What is a government debt consolidation loan?

This is a kind of are loan that is made available (usually through the Federal government) to pay off multiple loans that you may have. By borrowing a sum of money from the government, you can pay back multiple creditors. This allows you the relative luxury of having one single monthly payment compared to three or four (or more). Debt consolidation also helps you by offering a lower the interest rate. This is done by converting the debt from unsecured to secured, e.g., using your home for collateral.

What are my options for a government backed debt consolidation loan?

The most readily available government loans are for students. Many students (and also recent graduates) have multiple student loans, credit card debt, and medical bills. The US Department of Education offers debt consolidation loans for the purpose of paying off federal education loans. Then they will issue the student a new loan for the amount of the old loans.

What should I look for?

The Higher Education Act (HEA) mandates a loan consolidation program under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Programs and the Direct Loan Program. This means that you have an opportunity to pay off your multiple student loans by getting a new loan.

What sorts of benefits does this give me?

Your loans may all have different terms and repayment schedules; also, they may have been issued by different lenders. By consolidating your debts, this simplifies your loan repayment by paying back several types of Federal education loans into one new loan. Also, the interest rate may be lower than on one or more of the underlying loans.

Not only that: the amount you pay every month on a loan is often going to be lower and the amount of time to repay may be stretched out as well, compared to the original loan. All in all, this means that you will have a debt that is more manageable and make it more likely that you can pay it back in time.

How can I get a debt consolidation loan like this?

To get a Direct Consolidation Loan, you have to already have at least one Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loan. In addition, that loan must be in a “grace period,” or have been granted a deferment, or default status. If your loan does not fit that profile, it can’t be included in a Direct Consolidation Loan. Contact Federal Student Aid at the US Department of Education for more details.

Government debt consolidation loans are loans offered through various government programs to pay off multiple loans. This enables an individual to take care of one single monthly payment compared to 3 or 4 payments to different creditors. This is the principle of debt consolidation. Debt consolidation also helps by lowering the interest rate by switching from unsecured debt to secured debt.

The federal government has various programs that help particularly students in debt to consolidate their loans to quickly reduce and eliminate their debt. Students typically have student loans, credit card debt, and medical bills that keep them in a state of high debt. The Department of Education pays off the original federal education loans and issues a new loan for the consolidated amount of the old loans. This is done as part of the Direct Consolidation Loan Program.

The Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Programs and the Direct Loan Program are programs that fall under the Higher Education Act (HEA) and allow loan consolidation. This works by issuing a new consolidation loan to the borrower that pays off the borrower’s existing loans. The borrower might have contracted the existing loans from various lending agencies, which have different terms, repayment dates and arrangements. Paying off these multiple loans with one loan and making a single monthly payment helps individuals effect timely payments at a lower interest rate. With a consolidated loan, the monthly payment amount is generally lower. Moreover, there is increased clarity as to the total term of payback, the exact interest rate charged, and the payment due date. In most cases the payback term can be increased to ease the payoff process and reduce the monthly commitments.

The government debt consolidation loan program has four plans for the borrower – standard plan, extended payment plan, graduated payment plan, and income contingent repayment (ICR) plan. Each of these plans has features that suit the situation of a borrower, thus providing the flexibility required of a debt consolidation and elimination program.