Understanding Student and Parent Loan Options

HomeFinancePrivate LoansUnderstanding Student and Parent Loan Options For CollegeThis page may contain affiliate links.Feb 8, 2019 The prospect of paying for college can send students and parents into the stratosphere—along with the tuition costs that are already there. At Road2College, we advise all involved to leave no stone unturned when it comes to looking for â€Å"free† money to help pay for college. And we also know that once all possibilities have been exhausted, some students will still come up short and need to turn to loans to help bridge the gap. If your student is going to need loans for college, it makes absolute sense to know what options are available when it comes to federal and private loans. Educating yourself will help you find the best loans at the best rates for your specific situation. We recently spoke with Angela Colatriano of College Ave Student Loans, who helped us sort through the details that so many students and parents find intimidating. Here’s what she had to say†¦ What Loans Are Available To Students And Parents? FEDERAL LOANS Note: As of July 1st, 2018, rates on federal loans for undergraduates and parents will be increasing. Federal Stafford (subsidized and unsubsidized) loans will increase to5.04% and Parent Plus Loans will increase to 7.59%. The origination fees remain at 1.066% for Federal Stafford loans and 4.264% for Federal PLUS loans, but may change on October 1, 2018. Direct Stafford Student Loans These are loans available to students, strictly in a student’s name. Unsubsidized Loans:The interest on this loan starts accruing the minute the money â€Å"goes out the door to the school,† and it continues to accrue, regardless of whether or not payments are made. These loans are not considered to be need-based (there are basic academic requirements, etc.), so they are open to all students who file FAFSA. Subsidized Loans:Interest is not charged on these loans during the in-school period but begins accruing only after the student graduates. Subsidized loans areoffered to students based on demonstrated financial need. There are yearly and lifetime maximums for what students can borrow in Direct Stafford loans. Freshmen can qualify for up to $5,500 a year, sophomores up to $6,500 a year, and for junior and senior years that follow up to $7,500 a year. (There is also a lifetime cap, so check out the details on the Dept. of Ed. website.) Parent Plus Loans These are loans available to parents, strictly in a parent’s name. (Students are not responsible for this loan.) Keep in mind:Most students are eligible to take out Federal Direct Stafford loans (check the Dept. of Ed. website for more info about Federal Loans), so it is recommended that these loans be considered and used first. Once they have been â€Å"tapped out† (because there are limits on their amounts), it is THEN that a student and family may want to consider Private Loan options. PRIVATE LOANS These are loansoffered by private lenders, such as a local bank, a national bank, an online lender, or a credit union. Private Student Loans Private student loans are in the name of the student, but typically require a cosigner since most students do not have established credit or sufficient income history that could qualify them for a loan. Cosigners can be a parent or someone else who has invested in that child’s education. A good thing to keep in mind is the lower the â€Å"risk†, or the better the credit worthiness, of the cosigner, the better the loan rate can conceivably be. Keep in mind: Angela advises all cosigners to know the details of the lenders cosigner release criteria. Make sure you ask about this up front when you are researching and comparing loans. (College Ave offers Cosigner Release for their loans, see detailsbelow1.) Find Out More About College Ave Student Loans Private Parent Loans Private Parent Loans are loans strictly in a parent’s name. A student is not responsible for this loan. Private Parent Loans are similar to the federal Parent Plus Loan, as both will allow you to borrow up to the full COA (Cost of Attendance), but the Parent Plus Loan offers a single-fixed rate for everyone, while the interest rate on a Private Parent Loan will be based upon your individual credit worthiness. (College Ave Student loans impose no Origination Fee on their products.) Find Out More About College Ave Parent Loans What Is An Origination Fee? An origination fee is charged by a lender upon entering into a loan agreement to cover the cost of processing the loan.Federal loans always come with a loan origination fee, while private loans sometimes do not. College Ave student loans do not attach an origination fee onto their loans, but in the case of the Federal Parent Plus loans, the origination fee is4.264%. This addition can heavily impact the TOTAL cost of a Parent Plus loan, so it is wise to compare and contrast these loans with Private Loan options. You may, in some cases, get a better rate going the private loan route. When Is The Optimal Time To Apply For A Loan? According to Angela, the optimal time to apply for a loan is once you feel confident in the amount you need to borrow. The timing of this may vary, depending on when the college your student is attending has sent their tuition bill. Loan approval for a private loan can come through rather quickly, however, after the approval the school has to certify the loan amount according to each student’s cost of attendance. Typically, bills go out at the end of June through the middle of July and due dates are usually 30 to 45 days from that. Should You Borrow For One Semester Or The Full Academic Year? This varies on a case-by-case basis, however, if you do borrow for a full academic year, the lender does not send the entire years amount to the school all at once. The school will generally request only what is needed to cover the current tuition bill. Interest on the loan amount does not start accruing until the loan is disbursed and the interest is based only on the disbursed amount. The downside of requesting a loan for the full year is if you miscalculate, borrow too little and then need to take out another loan later in the year to cover the excess amount. Will The Interest Rate Differ If I Cosign For My Student’s Loan As Opposed To Taking Out A Private Parent Loan? Yes. The profile and pricing on a cosigned loan (with two responsible individuals) will be different from a loan with only one responsible party. It’s a good idea to shop them both and weigh all your options. When Should I Start Repaying Loans And What About Repayment Terms? Its good to consider what the repayment terms are on your loan and what choices you have for how many years you have to repay the loan. Questions to ask a potential lender are: Does the lender assign the repayment terms or do you get to choose? Will there be prepayment penalties? Will you have to pay a fee for prepaying? Can you get an interest rate discount if you make automatic debt payments? Keep in Mind: Know the factors that affect the costs†¦the TOTAL cost, the MONTHLY costs, and how you can get to a repayment plan that works within your monthly budget. Some lenders offerinterest rate incentives for people who commit to making payments while still in school or for those who choose shorter loan terms. Ask about them. (College Ave Student Loans offer 0.25% interest rate reduction with autopay.The College Ave website offers a calculator that will enable you to see how different scenarios will affect your rate, total cost, and interest charges. It’s a great tool that is available to everyone. College Ave Student Loans products are structured to encourage choices around repayment. Angela recommends starting to repay the loan as soon as you can, since that is the most direct path to minimizing interest charges. It will also guarantee you paying the least amount possible for that loan. Lenders offer repayment options—interest only; all at once—upon graduation (as examples), but Angela suggests that even if a deferred repayment option is chosen, dont hesitate to make even a small contribution as soon as you can. Do Loan Companies Accommodate Hardships? Private loan companies don’t necessarily have built-in income driven repayment plans and other repayment options that come with some federal loans, but that doesn’t mean your lender won’t try and find a way to work with you to get you back on track successfully. These options will vary from lender to lender, so call your servicer, and let them know you are in a bind. Act fast†¦the situation won’t go away, and will only get worse if you wait. Bottom Line Do Your Homework Before The Tuition Bill Comes Take the time between now and when your students tuition bill arrives to ask lenders for prequalifications so that you can get a sense of the interest rate range you will be in. Doing this type of research will help you know with which lenders you will want to apply. Know the distinction between monthly payments and the total cost. (Plan for four years.) Don’t borrow more than what you can expect to make after your first year of college. This is a good way to get your student involved in the decision-making process and thinking about a career and income for the future. Watch the full interview with Angela Colatriano here This post is sponsored by College Ave Student Loans. 1 College Ave Cosigner Release Requirements:A student borrower who is a U.S. citizen can request the release of their cosigner after more than half of the scheduled Repayment Period has elapsed, if the following requirements are met: The most recent 24 consecutive payments were made on-time and did not include any forbearance or workout programs for hardship reasons (an â€Å"on-time† payment is defined as paid within the grace period such that no late charges are assessed). The borrower has demonstrated income for the previous two years that is more than twice the outstanding balance of all their loans with College Ave Student Loans. A credit bureau review shows no late payments on any other obligations for the past 24 months. 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