http://www.american-debt-management.com/student-loan/student-loan-debt/ Student loan debt can put you in a bad financial situation if you are not careful. en-us Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:21:40 EDT Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:21:40 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 Consolidate Your Student Loan Understanding how student loan debt works is the key to fix the burden of your student loan. You are eligible to consolidate student loan debt under certain conditions. You are no longer enrolled in school Currently in the "grace period" of the or must be actively repaying your loan. You usually have to have a minimum loan amount of $10,000 is typical Understanding Federal and Private Students Loans It is also a good idea to know the difference between federal and private student loans. A federal student loan has interest on the loan that is tax deductible. This is still not a reason to let student loan debt get in the way of a healthy financial future. Student loan consolidation can improve your financial situation. One thing to remember is to not consolidate your federal and private student loan debt at the same time. Consolidate all your federal student loans first, then separately consolidate your private loans. If you were to mix the student loans you would have to take out a single private loan that loses all the benefits of the federal loans. Always Maintain Good Repayment History With Your Student Loans About 50% of recent college graduates take out student loans. However, these loans require good repayment history. If you take out a loan, be sure you can repay the money on the date they are due. Never default in payment. You will only end up setting yourself up to have student loan debt after you graduate. Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:21:40 EDT