Whether or not you qualify for consolidation assistance will depend on a number of factors. The first is the type of student loan you have.
There are essentially two types of student loans - government loans and private loans. Government loans are offered by the Department of Education's Federal Student Aid program. These types of student loans tend to be the easier of the two to qualify for consolidation assistance.
Private loans are usually used when a person doesn't qualify for government assistance, and as a result they tend to have higher interest rates and less favorable terms. These loans can be more difficult to qualify for debt consolidation, and you may end up paying a higher interest rate in order to do so.
Debt consolidation is basically the process of totalling up all your outstanding debt and getting a new loan for the total. This money is then used to pay off the existing debt and you are left with a single payment, usually with a lower interest rate.
To find a qualified and reliable debt consolidation specialist, you have several options. One of the best choices is to contact your school and find out if they recommend someone. They will have had many students go through the process and will be able to recommend someone who those other students have had good results with.
Another option is to contact your local government offices. They will also have dealt with many people who are looking for this type of service and should have some information on reliable services.
There is also a great deal of information available on the internet and many debt consolidation companies have websites where they outline their services. If you are researching them on the internet, be sure to do your due diligence. It's much harder to separate the good from the not-so-good online - anyone can put up a nice looking website.
About the author:
William Blake gives you the lowdown on
debt settlement companies on the Debtopedia website. To receive a free copy of our special report on credit card debt, visit http://www.debtopedia.com