Not only are more and more college students graduating with student loan debt, they are owing more and more each year. Rising tuition costs coupled with graduate school means you could be entering the workforce with tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in school loan debt. And unless you’re making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, paying down that debt may seem unlikely or even impossible.
Never fear — although the repayment process can be complicated, especially if you’re behind or can’t afford your payments, we’ve got answers to your most common student loan debt questions. Here they are, from our archives:
1. What If I Can’t Pay My Student Loans?
You’re not alone — some 40 million Americans owe almost $1.3 trillion in student loan debt. And many of them have trouble affording even the minimum monthly payment. Here’s what you need to know.
2. Borrowed Till You’re Blue? Student Debt and Marriage
With so many people carrying so much in debt, it’s understandable their spouses and potential partners would be concerned with taking that debt themselves. As in other aspects of life, timing is everything.
3. If a Student Loan Co-Signer Dies, What Happens?
Most students can’t secure the kind of financing necessary for college on their own, so they have a parent or grandparent co-sign on the loan. So what happens to your loan of you lose a co-signer?
4. Will Obama’s Executive Order on Student Loans Pay Off for You?
Recognizing the burden so many graduates carry with them into the job market, the president ordered a cap on monthly payments. But does it apply to you and your school loans?
5. Can I Discharge Student Loans With the Borrower Defense Provision?
If the school you attended committed fraud or otherwise violated applicable state law related to your loans or the educational services you paid for, you may be entitled to debt relief.
6. What Happens If You Default on Student Loans?
A nightmare for most; a reality for many. Student loans have the highest delinquency rate of any consumer loan out there, so what happens when delinquency turns into default? Is there any coming back?
7. How Can I Stop Wage Garnishment?
One of the answers to the default question is that the federal government will garnish your wages to recover on the loan. But how much, and for how long? And is there any way to stop wage garnishment once it’s started?
Being mired in student loan debt may make you feel helpless. But there is help out there. If you have more questions or concerns regarding your student loan debt, an expert bankruptcy attorney can give you the answers. Contact one today.