| When I first went to college, I took out several | | | | If this had been the case for me, I would have had a |
| student loans. These were called Stafford loans and | | | | much lower interest rate and would have been much |
| after I finished my two year degree I ended up | | | | happier but in the end I found a way to pay all of |
| having to pay them back at a very high interest rate. | | | | them off. Unfortunately, the higher interest rate |
| Here's how you can avoid paying high interest rates | | | | could have been avoided if I had simply refinance my |
| for your college education. | | | | loan using the people that had offered to do it for |
| I remember sitting in front of my counselor at my | | | | free in the first place. |
| college when they initially told me that it was a bad | | | | Second, my largest mistake was not going back to |
| idea to take out student loans for all of my college | | | | school and finishing my bachelor's degree after I had |
| education. I was destitute at the time and I was able | | | | finished my Associates degree. By waiting more than |
| to get Pell Grant and the Stafford loan so that I | | | | nine months, I ended up having to pay back my |
| could continue to take care of myself. | | | | loans at a higher interest rate and could have have |
| Years later, once I had completed my Associates | | | | been deferred as I earned my bachelor's. |
| degree, I had to pay back all of my student loans. Of | | | | If you have any intention of going to college and |
| course, there is a nine-month waiting period, but I | | | | earning a bachelor's degree or even higher, make |
| have not found a job in order to begin paying the | | | | sure you do this synchronously so that there are in |
| loans back in a timely manner. | | | | between the times that you take out student loans |
| It was at this point I realized that I had done a | | | | and going to school. |
| couple things wrong after I had left college. | | | | With the interest rates as low as they are today, he |
| First of all, there were several people that offered to | | | | would be in your best interest to find out if you can |
| refinance my loan that were reputable companies. I | | | | stop paying the high interest rates that you may be |
| did not take the time to do this. Today, most loans | | | | paying right now and refinance them for a lower |
| are sold without the student actually having a choice | | | | monthly premium. Avoid these mistakes that I made, |
| as to whether or not the new company should hold | | | | and you will have more money every month in your |
| their note. | | | | bank account. |