Education Loan Rates

By: EconomyWatch Content   Date: 26 November 2009

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In 2003, a study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. It indicated that 50% of college graduates financed their education with student loans. Also, the average student loan size was about $10,000. Enormous as it may seem, one has to consider the rising cost of higher education each year. Then, this figure appears justified. Student loans make it easier for those who are from financially weak backgrounds to acquire a respectable college education. The clinch is that escalating educational loan rates cause a high burden of debt. 

Education Loan Rates and Other Considerations

Borrowers often take only the interest rates into consideration. The interest rates are offered by lenders, while comparing student loans but it is not sufficient to pay attention to the interest rate figures.

Other factors to consider are:

Interest type: Some interest rates are fixed for the entire duration of the student loan, while others vary or fluctuate with general market conditions. The former is a better option for those who are risk averse.

Interest caps: While applying for variable rate student loans, check if there is a cap or ceiling on how high the interest rate can go. An absence of interest cap is detrimental to a borrower’s financial standing, as it creates unmanageable debt obligations.

Interest capitalization: Different lenders capitalize interest rates differently, which may be either quarterly or annually. It may also be based on the time frame once repayment begins. The more capitalized the interest is, the larger it compounds.

Getting the Best Education Loan Rates

Important strategies for acquiring the best education loan rates are:

Get a Co-signer: It is easier to get lower interest rates if one applies for a loan with a co-signer. A co-signer is usually a parent or a guardian, who dons the role as a guarantor. This guarantee reduces the risk of loss and encourages the creditors to relieve the terms of the loan and reduce the education loan rates.  

Apply for a Consolidation: By merging multiple student loans into a single account, a borrower can acquire a lower interest rate. Under student loan consolidation, an interest rate is established by taking the average of interest rates of individual loans.  

 

For those who borrow using private student loans, it is possible to qualify for the best education loan rates by improving and maintaining a good credit score.


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