understand your rights and responsibilities as a Direct Loan borrower. ...



• Columbia College Chicago : Federal Direct Loan Program
  Mandatory Entrance and Exit Loan Counseling top ... Federal loans may be denied if a student is in loan default status, owes a Title ...



• Direct Loan Students Page
  ... counseling tutorials that you can take if you are or will be a Direct Loan ... If you have a Direct Loan, you can consolidate it with other student loans. ...



• Federal Direct Loan Info
  William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loans. ONLINE COUNSELING PROCEDURES ... the cost of attendance in order to determine a student's Direct Loan eligibility. ...