| If you have student loans, as soon as you graduate, | | | | You might also be eligible for some deferments. If |
| you will want to begin looking into student loan debt | | | | you are in a medical or dental residency program you |
| consolidation. Generally, once you graduate, you will | | | | can defer your consolidated private loan for 48 |
| start owing on your student loans in six months. | | | | months. If you are in active military duty you can |
| During this time period it is wise to gather all of your | | | | defer them for 36 months. This is made possible |
| loans together and organize them. If you have both | | | | through the Graduate Leverage Private Student Loan |
| federal and private student loans you will need to | | | | Consolidation Program. |
| separate them. It will be necessary for you to apply | | | | Of course both programs carry some of the same |
| for separate Student loan debt consolidation | | | | benefits. Generally you will get a lower interest rate |
| programs for your federal and private loans. | | | | on your consolidated loan. If you can find someone |
| Your federal loans will be consolidated through the | | | | who is willing to co-sign your private loan you could |
| Debt of Education's student loan debt consolidation | | | | see an additional interest reduction. Both loans also |
| program. Under this debt consolidation program you | | | | help you to begin managing your debt and to build |
| will be able to stretch out your payment for up to 30 | | | | good credit. Of course consolidating will also relieve |
| years. This allows you to cut your monthly payment | | | | time and stress from your life, since you now only |
| and ease the financial burden right after graduation. | | | | have to worry about one loan payment each month. |
| This is why so many choose student loan debt | | | | AS you can see student loan debt consolidation is a |
| consolidation. | | | | great way to start out financially strong after |
| Your privately funded student loans will have to be | | | | graduation. If you are a recent graduate or are |
| consolidated through a private lending institution. If | | | | getting ready to graduate you will most certainly |
| you are an undergraduate you can stretch these | | | | want to look into these programs and start the |
| loans out over 25 years and if you have a graduate | | | | process to consolidate your student loans. |
| degree you can stretch the payments over 30 years. | | | | |