Education
is more expensive now, than ever before. The rate at which the
cost of education is rising beats inflation by a fair margin.
Hence a working class parent would find it increasingly difficult
to fund their child's higher education. The easiest answer to
this dilemma is an education loan. The amount does not unduly
burden either the parent or the student, as parents do not have
to dip into their savings and loans students need not
worry about repayment until their studies are over and they have
started earning. Thus the co-relation between earnings by the
educated individual (one who has completed his education) and
the repayment schedule is one of the major plus points that augurs
well for taking an education loan. On the other hand the onus
is on the employment the student is going to attain upon completion
of his or her education. If the student fails to land a job or
if he or she gets a low paying one then the repayment schedule
can prove to be a big obstacle to cross at an early stage in life.
Even so the figures show that education loans are here to stay
as students across the world are availing this facility in ever
increasing numbers.
Once
education to specified universities or into specified courses
is achieved by an individual, the process of applying for a
loan can be put in motion. The loan process may vary from one
financial institution to the next and it is always good to shop
around to get the best available deal. Many websites such as
studentdoc.com and hindustanlink.com help you to compare deals
on offer and help you to select one that is tailor made to suit
your needs. The two most important factors to be kept in mind
while applying for a loans students
are the margin money to be put up (also called down payment)
because it is an immediate expense and the rate of interest
which translates to interest costs which will be a continuous
future liability.
It is advisable to match your expected salary
when you graduate with your repayment schedule to make sure
you are not taking up more debt than you can chew. This can
be done by researching the current average salaries being offered
to people who graduate from the course you are going to take
up. This is vital because debt very quickly eats into your funds
and can clean you out in a hurry. It
is also advisable to keep all your documents and paperwork in
order. Make sure you have all the documents required by the
bank in question when approaching them.
Many
banks insist on a college tuition fee structure and a confirmation
of admission. It is always good to apply for the loan in your
own name, rather than making your parents liable for repayment.
This will give you a greater drive to study and work harder. You
must consider it as an investment in yourself. When applying for
a loan it is also a good policy to factor in money you can make
while working part-time during the period of your education. This
will help lighten your future payments and help as a buffer in
case you do not immediately land a job upon graduation.
Repayment
of the loan usually starts immediately after you finish your education
but in some cases institutions may give you an allowance for a
further period of 6 months to a year post graduation. The interest
that has accumulated during your period of study will be added
to the original amount of your loan and be converted into fixed
periodic installments (usually monthly) that will have to be repaid
over a pre-decided period of time. The rates of interest vary
for smaller and larger amounts of money and for inland or overseas
education. Larger amounts and foreign education command higher
interest rates.
loans
students:
To
conduct a cost- benefit analysis of your education loan is not
easy as you have to assume and forecast the benefits while in
full knowledge of the costs. Forecasts may not always hold good
but it always safer to err on the side of caution. Thus it is
better to assume prudent amounts as post-qualification salary
and consider the same in your analysis. Another factor to consider
is what the loans allow you to do with them- some loans are
strictly only for tuition fee while others cover varied expenses
from books and stationary to hostel accommodation. Here too
it is better to study the benefits of having a more flexible
loan than one that allows you to only fund specific expenditure.
In
the case of most loans collateral will also have to be furnished.
Make sure you consider this in your analysis as well. Make sure
you go through all the fine print in the loan as some banks do
not allow fast track payments and hence you could be saddled with
the loan for a longer period even if you later have the means
to square it off in a shorter period. Some banks also offer you
the flexible interest option which means you pay the prevailing
market rate of interest as your interest cost. This is good if
interest rates are falling but if they are on the rise then it
is better to settle for a fixed interest rate. If you do not expect
to repay large amounts of money during the initial period after
your graduation then it is better to opt for a plan that allows
you to pay smaller installments at the start of your repayment
schedule and then graduate to larger ones at a later stage of
your repayment rather than going in for equated monthly installments
which remain the same over the your entire repayment schedule.
To
conclude it has never been easier to get a student loan than in
recent times. This is because their scope has increased to include
a wide range of subject and the number of financial institutions
doling out these loans is on the rise too. However great care must
be taken to study the pros and cons of each loan and select one
that you will not later regret. Thus before taking up your course
of study it is best to devout a good deal of time to study the loansstudents that you are going to take and only after you feel
comfortable with your cost benefit analysis go ahead with taking
it.
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