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Changes to College Loan Laws Benefit Borrowers

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College students, their parents, and graduates paying back student loans can all benefit from recent changes to federal loan laws, described below.

Changes to Federal Loan Applications
All new federal college loans will be made through the Department of Education’s Direct Loan Program. This means that the subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans and Perkins Loans made to students, and Parental Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) made to parents are no longer available through banks or private lenders like Sallie Mae.

Banks and private lenders can of course still offer their own college loans, but there is now a distinct separation between private and government loans. This has made the process for getting federal loans clearer, since there is now only one way to apply: fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and inform your college that you would like to take out federal loans.

Federal loans may also become easier to get. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org, told the Wall Street Journal that his research shows that private lenders have historically approved far fewer federal loans than the Direct Loan Program.

Changes to Federal Loan Interest Rates
Some federal loans have become cheaper as a result of lower interest rates. The fixed rate on a subsidized undergraduate Stafford Loan has decreased from 5.6 percent to 4.5 percent. PLUS Loans that were at 8.5 percent interest have been dropped to the 7.9 percent rate that some PLUS Loans were already being charged.

Changes to Pell Grants
The maximum Pell Grant amount has gone up from ,350 annually to ,550. Both full-time and part-time students are eligible for Pell Grants, which are awarded based on financial need. Fill out the FAFSA to apply.

Changes to Federal Student Loan Repayment Options There have been several changes to the guidelines for paying back student loans:

• 2010 graduates with Stafford Loans that originated before July 1, 2006 can consolidate the loans within six months of leaving school to lock in a low 1.87 percent rate. These loans will otherwise have a variable interest rate refigured yearly.

• Eligibility for the Income Based Loan Repayment Program (IBR) for federal student loans is now calculated using the greater of either: the current amount of the loan or the balance when repayment began. In the past, eligibility was determined only by a comparison of the loan amount at initiation of repayment with your income. If you qualify for IBR, your loan payments are capped at a certain percentage of your income, and all remaining debt is forgiven after 25 years.

• Couples who jointly file taxes and are both paying back loans through IBR now have their payments calculated differently. Calculations now take into account that their joint income has to cover the sum of their loans. Before, the joint income was used to determine the payments for each individual’s loan, resulting in a high total amount due.

So there’s lots of good news, but current students might have to deal with some red tape. If you have a federal student loan that was made through a private lender before these changes went into effect last July, and you need to take out a new loan, you will have to sign a Master Promissory Note. This can be done online. Contact your financial aid office for more information about how the rule changes affect you, and how to make the most of the new borrower-friendly laws.

Kelli Smith writes about colleges and universities, community colleges, online schools, and career development. She is the senior editor at www.CollegesandUniversities.org.


Article from articlesbase.com

Business Finance and Working Capital Financing Changes

As business owners develop their small business loan plans for future financing and refinancing throughout the United States, there is an increasing awareness that there have been significant business finance changes that cannot be ignored. Some of these measures are likely to end up being permanent, and even the temporary commercial mortgage loan and working capital loan changes are expected to be in place for an extended time due to the severity of the current financial climate.

The net result from business finance changes has been a reduction in commercial lenders as well as stricter standards for acquiring commercial loans and commercial mortgages. Unfortunately there has also been no shortage of misinformation about the availability of commercial funding.

A significant reduction in business lending activity overall is perhaps the most dramatic change. This has been due to several events occurring almost simultaneously. Several major commercial lenders have gone out of business altogether. Even though they have continued consumer lending, many banks have stopped commercial finance lending. Numerous business lenders have enacted stricter standards for the commercial financing transactions they are still willing to consider.

It remains to be seen how many changes will be permanent or temporary. But from a practical perspective, commercial borrowers are left with no choice but to adapt to the changing business finance environment. Business owners must be prepared to operate within a more complicated climate for commercial mortgage loans and small business loans regardless of how long the changes might be kept in place.

What should borrowers do about this? A primary option that business owners should explore involves looking beyond their local market area for help with commercial loans. A commercial financing expert operating throughout the United States should be helpful in improving upon this situation.

In addition to fewer business lenders to choose from, there are two other significant changes which must be anticipated by business owners before seeking new commercial loans. First, commercial lenders are increasingly demanding more collateral for virtually all business finance funding. Second, most lenders have cancelled or are about to eliminate unsecured lines of credit (usually called working capital loans) for many businesses.

Considering a business cash advance program based on future credit card processing transactions is likely to be an effective commercial financing strategy for overcoming the combined obstacles of more collateral, reduced unsecured credit lines and fewer lenders. This is proving to be one of the few sources of business funding that has not been adversely impacted by recent events. It will be productive to discuss the potential with a business finance expert who can provide advice about small business financing solutions including business cash advances and other financial options.

It is increasingly obvious that many banks will continue to modify their business lending programs in response to changing conditions. This means that another key change issue for working capital financing and commercial mortgages is the likelihood that more changes will be forthcoming in the near future.

To adequately prepare for future commercial finance changes that might (or might not) occur is a daunting task for a business owner. A commercial financing expert familiar with Plan B contingency financing for small business loans will prove to be a valuable resource for any borrower wanting to seriously deal with both current and future changes impacting the financial health of their business. By having a candid conversation with a commercial loan expert, business owners should be more capable of implementing an appropriate strategy for the vast changes which have recently occurred or are about to become effective for most business financing and working capital finance funding.

Learn how to avoid mistakes for small business loans and commercial mortgage loans – Steve Bush is a working capital finance expert => AEX Business Finance Programs and Commercial Loans – The Working Capital Journal