• Types of student loans
• Glossary of technical terms
• Managing your student loan
• Tips for student loan borrowers

These might be some of the questions you have as you start researching financial aid for college. Most students will need a student loan, so it's wise to know what all the terms mean and how they apply to you. Terms that are used in a definition but are defined in this section are indicated in blue.

• Borrower benefits - Think of these in terms of a price break you get when you buy something or a rebate you get after you buy it. A lender can charge an origination fee, while a guarantor can charge an insurance fee. Not all lenders and guarantors charge the same fees. These fees are deducted before you see the money, so the lower the fees, the more money you receive to pay for your education.

  Lenders may also give you breaks while you're in school. For example, your lender may deduct a certain percentage of the principal amount if you finish the semester or quarter for which you borrowed the funds.

  You can also get breaks when you start repaying your loan. Many lenders will charge you a lower interest rate if you follow certain criteria.

• Guarantor - This is like an insurance company. The guarantor has a contract with the lender to pay off a student loan under special circumstances.

• Insurance fee - It's just like car insurance, only it's not as expensive. The guarantor can charge you up to 1 percent of your loan as an insurance fee.

• Interest - This is the money you pay the lender for letting you use its money to pay your school costs. It's just like the interest you pay on your car loan, only it's generally lower.

• Lender - The lender is whoever loans you the money. It can be a bank, a nonprofit state corporation, a credit union, or some other financial institution.

• Origination fee - This helps cover the costs the lender has to pay for doing business with you. Lenders can charge up to a 3 percent origination fee.

• Principal - This is the actual amount you borrow before the origination fee and insurance fee are deducted. The interest you are charged will be based on the principal.

Reporting Changes

Many borrowers mistakenly believe they don't have to worry about managing their student loans until they graduate or leave school. If you transfer schools, drop credits, or extend your studies, you are responsible for keeping your loan in good standing and reporting changes to your lender.

Avoid problems by immediately notifying your lender and current school in writing if you:

• Change your address or telephone number. (Don't assume that filing an address change with the post office is enough.)
• Change your name.
• Transfer to a new school.
• Drop below half-time enrollment, withdraw, or graduate.
• Change your anticipated graduation date.

• CONTACT your lender in writing when you change your name, address, enrollment status, or school.
• ALWAYS keep copies of all correspondence relating to your loans for future reference.
• AVOID unexpected early repayment by informing your lender if you transfer schools, even if you don't take out another loan, or change the date you expect to complete your studies.

• Repayment options.
• Deferment.
• Forbearance.
• Consolidation.

Unless otherwise advised by the school, lenders use the anticipated graduation date listed on your most recent loan application to place your loan into repayment. Schools periodically report student enrollment; however, it is your responsibility to notify your lender of any enrollment change. Do not wait for your lender to contact you. If you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment, call your lender to arrange a repayment schedule.

Under the standard, graduated, or income-sensitive repayment options, you generally have up to 10 years from the date the first payment is due to repay each Federal Stafford and PLUS Loan. Your minimum monthly payment will be set by the lender and depends on how much you owe and the repayment plan selected. If you have no outstanding balance on student loans made before October 7, 1998, and owe more than $30,000 in student loans, you qualify for an extended repayment plan . Under that plan, you can take up to 25 years to pay, depending on how much you owe. You should also consider consolidating your student loans. Depending on your balance, consolidation can extend the repayment period for up to 30 years.

You should remember that:

• A loan must be repaid. It is not a grant. Signing the promissory note is a legal and binding promise to repay a loan. You must repay your loan even if you are dissatisfied with the education, do not graduate, or do not find a job.
• A grace period is the time between when you leave school or drop below half-time study and the time you are obligated to begin repaying your loan-usually six months, depending on the type of loan.
• It is up to you to know when repayment begins. Your lender will provide a repayment schedule which lists repayment terms and conditions. Please notify your lender of any change to your address. Your loan(s) can default without your knowledge if your lender is unable to contact you. The consequences of defaulting on your student loan are very serious. Avoid defaulting on your loan by keeping in contact with your lender.

When you start repaying your loan(s), keep these tips in mind:

• Repayment is your responsibility.
• You should contact your lender to arrange repayment of your loan.
• You should know when your first payment is due.
• You should explore alternative repayment options with your lender.
• Repayment plans can be changed once a year.

Four repayment options are available:

• Standard Repayment is the traditional option. Payments are set in a fixed amount to repay the debt within the maximum repayment period. The monthly payments may be adjusted each year to reflect the change in interest rates. A minimum payment of $50 applies in most cases.
• Graduated Repayment lets your installment payments change (usually increasing) over the repayment period.
• Income-sensitive Repayment is available if you provide the lender with information on the expected total gross monthly income you receive from all sources. Unless you consolidate your loans with your spouse, this doesn't include your spouse's income. Documentation must be provided annually for the lender to adjust your payment amounts accordingly.
• Extended Repayment is available if you had no outstanding balance on loans made before October 7, 1998, and you owe more than $30,000 in student loans. Payments are fixed annual or graduated amounts repaid over a period not to exceed 25 years.

A deferment is a time period in which no payments are due. For subsidized loans, interest that accrues during deferment is paid on your behalf by the federal government; for unsubsidized loans, you must pay the interest during these periods. It's your responsibility to request a deferment and to provide the lender with documents that support your eligibility. If you show that you are eligible for a deferment and provide the required documentation, your lender must give you the deferment.

Eligibility varies by deferment type-not all types apply to all borrowers. The most common deferments and circumstances under which you can apply are:

• In-school or Student Deferment for periods of full-time and half-time study at an eligible school.
• Summer Bridge Deferment Extension for periods when you have attended school in the spring and are planning to reenroll in the fall.
• Unemployment Deferment for periods when you are conscientiously seeking but unable to find full-time employment. (Full-time employment is defined as at least 30 hours of work each week that's expected to last at least three months.)
• Graduate Fellowship Deferment for periods of study under an eligible graduate fellowship program.
• Rehabilitation Training Program Deferment for periods while you participate in a qualified rehabilitation training program.
• Temporary Total Disability Deferment for periods when you are temporarily totally disabled or unable to secure or continue employment because you're caring for a dependent or spouse who's temporarily totally disabled.
• Military Deferment for periods of active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard).
• Economic Hardship Deferment for periods when you earn less than minimum wage or exceed a federally defined debt-to-income ratio.
• Parental Leave Deferment for periods when you are pregnant or caring for your newborn or newly adopted child.
• Working Mother Deferment for periods during which mothers of preschool-age children are entering or reentering the work force.

If you're unable to make scheduled payments, lenders may allow you to temporarily stop making payments as long as you intend to repay the loan. This is a forbearance. During a forbearance, interest continues to accrue. You may request a forbearance to allow for:

• A short period of time during which you make no payments.
• An extension of time for making payments.
• A period during which you make smaller payments than were originally scheduled.

Debt Consolidation

Paying back your student loans can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if you got loans from more than one lender or have more than one type of loan. If you do, that means having to keep track of making several payments each month.

It doesn't have to be that hard.

You may qualify for a Federal Consolidation Loan, which will combine all your student loans into one lump sum with one lender. That means you only have to make one payment each month — and the payment may be less than half of what you would have to pay if you don't combine your loans. You can also take longer to pay back your loans.

Interest rates are based on a weighted average of the interest rates on the loans you're consolidating, rounded to the next highest 1/8%. The maximum interest rate is usually 8.25%, and the rate is fixed for the life of your loan.

You also have your choice of three payment plans: level, graduated, and income sensitive.

Under the level plan, you make the same payment each month while you're repaying your Consolidation Loan.

With the graduated plan, the first two years you pay only the interest on the loan. After that, you pay more each month to pay off the loan.

Under the income-sensitive plan, payments are based on how much you make. The payment must at least cover the interest that accumulates each month.

How long you have to repay your loan depends on how much you owe.

Amount Consolidated	Maximum Repayment Term
Up to $7,499 $7,500-9,999 $10,000-19,999 $20,000-39,999 $40,000-59,999 $60,000 or more	10 years 12 years 15 years 20 years 25 years 30 years

Tip 1	Find out from the school's financial aid office what other aid you can receive-grants, scholarships, and work-study-before applying for a loan.
Tip 2	Ask the school financial aid officer to explain your budget. Make sure you understand the total cost of attending school, including the estimated living expenses.
Tip 3	Schools have rules on making refunds to students who withdraw. Know the details of a school's refund policy before you enroll. It can usually be found in the student handbook or the class schedule. Schools are required to provide you with this and other consumer information.
Tip 4	Check into the employment opportunities in the occupation you have chosen before you enroll in a program of study. Get information about pay for the type of job you'll be seeking when you complete the program. Will you earn enough to make the loan payments and meet other expenses for yourself and any family responsibilities? Those who default on student loans often do so after they're disappointed because the schooling they received didn't lead to the type of job or pay they expected. Disappointment is understandable, but this doesn't mean you don't have to repay the loan.
Tip 5	Borrow only what you need. Remember, you must repay your loan. The following chart shows the approximate monthly payment required on a Federal Stafford Loan depending on the interest rate. For new borrowers who have no outstanding loan balance, the interest rate is a variable rate with a cap of 8.25 percent. The rate is recalculated annually and is in effect for a 12-month period beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Note that the chart shows the approximate monthly payment required on each Federal Stafford Loan. For example, if you have two $2,500 loans, each from a different lender, your monthly payment would be $100 ($50 to each lender). For a quick estimate of how much you will pay based on how much you have borrowed, the interest rate, and the repayment period, use the Loan Repayment Calculator.
Tip 6	Federal regulations require all students receiving their first Federal Stafford Loan to complete entrance counseling before their funds will be released. The school you attend is required to provide this counseling service.
Tip 7	Consider getting all of your loans through one lender to minimize the chances of having to make payments to two or more institutions at the same time. The Master Promissory Note (MPN) can be used for up to 10 years if you use only one lender. Serial loans for repeat borrowers at eligible schools can result in a paper-free process.
Tip 8	Use student loans only for educational purposes. Giving false information, forging any information, or using loan funds for any purpose other than legitimate school expenses is a criminal offense.
Tip 9	When you begin repaying your loan, keep your payments up to date. Generally, you have up to 10 years to repay your student loans under the standard, graduated, or income-sensitive repayment options. A minimum monthly payment amount of $50 is required. Your repayment duration and amount will be calculated based on your loan balance. If you have no outstanding balance on student loans made before October 7, 1998, an extended repayment plan is available if you owe more than $30,000 in student loans. Under the extended repayment plan, you can take up to 25 years to pay, depending on how much you owe.
Tip 10	As you make your payments, consider rounding up-a few more dollars paid each month reduces the overall amount of interest you will pay over the life of the loan. If you pay an extra $10 each month, $120 per year, the extra money is applied to the principal you owe, which lowers the amount of interest you will be charged.
Tip 11	If you have any trouble making your payments, contact your lender immediately. You may be able to postpone or reduce your payments temporarily through a deferment or forbearance. Before you enter repayment, you will go through exit counseling, which will explain what kinds of deferments and forbearances are available.
Tip 12	Contact your lender about consolidating your student loan accounts. Depending on your balance, the Federal Consolidation Loan Program can extend the repayment period for up to 30 years. Graduated or income-sensitive repayment schedules may be available. Many loan types are eligible for consolidation.