While consolidating or refinancing your student loans may be a wise idea financially, knowing which bank or lender to go through for carrying out the actual transaction can be confusing. This is because there are a number of different variables to consider when refinancing or consolidating your student loans in 2020.

Interest rates and loan terms are two of the key criteria that you should keep top of mind. However, the actual financial institution that you go through can also make a difference. With that in mind, it is important to compare several lenders prior to finalizing the transaction.

Below is a comparison of the best banks and lenders to help you refinance and consolidate both private and federal student loans. For a holistic review, we discuss student loan consolidation and refinance rates, terms, loan types, eligible degrees and everything you’ll need to make a decision on the best company to work with.

SoFi Review

At SoFi, both federal and private student loan debt can be either consolidated or refinanced. As a borrower, you are offered a wide range of variable and fixed interest rates to choose from. There are no origination fees or prepayment penalties, so additional borrowing costs are kept to a minimum.

SoFi also offers additional benefits to its borrowers. For example, with unemployment protection, if you lose your job while you still have a student loan balance, SoFi will temporarily pause your payments and even assist you in finding a new job by reviewing your resume, as well as offering you interview coaching and various tactics for negotiating, which can help you to get back on your “financial feet” more quickly.

If you opt to refinance your student loan, the entire process can take place online and it can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. All it takes is a quick pre-approval in order to ensure that you qualify. Once that is complete, you can choose a loan that fits your specific requirements and then just sign and upload the documents.

Earnest Review

Earnest is known for its flexibility in student loan refinancing and consolidation. With this lender’s Precision Pricing, you are able to choose the monthly payment that works the best for you and your personal budget. Earnest also looks forward when determining your overall financial picture – not just backward.

This means that rather than just evaluating your past financial and credit history, they also look forward and take into consideration your future financial potential and responsibility. This makes their loan underwriting that much more personal.

Furthermore, unlike most other lenders that transfer your loan to a third party servicer soon after receiving your paperwork, Earnest stays with you throughout the life of the loan. With that in mind, you can expect personal service – now and in the future.

CommonBond Review

CommonBond offers you the option to choose from fixed, variable, or hybrid interest rates. Hybrid rates allow you to pay a fixed rate on your loan for the first five years, and then pay variable rates for the last five years.

There are no hidden fees to contend with such as application fees, origination fees, or even prepayment penalties if you pay your loan off early. You are also protected from various financial “emergencies” such as job loss. For example, if you lose your job, CommonBond will pause your student loan payments – and will even assist you in finding new employment.

The process of consolidation or refinance is easy – and in most cases can be completed entirely online in just four steps. Just simply fill out the application, obtain your interest rate, upload the necessary documents, and wait for an approval.

Citizens Bank Review

Citizens Bank provides the opportunity to refinance high student loan debt or to consolidate multiple loans. This lender offers ways to get a lower interest rate, regardless of whether you are consolidating or refinancing student loans through them.

These can include automatic payments, which is when you authorize the Citizens Bank loan servicer to automatically deduct your monthly loan payments, you can save 0.25% off your student loan’s interest rate. Or a loyalty discount, which applies if you (or a cosigner) already has a qualifying account with Citizens Bank at the time that you apply, you may also be able to save 0.25% on a new Education Refinance Loan.

If you have poor (or no) credit, then applying for a loan consolidation or a refinance in conjunction with a cosigner may help your chances of approval. It can also help you to obtain a lower interest rate – which, in turn, can help to lower your monthly payment amount. At Citizens Bank, even if you apply along with a cosigner, once you have made 36 consecutive on-time payments on your loan, you can apply to release your cosigner from your loan.

LendKey Review

LendKey offers a way for borrowers and more than 13,000 credit unions and community financial institutions to essentially “match up” and find the best solution for all. This can help you to discover the option that works for your specific budget and payment schedule – all from the convenience of your computer.

Because of the transparent, low-interest lending structure of these types of financial institutions, you can make smart borrowing decisions when it comes to consolidating or refinancing your student loans through LendKey – which can essentially help you in lowering your interest rate, your monthly payment amount, and in turn, your overall lifetime payment that is due.

With LendKey, you will not be subject to paying any loan origination fees, or early loan payoff penalties, either. This can end up saving you thousands of extra dollars throughout the life of your student loan.

DRB Review

DRB offers borrowers both fixed and variable interest rates, with payment terms that range from between 5 and 20 years. If you happen to lose your job, DRB will allow you to cease making payments on your student loan during the time of your hardship – and they will even provide you with assistance in finding new employment.

Through this lender, you may be able to refinance up to 100% of your outstanding federal and private student loans. There are no origination fees, and no prepayment penalties if you pay off your loan early.

The Bottom Line

When considering a lender for a student loan consolidation or refinance, it is typically best to compare several prior to making your ultimate decision. It is important to note that the actual interest rate that you will receive on your loan will be based upon several factors that are specific to you and your unique background, including your income, credit score, and savings. Whether or not you apply with a cosigner can also be a factor.

With the tuition costs of college and university going up and not showing any signs of slowing down, the importance of a scholarship is higher than ever before. While scholarships have always been the saving grace for most financially strapped families who hope to send their children to some form of higher education, the prices they are forced to pay have reached unprecedented levels, often exceeding the annual income for some families. One helpful tool for students are monthly scholarships which are those that allow prospective recipients to apply, and a winner picked, each month. Below are some of the most accessible and popular monthly scholarships available to future or current undergraduates.

1. You Deserve it Scholarship by Scholarship Owl

Scholarship Owl provides one of the simplest monthly scholarships out there, as the requirements to enter this scholarship start and stop by simply creating and submitting your application. That’s it, that’s all you have to do, and your name is registered and eligible. Winners are picked at random each month, with the deadline landing within the second to last or last day of each month. If you miss the deadline for the current month, your application is simply rolled over into next month’s pool. Additionally, winners will also receive a month free of Scholarship Owl’s services.

2. Scholarship Points Scholarship by Scholarshippoints.com

This scholarship chooses winners randomly each quarter of the year. All students have to do is fill out a registration form on Scholarship Point’s website and they will be automatically entered into the $1,000 scholarship drawing.

3. Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship

Cappex’s Easy College Money Scholarship is a monthly scholarship open to US high school students who are going to enroll in a college or university. All students need to do is make a Cappex profile on their website and show proof of their enrollment in a college or university. Students will then be chosen each month for an award of $1,000 to their tuition costs.

6. Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

The $10,000 “Be Bold” Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded
the applicant with the boldest profile. The scholarship will be awarded to the student whose profile is most bold, according to these characteristics: earnest, determined and moving.

4. Course Hero $4K and Amazon Sweepstakes

This scholarship is offered by Course Hero and prizes include either a $4,000 scholarship award towards your college or university or a $100 Amazon giftcard. Those qualify you must be age 18 years or older, enrolled or in a college or university, and live in a qualified state. Those states that do not qualify are New York, Florida, and Rhode Island. A winner will be chosen each application period at random.

5. Niche Monthly Scholarship

The Niche Monthly Scholarship is a monthly sweepstakes, with the application deadline falling on the last or second to last day of the month. All high school students planning to attend college or university, and all current undergraduates, are all eligible to submit an entry, and a winner will be picked each month at random to receive the $2,000 scholarship award.

7. Nitro College Parent Scholarship

This scholarship, offered by Nitro College, is a bit different, as it is not prospective undergraduates and current undergraduates who are up for consideration, rather, it is their parents. The only eligibility requirements of the parent is that they have a high school or undergraduate student and are a US citizen. Each applicant must fill out a form, which includes a survey, provided by Nitro College and submit to be considered in each month’s drawing for the $2,000 scholarship award.

8. Nitro College Graduate Scholarship
This is another Nitro College Scholarship and is aimed towards current graduate students. The only eligibility requirements are that you are both a graduate student and a US Citizen or permanent resident. All applicants need to do is submit an online application on Nitro College’s website and their names will automatically be entered into the monthly drawing for the $2,000 scholarship prize.

9. Sallie Mae Plan for College Sweepstakes
This scholarship sweepstakes is provided by Sallie Mae (yeah the same people you’re probably in debt to, go figure) and is to the amount of $1,000. All prospective applicants need is to be a student ages 18 or older, and a US citizen or legal permanent resident and to create and register for a Sallie Mae account (if you don’t have one already). Once that is done you will automatically be eligible for the random monthly drawing.

10. Couragetogrow.com Scholarship

This scholarship, offered by Courage to Grow, is to the amount of $500. Students must be a high school junior or senior or a current undergraduate, a US citizen, and have a GPA of 2.0 or higher. To apply, students must fill out the application form and write a short 250-word essay pertaining to the specific topic of that month’s application. Applications close on the final day of the month and the winner for that month will be announced a week later.

11. Pursue Your Passion Scholarship

This scholarship is open to US students who are 18 or older and are going to receive an undergraduate education. Students must complete a short, roughly 100 word, essay detailing how this scholarship can help them achieve a learning in something they are intrigued or passionate about. Winners will be chosen for the $1,000 scholarship for their accredited college or university.

12. GoCollege Lucky Draw Scholarship

This is a fairly straightforward scholarship offered by GoCollege.com. All they require for applicants to be a US student who will be attending college or university and visit their website to tell them how they can improve it for students like yourself. A winner will be chosen each month for the $250 award.

13. The BG Scholarship
This scholarship is open to both US and international students and is relatively simple. All applicants must do is submit a short 250-word essay detailing why they believe they deserve the scholarship. The award is worth $300, and a winner will be chosen each month of the year.

14. $500 “Go Ennounce Yourself” Scholarship

Provided by GoEnnounce.com, this scholarship is to the amount of $500 and is open to high school students and students of 2- or 4-year colleges/universities who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC. Students must create an online profile at their website and submit fun and interesting facts about their university or unique ways in which they spend their time at school, with a winner being chosen each month.

15. Sun Trust Off to College Scholarship

This Scholarship is offered by Sun Trust Bank and is to the amount of $1,000. Applicants must be a high school senior planning to enroll in a college or university or current undergraduate students. They must also be a US citizen who lives in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, or the District of Columbia. To apply, you simply need to fill out an application form and your name will automatically be submitted for the biweekly drawings.

If you are looking for other scholarship opportunities, check out our easy scholarships list!

With college tuition costs rising every year, students look more and more for some type of way in which they can receive financial relief in covering the costs of pursuing a higher education. Well, after doing some research on “weird” scholarships, I can tell you in confidence that there is a scholarship for absolutely anyone. No really, I mean it, anyone. Zombie Enthusiast? Check. Potential potato industry kingpin? Covered. High schoolers who just so happen to caddie in the summer? Yep, them too. The list doesn’t stop there, so check out some of the weirdest scholarships below, and see if you just so happen to be eligible. If none of these weird scholarships excite you, perhaps you find the Because College is Expensive Scholarship an easy one to enter!

• Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship 

Yep, it’s exactly what is sounds like. This scholarship offers students ages 13 and up the opportunity to write about what they would do should their school become overrun by zombies. Due on October 31^st, you can be awarded $2,000 by showcasing your creativity in how you would cope with a zombie apocalypse, discussing things like where you would go and the essential items for your survival. 

• Doodle for Google Scholarship

It’s time that all of that doodling in class finally pays off, and with this scholarship, it really does. This is a Google sponsored scholarship in which applicants are asked to submit a doodle that they feel represents the selected theme of the year, 2020’s being kindness. The winner of the contest receives a $30,000 scholarship for their tuition, in addition to a $50,000 package to the winner’s school. The deadline varies year to year, but usually takes place in March. 

• Tall Clubs International Students Scholarship 

This scholarship has an unusual prerequisite for applicants: all women must be at least 5’10” and men must be at least 6’2”. Applications open from September to February and end in March and require all applicants email the Tall Clubs International Foundation with both their height, city, and state as well as entering their first year of college in the following Fall. 

• Stuck at Prom Scholarship 

Recall the MythBusters episode in which they built multiple things out of duct tape, ranging from hammocks all the way to a sea-worthy ship they actually sailed in. What did they leave out? Prom attire. Don’t worry, however, because Duck Tape inc. has you covered. This scholarship awards the owners of the best tuxedo and prom dress made strictly from Duck Tape’s duct tape product a $20,000 scholarship to wherever the high schooler will be attending college that fall. 

• Asparagus Club Scholarship 

This scholarship is sponsored by the National Grocers Association and is offered to undergraduate juniors and seniors, as well as graduate students. The only requirements are that the applicant has a minimum 2.5 GPA and be majoring in business, food management, or other related fields. In addition, students must describe their ambitions in the food industry as well as professor recommendation. The association awards up to 10 scholarships each year which comprise of a $2,000 award per semester. 

• Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest Scholarship 

Do you consider yourself an esteemed duck caller? Well, the Stuttgart, Arizona Chamber of Commerce offers students the chance to capitalize on those skills in the form of scholarships for their education. They award $2,000 to first place, $1,000 for second, $750 for third, and $500 for fourth, and is open to any high school senior graduating in 2020. Applicants must provide their transcript, proper identification, and elite duck calling skills. 

• Prom Guide Cutest Couple Scholarship 

Everyone thinks that they have the cutest relationship on the face of the earth. Well, now it’s time to put your money where your mouth is, couples. This contest, sponsored by Prom Guide Magazine, is open to high school juniors and seniors and only requires you to post you and your significant other’s prom pic. Winners will be selected by the highest number of votes on Prom Guide’s Instagram page, giving the winners $1,000 for their next step in education. 

• CoffeeforLess.com “Hit the Books” Scholarship

Coffee, most of need this delicious beverage just to get the ball rolling in the morning, and your love for it is about to pay off. In this scholarship, applicants are asked, in 500 words or less, to describe the roll of education in their life, with extra consideration being awarded to those who creatively incorporate coffee into their essay. The winner will receive $500 to go towards their books and school materials for the year. 

• National Potato Council Scholarship 

Are you a fan of potatoes? Are you passionate about potatoes? Well, the National Potato Council has got you covered. This $10,000 scholarship is awarded a graduate student pursuing a career in the potato industry and the selection criteria is based on leadership abilities, grades, potato-related graduate study, and who feels they can best benefit the future of the potato industry. 

1. Shout it Out Scholarship 

Sponsored by Unigo, this scholarship is relatively straight forward. This scholarship is open to all students ages 13 and older who are planning on acquiring some form of higher education post high school. In 250 words or less, students must answer the question, “If you could shout one thing to the world, what would it be and why?” The winner is awarded $1,500 towards the tuition of their secondary education. 

• Parapsychological Association Research Scholarship 

Ghost and other paranormal stories are as old as time, and many people write them off as fiction. Well, the parapsychological association thinks that these topics need further research and are willing to sponsor research projects in the paranormal from $2,000 and up to $5,000. If you are willing to dig into what goes bump in the night, then this scholarship is the one for you. 

• Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award Sweepstakes 

The credit agency, Discover, offers students normal student loans, but this contest is a bit different. This may be one of the easiest and most simple scholarships to apply for, as there is no essay or project associated with the application. The only requirement is that you are a high school senior pursuing higher education, and winners are chosen at random and awarded a $5,000 scholarship for their university costs. 

• The Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Left-Handed Scholarship

If you are a sophomore, junior, or senior at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA and also happen to be left-handed, then you are eligible for this scholarship. Students are chosen who have competitive grades and are left-handed. That’s it. Those are the only two requirements to potentially receive a $1,000 to $1,5000 scholarship.

• Gamers Helping Gamers Scholarship 

Are you a fan of Magic: The Gathering card game? Well, Gamers Helping Gamers has the perfect scholarship for you. To be considered, applicants must send their transcript, a FAFSA form, and an essay that covers your academic goals, how Magic: The Gathering has impacted your life, what your favorite and least favorite cards and mechanics are, and what you can learn from the game to apply to real-world problems. The winner of this unique scholarship is awarded $5,000 to their place of higher education. 

• Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship 

Any caddie will tell you how miserable carrying around bags in the blistering sun over and 18-hole course can get. Well, the Western Golf Association Evans Scholar Foundation has quite the payoff for young caddies who are heading to college. Applicants must demonstrate a strong caddie record, as well as outstanding character and grades, in addition to financial need. The winner of the scholarship will have their FULL housing and tuition costs covered and is renewable each year so long as the recipient maintains at the very least 2.5 GPA.

Should you pay off your student loans or invest? It’s a classic question for recent graduates and young adults. If you’ve exited college and are either actively employed in the work force or still seeking a job, it is likely that you may have at least some amount of student loan debt to pay off. The good news is that you’re not alone, as it is estimated that roughly 40 million people are in the same boat, with an average student loan amount of $35,000.

But being a part of this group doesn’t make it any easier to determine what exactly you should do going forward in terms of paying off your debt obligation or investing your money for the future.

Fortunately, asking yourself “should I pay off my student loans or invest?” is the right question to be asking because where you put your money determines how you maximize your wealth, and is thereby a step towards becoming debt-free and financially independent.

Considerations For Your Future Finances

Today, people are living longer than ever before, which in turn means that you could essentially spend 30 or more years in retirement. While that time may seem a long time away, the earlier you start investing could be the difference between retiring a millionaire and running out of funds.

On the other hand, student loan debt is still an important financial obligation – one that is required to be repaid, so at the very least, you should make the minimum monthly student loan payment. However, by paying off your student loan(s) more quickly, it could mean that you will have more disposable income to invest with once the student debt is fully paid off.

Pay Off Debt or Invest?

In determining the best course of action for you, there are a number of key factors that you should consider. Here’s how to decide whether you should pay off your student loans or start investing young and early.

Liquidity Requirements

As you enter into the world, you will need to have a good idea of how much money you need to not only meet your everyday living expenses, but also in case of an emergency. With that in mind, many financial experts advise building up an “emergency fund” in the amount of between three and six months of your expenses. That way, just in case of a job loss or other emergency, you will be able to still pay your bills for a certain period of time.

Also, you will need to be sure that you are comfortable paying your monthly expenses after you’ve paid your student loans or made contributions to your investment account. Therefore, calculate just how much you have coming in (after taxes and other deductions), versus what you need to live on each month. If you have an overage on the income side, even with making your student loan payment, then putting those funds into savings or investments can make sense.

Ultimately, the best situation is to have enough money to both pay off your loans and invest at the same time. The amount you contribute to each financial need really depends on your rate of return.

Employer-Sponsored Savings Plans

Whether your employer offers a retirement savings plan can also make a difference. In this case, many of these plans, like the 401(k), allow you to defer a portion of your income before taxes. This can mean that the amount of your annual income is reduced when tax time comes, resulting in a lower amount of income tax due or a bigger refund.

You should also check into whether or not your employer offers a matching program on your retirement plan contributions. If so, it may require you to contribute at least a certain amount of money into the plan. If you qualify for the employer match, it is like receiving “free money” in your account, so be sure to always maximize your 401K match.

Interest Rates vs Expected Investment Returns

Another important factor to consider is the amount of interest that you are paying on your student loan versus your anticipated investment returns. Criteria here will be dependent on what you plan to invest in.

For instance, some of the “safer” options such as money markets, CDs, and bonds are currently paying very low rates of interest. For example, if your investments will only be paying you 2%, but the interest rate on your student loan is more, then it makes sense to forge ahead and pay off your loans first.

The same goes for other types of debt. If you have credit card debt that is costing you 20% to 30% interest per month, don’t even bother investing till you’ve paid off your credit card bill.

Also, many of the risk-free savings and investment options will not keep pace with inflation, so it is essential for you to factor that into your equation. For example, an annual inflation rate of 3% and an investment return of 2% actually mean you are losing money.

This means that the investments you choose should ideally beat the rate of inflation, as well as the interest rate on your student loan. Long-term, your best bets are equities in the stock market.

Student Loans vs Investments

While you may want nothing more than to invest for your future, sometimes paying off debt can be your best investment. Consider the factors above as they relate to your specific financial circumstances and decide what makes senses for your money. If the sides are evenly balanced, figure that becoming debt-free can often provide a huge intangible benefit – peace of mind.

Contact us if you want ideas on how to lower your payments via consolidation or refinancing and free up some extra cash to invest.

Below are some mistakes students make on their college applications that really hurt their chances of being accepted at their top schools.

1. Starting too late- give yourself plenty of time to develop your unique story, it make takes months to do so!

2. Being generic- your essay should tell the admissions committee something unique about who you are and what you’ll bring to the campus that the rest of your application doesn’t.

3. Burning yourself out- Don’t join too many clubs, take 5 AP courses and volunteer on the weekends- you’ll burn yourself out

4. Doing anything cold- take practice exam and do a bunch of mock interviews

5. Selling yourself short- don’t be bashful- brag on your application

6. Acting aloof- visit schools, talk to professors and speak with students in programs or organization you may want to join so that you can discuss in your supplemental essays.

7. Skipping the optional essay- don’t let this opportunity slip by as your chance to show all the research you’ve done on the school and why you’re a perfect fit.

If you’ve recently completed your college education, or even if you left school without obtaining a degree, you may now be required to repay financial aid that you were awarded, such as your student loans. If you’re thinking of strategic ways to lower your debts faster, one option is to get your job to forgive or pay off your student loans.

Today, it is estimated that more than 40 million people in the U.S. are saddled with student loan debt, with an average loan balance of more than $35,000. And, due to the continuously rising cost of higher education, each year, a new class of students will be in even more debt than the last.

Having this type of debt obligation when just starting out in the working world can make it difficult to get ahead financially. The good news is that there may be a way to reduce, or even eliminate, your student loan balance by going into certain fields of employment.

Here is a list of jobs that forgive or pay off student loans.

Student Loan Forgiveness Jobs

By working in various jobs, you could essentially make your student loan debt more bearable, and in some cases, even be able to have most or all your student loans paid off. The jobs or careers that offer this unique opportunity include:

Civil Servant, Government Agencies

If you opt to go to work for the government, you could have your student loan forgiven after 120 monthly loan payments, or 10 years, as a part of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This program is open to federal, state, and local government agency employees, regardless of your title or authority. The agency is allowed to pay up to $10,000 per year for federally-insured loans, but the total assistance cannot exceed $60,000 per employee.

One example includes student loan forgiveness for lawyers from the Department of Justice via the Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program (ASLRP).

Military and Public Employment

If you have a Perkins Loan, then you may be able to have all of this debt forgiven if you serve in a hostile zone as a member of the military. There are other professions that can qualify for this type of loan forgiveness, including law enforcement and corrections officers, public defenders, firefighters, nurses, EMTs (emergency medical technicians), and social workers who work with families in high-risk or low-income areas.

Student Loan Forgiveness For Teachers

Certain areas of the teaching profession may also qualify for student loan forgiveness. Based on the Education Department’s guidelines, a teacher who has a Federal Perkins Loan may get all of their balance forgiven if he or she teaches for five consecutive years in a public school that serves low-income families.

Eligibility also extends to teachers who specialize in math, science, special education, foreign language, or bilingual education. You could also qualify if you teach in an area where there is a shortage of teachers.

As a teacher, you can get up to $17,500 of your student loan forgiven if you teach for five consecutive years in a federally designated low-income secondary institution and you teach either science or math. Up to $17,500 in student loan forgiveness could also be available to you if you work for five years at either a low-income elementary or secondary school as a special education teacher.

In other cases, up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness could be available to other public elementary or secondary school teachers, provided that your school qualifies for these funds under Title l of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and that at least 30% of the school’s students qualify for Title l Services and are on the Teacher Cancellation Low Income Directory that is put out by the Education Department.

Non-Profit Organization Employee

If you work for a non-profit organization that qualifies for tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service and is not a partisan political entity or a labor union, you could also obtain loan forgiveness. It is important to note, though, that any time you spend on worship services, religious instruction, or any type of proselytizing will not count.

Volunteer

There are also certain volunteer organizations that could allow you to qualify for up to 70% forgiveness of your Federal Perkins Loan. For instance, going into the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps or Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) will qualify.

State of Residence

Depending on your state of residence, certain jobs and job categories may help you to pay off or reduce your student loan balance. For instance, if you are a dentist in the state of Kansas, you may be able to receive up to $30,000 per year for two years. Likewise, if you are a large animal veterinarian in the state of Minnesota, you could receive $15,000 for five years of work.

There are also instances where your actual job category may not even matter, as long as you reside in a certain area. For example, simply moving to Niagara Falls, New York could qualify you for $7,000 over two years.

Final Word

While you may have a large financial burden on your plate in terms of student debt, what you choose to do after college and where you plan to do it could end up saving you a lot of time and money in payments. By finding a job that pays off your student loans faster, you can free up funds that can then be used towards a down payment on a home and for investing for your future.

Paying off student loans isn’t fun, especially when you consider how much interest you are paying over the term of your loan. But what if there was a way to pay off your student loans faster and become debt-free earlier in life? Below, you’ll learn about the smartest and best ways to pay off student loans quickly.

If you are bogged down with student loan debt, you may feel as if you will never get out from under your obligations. By having this extra payment (or multiple student loan repayments) to make each and every month, you might also feel like this debt is keeping you from doing other things with your money, such as investing or saving for a home.

The Best Ways To Pay Off Student Loans

The good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. By taking advantage of certain student loan repayment strategies, just about anyone can pay off student loans faster and become debt-free.

From taking advantage of loan forgiveness programs to refinancing to paying more than the minimum payment more often than once a month, these tips will help you become debt-free before your 30s and 40s. You can even combine several of these money tips to further accelerate your payoff.

Plan For The Future

When successful people are asked how they accomplish great things, many will say that they first visualized what they wanted to achieve. In ridding yourself of your student debt, one of the first and best strategies is to envision what your future will be like when your student loans have been paid off.

For example, what would you be able to do once your student loans have been paid off? Would you start saving for a new home? Take more vacations? Start investing for retirement?

Although visualization is not technically a repayment strategy per se, doing so on a regular basis will provide you with the motivation to follow through on doing whatever you need to do in order to get your student loan(s) paid off faster. If you have a goal to look forward to, you will be more disciplined in reaching it.

Take Advantage of Loan Forgiveness Programs

If you have a federal student loan, then you may be able to have some or all of the balance “forgiven” by taking advantage of student loan forgiveness programs. In order to do so, you will need to work in a certain profession or live in a certain area of the country.

For instance, if you are employed at a federal agency for at least three years, you may be eligible to receive up to $10,000 per year on your federally-insured student loan – up to a total of $60,000.

Who Qualifies For Loan Forgiveness Programs?

There are also public service jobs that will allow you to cancel your Federal Perkins Loan. Just some of those graduates who can qualify in this area include law enforcement and corrections officers, family and child services employees, and public defenders.

If you are a public servant who has a loan that is other than a Perkins loan, then you may be able to obtain forgiveness of your student debt via the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, or PSLF. This program is available to any government employees – federal, state, and local – as well as those who work for tax-exempt entities or for-profit institutions with a qualifying service.

It is important to note that if you want to qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, you will have to make a minimum of 120 qualifying monthly payments on your student loan, or basically ten years’ worth of payments, and your loan must not be in default.

You may also be able to have your student loan reduced or possibly even eliminated altogether by simply moving to certain areas. For instance, relocating to Niagara Falls, New York could get you up to $7,000 over two years.

Pay More Than The Minimum Amount

If your income allows you to do so, you could simply make more than the minimum payment on your student loan (or loans) each month. In this case, you will make the required payment, and then add more money to it. This extra amount will go towards paying down the principal directly, thereby reducing your interest payments in the future. Even small additional amounts of $25 or $50 per month can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in interest costs over time.

Discount Your Monthly Student Loan Payment

You may be able to obtain a discount on your monthly student loan payment by signing up for the automatic debit option. There are many types of loans – including student debt – that will reduce your interest rate by a quarter or half percent when your payment is automatically deducted from your bank account each month.

Make Your Student Loan Payment More Often

Rather than just making monthly student loan payments, if your income allows for it, make a payment every two weeks. In this case, you don’t necessarily have to make the full amount of the payment each time – although if you do, you will really be able to see results more quickly.

However, even if you just simply split your regular monthly payment in half, and then pay that amount every two weeks, you will end up with an additional full payment every year. This is because you will have made the equivalent of 13 months of payments over the 52-week period of time.

Ultimately, the other benefit of this is that your payments are more quickly applied and your interest expense is reduced. This is one of the easiest ways to get rid of student loan debt fast without actually making any changes to your lifestyle or habits.

Consolidate Your Student Loans

Depending on the type of student loan debt you have, you may be eligible for student loan consolidation. This is a process in which students take multiple loans with different terms and payment schedules and combine them into just one loan with one easy monthly payment.

Furthermore, this payment may be lower than what you were cumulatively paying with the multiple loans because you may be given better terms and conditions. With a lower payment amount, you may then be able to add additional funds to the monthly amount that you send in – allowing faster payoff.

Refinance Student Debt

Similar to consolidation, you may also be able to refinance your student loans. Companies like CedarEdLending work with students to research and find lenders who can offer lower interest rates and better terms. If your current student debt is too expensive and you have good credit, refinancing your loans can make paying them off faster and easier to accomplish.

Earn More Money

If you are working full-time and are limited by the amount of money that you can put towards paying off your student loan(s), you could take on either another part-time job, do some freelance work, or start a small side-hustle.

By checking job sites for part-time work, you will likely be able to find something relatively quickly. You could also check the postings on Craigslist, in either the jobs or the gigs section, for short-term or part-time positions.

You could also consider making additional income as an Uber driver. Here, you will be able to determine your own work schedule, while at the same time earning money by simply driving people to the places you and they need to go.

If you would rather work from home and set your own hours, getting freelance assignments through websites like Upwork or Guru can be lucrative. And, because you can set your own schedule, you won’t be locked into certain days and times that you need to be somewhere.

Sell Stuff for Cash

You may be able to come up with some extra cash by selling unwanted or unneeded items that you have. For example, by going through your closet, basement, or attic, you might be surprised at what you’ve been keeping stored and what may be worth some money to someone else.

Likewise, if you have a gift card in your wallet that you aren’t likely to use, these can be sold online for cash. Or, if you have access to a Coinstar Exchange, you can receive instant cash for cards that are valued at $20 or more. If you have an old cell phone, tablet, or MP3 player that is just sitting in a drawer somewhere, these too could be worth some money on Gazelle or Swappa.

The Internet has made getting rid of items for cash fairly easy. Using websites like eBay or Craigslist, you can quickly list your items for sale, and have the cash in hand within days.

“Borrow” Money from Yourself

While it may seem like you are taking from one pocket to put into another, you could consider borrowing the needed funds from yourself in order to pay off your student loans. In this case, if you are enrolled in a retirement plan such as a 401(k) through your employer, you could obtain money from your account.

While not all employers will allow loans from their 401(k) plans, if yours does, you are typically allowed to borrow up to half of your total account balance, up to $50,000. And, you will have five years in which to pay it back.

It is important to note in this case that if you do not make any re-payments for 90 days, the funds that you have borrowed from your retirement plan will then be considered taxable income. Also, if you leave your employer, you will usually need to repay the loan within a shorter period of time.

Similarly, if you have a permanent life insurance policy, you could consider borrowing the needed funds from there. Permanent life insurance is the type of coverage that provides both death benefit protection and a cash value build-up. Should there be an ample amount of cash in the policy, this could be used for paying off your student loans.

The repayments that you then make to your life insurance policy will usually have a low rate of interest – and, if you do not end up paying back these funds, the amount of the unpaid balance will be deducted from the death benefit that your beneficiary receives.

Use Your Tax Refund or Bonus

Throughout each year, you may receive a nice lump sum of cash. For example, you may be eligible to obtain a refund on your taxes. You may also receive a quarterly or an annual bonus from your employer.

If this is the case, then you may consider using that cash windfall towards paying down your student loan debt. This can be so much more beneficial than going out and spending the money on something frivolous. Moreover, by paying off your student loan faster, you will be able to use future cash windfalls on other wealth-building opportunities.

The same holds true if you receive a pay raise at work. If you are used to netting a certain amount of money each month and you are comfortably able to pay all your bills, then by applying the additional income to your student loan, you will be able to pay it off more quickly.

Reduce Your Living Expenses Temporarily

If you can reduce your monthly living expenses, even just temporarily, then you could apply what you have saved to your student loan.

For instance, you may be able to go with a lower cost monthly plan on your cell phone or cable package. You can also save money each day by taking your lunch to work instead of eating out. The same goes for making dinner at home rather than going to a restaurant.

You should also take a look at your insurance policies, namely car, home, renter’s, and life. With car insurance, you may be able to lower your monthly or annual premium by either reducing the amount of coverage that you carry or raising the amount of your deductible.

If you really want to make headway, you may even be able to move to a less expensive apartment or find a roommate to help you share expenses. In doing so, you are likely to save hundreds of dollars each month that could instead be applied to your student loan payoff.

Final Word

Although your financial situation with student loans may seem impossible and frustrating at first, by settling on some of the above strategies and remaining focused on your goal, you can rid yourself of your student debt obligations faster than you think.

Contact us to learn more about your student loan consolidation and refinancing options.