If you’re seeking to simplify your loan payments, consolidation and refinancing may have come up. While they both serve the same goal of streamlining payments, each term carries its meaning; only federal student loan balance consolidation is offered by the Department of Education, while refinancing provides an opportunity to take out new loan funds with potentially lower interest rates and better terms.
Review Recent Billing Statements
Maintaining an ongoing watch on your student loan information can be extremely helpful. By reviewing billing statements regularly, you can detect errors quickly – this is particularly useful given that most students need help understanding their loan’s terms and conditions.
Your credit report is another key piece of information. Student loans appear as installment debt, and payment history is integral to calculating your score. Therefore, having accurate and up-to-date data in your report is vital if you plan on applying for federal loans soon.
If your credit report shows an inaccurate private student loan balance or account status compared to what’s shown in NSLDS records, you can dispute this with each credit bureau. Each bureau must investigate and respond within 30 days, although disputes can take time and energy to process.