Essentially, a student loan consolidation gives you a longer period of time (as long as 30 years) to repay your student loans. Usually the interest rates are much lower since a student loan consolidation takes into average all the student loans you are currently paying.

The interest rate for a student loan consolidation is usually fixed and according to federal law, cannot be higher than 8.25 percent.

Though there are many benefits to having a student loan consolidation, many students are confused since there are such a wide variety of consolidation loans available from the government or private sectors.

Before applying for any student loan consolidation, a student has to do some research in determining which student consolidation loan is suitable for him/her.

Here are some pointers which you can take into consideration before taking out a student loan consolidation:

1. Credit Rating

It is important to know your credit score since it is a major factor in determining whether you get the student consolidation loan. If your rating is over 660, then you should not have any problems getting a loan. If however your credit rating is less than 600, you might want to evaluate ways to improve your credit score first.

Your credit rating will also determine the interest rate you have to pay for your consolidation loan. The higher the credit score, the lower the interest rate.

2. Interest Rate

Even though you can get lower interest rate with a student consolidation loan, the repayment period is usually longer. In the long run, you actually pay more for your loans. My advise would be to research for lenders who can allow you to upgrade your payment when you can afford it. For example, you may not be able to repay much when you are still a student, but once you have a job and have a regular income, it will be best to clear the loan as soon as possible.

3. Income minus Expenses

You need to evaluate your current income minus your expenses to determine your net income surplus each month. Analysis your expenses to see if you can reduce or eliminate any.

Make sure to do your research before taking out a student loan consolidation since you got only one chance at it. It is not easy to cancel it once you have signed the loan papers.