A student loan debt consolidation loan allows you to combine your federal
student loans into a single loan with one monthly payment. The repayments of a
student loan debt consolidation loan can be significantly lower than the payment
required under the standard 10-year repayment option. Under the Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program, banks, secondary markets, credit unions, and
other lenders provide the student loan debt consolidation loan. Under the
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program, the federal
government provides the student loan debt consolidation loan.
Most federal education loans are eligible for inclusion in a student loan
debt consolidation loan, including subsidized and unsubsidized Direct and FFEL
Stafford Loans, SLS, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Nursing Loans, and Health
Education Assistance Loans. However, private education loans are not eligible
for inclusion in a student loan debt consolidation loan.
To find out which loans can be included in a student loan debt consolidation
loan contact the Direct Loan Origination Center's Consolidation Department if
you're applying for a direct student loan debt consolidation loan. Contact a
participating FFEL lender if you're applying for a FFEL student loan debt
consolidation loan.
It is worth noting that you are still eligible for a student loan debt
consolidation loan after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time
enrollment. You can also get a student loan debt consolidation loan while you're
in school. You must, however, be attending at least half time and have at least
one Direct Loan or FFEL in an 'in-school period' which generally means that you
have been continuously enrolled at least half time since the loan was disbursed.
There are a number of conditions that need to be met for you to qualify for a
student loan debt consolidation loan, especially if you are delinquent or in
default and your loan holder will be able to give you all the necessary
information.
If the same holder holds all the FFEL loans you want to consolidate, you must
obtain the student loan debt consolidation loan from that holder, unless you
haven't been able to get a loan with income-sensitive repayment terms that are
acceptable to you. To be eligible for a William D. Ford direct student loan debt
consolidation loan, you must have either a direct Stafford subsidized or
unsubsidized loan that will be included in the student loan debt consolidation
loan or have at least one Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program Stafford
subsidized or unsubsidized loan.
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