Member Login:



Not a member? Signup!

Quickpoll:

Do you plan to own your own business someday?
yes
no
don't know
I already own a business

EDUCATORS:

Add YOUNG MONEY to your classroom activities or school library.   Free evaluation copy for teachers and librarians.

Should I consolidate my student loans?

Subscribe:

Order YOUNG MONEY Magazine NOW and receive two FREE Bonus Issues!
Subscribe »

Financial Aid FAQ

We may be visiting your campus! Check out our event schedule and photo albums of past events.

schedule    photos  

Q: I wanted to know if it is better to make payments to my current student loan of $200 per month at a 6.8% interest rate or if I should continue to pay on my past loans at 3.25%.
Thanks for your help!

A: Students who are making payments on their student loans face the challenge of having multiple interest rates to juggle. This is a common situation where you consolidated your undergraduate loans at a lower interest rate and took out new student loans at the current interest rate.  The current interest rate on Stafford loans is 6.8% fixed.  In comparison, when you separate from school again, you can be making payments on multiple interest rates. 

The best thing for a student would be to take all your student loan payments and combine them into one new consolidated student loan; this will result in a lower monthly payment, lower than what you had been paying keeping them separate.  The most common reason graduates choose to go this route is to lock in a new loan with a much lower interest rate, which in turn creates more cash flow for you each month and more cash on hand for other expenses. 

Adam Hoffman
Quality Control Specialist
OneSimpleLoan