Chapter 4: Student Loan Repayment Plans — This chapter will help you understand the many different
types of student loan repayment plans and which could work for you based on your situation.
There are 2
types of student loan repayment plans: Income Driven and Standard.
Check out the income driven plans (See below) and ask yourself if making a switch to one of these plans makes sense for... [Read more...] about ICYMI 2
Types Of Student Loan Repayment Plans
Many federal student loans are eligible for income - driven repayment —
a type of student loan repayment program that uses a formula to create a uniquely - tailored monthly payment for borrowers based on their income and family size.
46 of the 50 states offer
some type of student loan repayment assistance program for their residents.
Not exact matches
However, it's a specific
type of plan offered by the Department
of Education that helps
students who can't afford their monthly federal
student loan payments under the Standard
Repayment Plan.
Many
student loan borrowers owe a significant amount, and depending on the
type of repayment program they select, keeping up with monthly payments can be a challenge.
Only certain
types of student loans are eligible for income - driven
repayment plans and the interest subsidy.
Once borrowers understand the
types of student loans available, the
repayment plans they are eligible for, and the recourse they have when life's circumstances make
repayment a challenge, there are steps one can take to pay off
student loans at a faster rate.
Once borrowers have an understanding
of the
type of federal or private
student loans they owe, it is necessary to recognize the different
repayment plans available.
With private
student loans, monthly payment and overall
repayment costs depend on the
type of repayment plan the borrower selects.
The chart below shows the
types of federal
student loans that you can repay under each
of the income - driven
repayment plans.
What
types of federal
student loans can I repay under an income - driven
repayment plan?
So, even if the program you are eligible for doesn't offer enough to pay off your
loan balance, you can still benefit from other
types of loan repayment assistance as you figure out how to get rid
of student loans.
To that end, if the Department
of Education wishes to punish schools whose
students fail to meet some
loan -
repayment benchmark, it should apply this mandate to every
type of higher - education institution.
The
type of graduate
student loan that's best for you depends on your credit score, access to a co-signer and whether or not you want to take advantage
of income - driven
repayment plans and
loan forgiveness programs.
While
student loans have advantages over other
types of debt, such as lower interest rates, longer deferment periods and more flexible
repayment policies, they can be tough to pay off while you're making the transition to the work force, buying a house and building a family.
In addition to the many
types of student loans out there, you should also learn about
repayment plans, forgiveness options, and how to properly track your
student loans as you pay them off.
Once the
types of loans are identified, your counselor will be able to discuss the available
repayment methods and also assist in completing federal
student loan repayment applications.
In fact, Parent PLUS
Loans don't offer any
type of income - based
repayment plan (directly) nor do they qualify any
type of student loan forgiveness programs (well, once again, this is nuanced as well and we discuss below).
Plus, many
of these income - based
repayment plans include some
type of «secret»
student loan forgiveness.
Many
student loan borrowers owe a significant amount, and depending on the
type of repayment program they select, keeping up with monthly payments can be a challenge.
Delaying the
repayment of your
student loans through an income based
repayment program can also hurt you as the increasing balance due on your
student loans are reported to the credit bureaus and negatively impact your ability to qualify for other
types of credit like a car
loan or mortgage.
With private
student loans, monthly payment and overall
repayment costs depend on the
type of repayment plan the borrower selects.
Before you commit to
student loans, interest rates, and
repayment plans, you should first research what
types of grants and scholarships are available.
IBR is a particular
type of plan categorized under the income - driven
repayment plans for federal
student loans.
Student loan debt can be overwhelming, but depending on the
type of loans, and the status
of your
loans, you should have more than one
repayment option.
The federal government is the top lender in the
student loan arena that offers a number
of loan types,
repayment schedules, and terms to help fit your particular situation and financial need.
The CFPB reported in October 2013 that the most common
type of private
student loan complaint related to borrowers attempting to adjust the
repayment terms
of their
loans in times
of hardship.
A variety
of factors influence private
student loan interest rates, including the
type of loan, the credit history
of the borrower and cosigner (if applicable), whether it is a fixed or variable rate
loan, the base interest rate index used, the
repayment term chosen, and whether principal and / or interest payments are deferred.
You are required to being
repayment for both
types of loans no more than six months after the
student has completed college.
Students could also defer payments until they graduated and there were different types of repayment plans, so students could choose how they wanted to repay their studen
Students could also defer payments until they graduated and there were different
types of repayment plans, so
students could choose how they wanted to repay their studen
students could choose how they wanted to repay their
student loans.
In many cases, particularly when addressing issues related to income driven
repayment plans, deferments, forbearance, and
loan discharge; available options are limited by and contingent upon the
type of student loan you have, your promissory note or
loan agreement, and applicable laws and regulations.
In general,
student loans differ from other
types of consumer
loans in that the interest rate and costs offered may be substantially lower and the
repayment schedule
of a
student loan may be deferred while the
student is still in school.
Once borrowers have an understanding
of the
type of federal or private
student loans they owe, it is necessary to recognize the different
repayment plans available.
Once borrowers understand the
types of student loans available, the
repayment plans they are eligible for, and the recourse they have when life's circumstances make
repayment a challenge, there are steps one can take to pay off
student loans at a faster rate.
If you rely on your Federal
student loans for income - based
repayment programs, or some
type of forgiveness program, then you shouldn't refinance your
loans this way.
Graduates need to know that even though you are automatically enrolled into a standard
repayment plan by default there are actually seven different
types of student loan debt
repayment plans.
The Smart Option
Student Loan ® for Graduate
Students lets you choose the
type of interest rate and
repayment option that work best for you.
The available pre-default
repayment plans are different depending on what
type of student loan you have.
Consolidation
loans allow borrowers to combine different
types of federal
student loans to simplify
repayment.
In addition to the
types of forgiveness, cancellation, and discharge shown above, you may also be eligible for discharge
of your federal
student loans based on borrower defense to
repayment if you took out the
loans to attend a school that misled you, or engaged in other misconduct in violation
of certain state laws, and if the school's act or omission directly related to your federal
student loans or to the educational services that you paid for with the
loans.
If your federal
student loan isn't fully repaid at the end
of the
repayment period, which is either 20 or 25 years depending on the
type of income - driven
repayment plan you have, any balance that remains is automatically forgiven.
Repayments, however, can be tricky:
Student loans are one
of the few
types of debt you can take on without knowing exactly how or when you're going to pay it back.
They offer
student loan refinancing (consolidation
loans meant to pay off pre-existing
loans, leaving a borrower with one new
loan, interest rate, and
repayment term), in - school MBA
loans (private
student loans meant to help a borrower cover an MBA program), and other
types of loans in all 50 states.
This
repayment plan is also available for all
student loan types and is still considered to be one
of the standard
repayment plan options.
The Resources available here can help law
students and attorneys determine the
type of loan repayment plan that is best for their federal
student loans.
IBR is a
type of income - driven
repayment (IDR) plan and can help you lower your monthly
student loan payments.
However, it's a specific
type of plan offered by the Department
of Education that helps
students who can't afford their monthly federal
student loan payments under the Standard
Repayment Plan.
The chart below shows the
types of federal
student loans that you can repay under each
of the income - driven
repayment plans.