Making it through college is a tremendous accomplishment that any student should be proud of. A degree may make you more valuable on the job market, but your credit probably took a bit of a beating as a result of student loans. Yet, without loans many people would not be able to afford college. Now, that you are out and on your own, what do you do about that mountain of debt? Student loan consolidation programs may help manage your debt with a more affordable payment plan.

What is a student loan consolidation program?

A student loan consolidation program combines loan debts and allows the graduate to make one monthly payment instead of several separate payments. In most cases, this reduces monthly debt by up to 50 percent or more. The amount of the total loans and specific consolidation program will dictate your precise savings.

In addition to the benefit of one payment, most loans qualify for lower interest rates and help improve your credit score since loans, once consolidated, reflect a paid in full status with credit reporting bureaus that are used determine approval for other types of loans and financing. This status increases your credit rating while you benefit from the lower payments.

Do defaulted student loans qualify for consolidation?

Some consolidation programs do not accept loans in default status. Other programs are designed to address default loans, associated interest rates and payment plans. These special programs may require participation in a credit counseling program designed to guide you towards making better financial decisions while rebuilding credit.

Learning to manage your money isn't something most people want to do, but it will benefit you in the long run, especially considering those defaulted loans that will be paid off and the hassle of constant mail and harassing phone calls will be eliminated while you and your consolidation counselor work together to repair your credit.

Federal Student Loan Consolidations

Even student loans that were issued by the government (as opposed to a bank) are eligible for federally backed consolidation programs. Most government loans have a lower interest rates and are easier to obtain than conventional loans. That is good news all around.

By consolidating all of you student loans, you are lumping them together into one loan that will usually qualify for a lower rate of interest because of the higher loan amount. Though the life of the loan will probably be extended (meaning that it will take longer to pay it back), you will benefit from paying less money out of pocket every month. As we all know, new college graduates will not always make the greatest salaries right out of school, and spending less money while you're trying to get a foothold in the job market is a good thing.