Shopping around for a student loan is a little stressful. Trying to decide between varying interest rates and repayment plans is a lot to handle when youre also planning which classes to take and whether to live on campus or off. The types of loans vary greatly, and taking out the wrong one could cost you. By taking the time to pick the right loan to begin with, you can make the repayment process a lot easier. Dont ignore the importance of the distinction between federal and private loans when making your decision.

Start by deciding if you want to apply for the loan yourself as a student or ask your parents to do it. Parents can borrow more money on average than students, but they also start paying it back imme-diately. Students get to wait until they graduate to start sending in payments. Check out all your op-tions and research each of them thoroughly.

Consolidation Secrets

Consolidation Secrets

When you become buried under an apparent mountain of student loans, consolidation sounds like a good way out. Its an all too common mistake to jump on what seems like a good deal without un-derstanding the potential drawbacks first. Consolidating your loans isnt the only way to deal with them. Investigate this process before jumping into it to make sure it is the right method for dealing with your debts.

Paying Back the Debts

Paying Back the Debts

Getting your student loan debt under control is not as hard it is seems. With some strategic money management and budgeting, its easy to maximize your payments each month. Faster payoffs mean spending a lot less by the end of the loan. Do you have a concrete plan for finishing off that debt as quickly as possible? If not, take a look at these four tactics for settling them in a snap.