Friday, March 7, 2008

Student Loan Forgiveness

Certain Qualifications Can Achieve Student Loan Forgiveness

In most cases the loans people take out to pay for college will have to be paid back, typically starting about six months after graduation. There are some colleges and certain federal programs that allow for student loan forgiveness, but it is not going to be like apologizing to your mother for breaking a vase. In most instances, student loan forgiveness for all or part of the loan will require that certain criteria be met and the student meets the requirements for canceling the loans.

Many government loans for education can be reduced through different methods, such as volunteering, military, teaching or providing legal or medical services. AmeriCorps volunteer service allows for $4,725 to be erased from government school loans in exchange for a year of service. It also provides a cash stipend to help pay living expenses while away from home. Joining the Peace Corps can also help with student loan forgiveness at the rate of 15 percent of the loan for every year graduates spend volunteering.

Volunteers In Service to America, VISTA volunteers can receive $4,725 in student loan forgiveness for every 1700 hours in community service provided for non-profit work with the poor. There are also some ways that student loan forgiveness can be gained while being a member of the military.

Providing Services Where It Is Most Needed

Many low-income communities have trouble finding qualified teachers to fill their schools and student loan forgiveness for government loans are available for new teachers will to teach in certain schools. Most of these programs offer a 15 percent reduction in the amount of the loan in the first and second year teaching in a qualified school. Another 20 percent of the total can be dropped during the third and fourth year with another 30 percent cut in the fifth year, meaning that 85 percent of the loan balance can be forgiven after five years.

Many law schools and medical schools also offer student loan forgiveness if their graduates agree to fulfill obligations providing service to the poor or economically challenged residents in certain communities. In addition to receiving student loan forgiveness, they also receive valuable experience in real life settings.

Those students who do not qualify for student loan forgiveness may look at federal student loan consolidation if they received funding for their education from more than one source. Often consolidation through the government can reduce the monthly aggregate payments required on several student loans.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Student Loan Default

How To Deal With Student Loan Default

If you fall behind in your student loan payments and end up in student loan default, there are a lot of tools the Department of Education can use to get their money back. If you have a federal loan then student loan default can cost you even more than the amount you originally borrowed. By defaulting on your loan you can be charged high fees by loan guaranty agencies and you may get charged for the commission fees that the Department of Education pays to collection agencies.

If you are in student loan default then the IRS can legally intercept your entire income tax refund until all your loans are paid in full. When it comes to student loan default this is the most common method the U.S. Department of Education uses to collect. The IRS will be notified of your student loan default if you haven't made a payment within 90 days. In order to object their claims you have 65 days from the time you receive your student loan default notice to show written evidence that you have repaid the loan, are making payments under a negotiated plan, that you have filed for bankruptcy, that you are disabled, that it isn't your loan, that you dropped out of school or for any other reason that the loan isn't legally enforceable.

What You Can Do About It

Even if you have had a student loan default you can still have some options open to you. If you choose the right course you can even regain your eligibility for financial aid, improve your credit rating and even get the student loan default status removed from your record. So what steps can you take?

The first and best option is loan rehabilitation. This is the only option that allows you to restore your credit rating and your eligibility for further financial aid. To qualify for this option you will have to make satisfactory repayment arrangements which usually means nine consecutive, full payments in about twenty days of their due date. The payment need to be made voluntarily by you and they can't come from legal proceedings, wage garnishment or a lump sum repayment made for the purpose of future installments.

If you make arrangements for a one time satisfactory repayment of a defaulted loan then you can restore your eligibility for financial aid. In order for this to happen you will need to make six consecutive, acceptable monthly payments within fifteen days of their due date. The acceptable payments are typically fifty or the accrued interest rate.