Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Bad Credit Student Loans

By Bob Saunders

Many people get discouraged when they decide to go to college and then find out that due to their bad credit they can not qualify for some of the standard student loans. Although it is understandable that you would be discouraged don't worry, there is a good chance that you will still qualify for loan that was designed for students with bad credit.

After being denied for a good loan your next step should be to go to family members and ask for a co-signer. If your mom, dad, brother, grandma, etc has good credit and is willing to co-sign for a loan then you will likely not have any trouble at all securing a loan under good terms.

Getting a co-signer with good credit will help you because the lending institution will look at their credit history and not yours. Obviously if they have a good credit history you will be able to not only get a loan but get it at a low interest rate. Getting a good co-signer is one of the best options for student loans for people with bad credit.

After looking for a co-signer your next step should be to contact several banks and student loan companies. Many of them have divisions that deal specifically with students with bad credit. While the terms of the loan will likely be less then ideal, the option is there and you should look into it.

Luckily if you make your payments on time and watch your finances while you are in school you will likely have a higher credit score when you need to pay off your loans and you can likely re-finance your school debt and get a lower rate later. Time is one of the great equalizers when it comes to your credit history. You can mess up but as long as you make payments for a few years any credit history can be fixed.

The next option is to apply for a combination loan. Combo loans are essentially so that you can consolidate your debt and pay a lower rate overall. If you have some debt at 12, 18, and 20 percent then once you have consolidated your loans you will likely be paying around 14 percent for the entire thing. This will help bring down the overall payment. And again if you are able to fix your credit scores then over time you can get lower and lower rates.

In case you missed it you should also apply for Stafford and Perkins loans. They are usually relatively easy to get if you have financial need. They are great because they usually have low interest rates and if you meet the qualifications then you will get it.

One of the best things you can do is to not be afraid of getting denied. If you go online and find every student loan and scholarship application and then fill them out you will be approved for at least a few of them. There are thousands of different scholarships available to you and if you apply to enough of them you may get to go to school for free regardless of your financial situation. Don't be discouraged and keep applying until you are able to attend school. - 15224

About the Author: