Friday, April 8, 2011

ACS Education Loans Service

ACS Education Loan Services helps in servicing loans for students for the different organisations that offer these loans. There services are provided for a single window access to the loans for the students who deserve them and seek help for pursuing higher education. The loans are offered on behalf of the institutions that institute the loan programs.

The 2 major educational loan programs that are offered include federal family educational loan program and campus based student loan program. Their details are available in great depth in the ACS student education loan service.

The federal family education loan program includes the following loans:

   1. Stafford (GSL)- These are federal loans that are provided to the Universities or the colleges to help students in their pursuit of higher education. These loans may be subsidized by the Government of the U.S or may be unsubsidised. The subsidy is dependant on the need of the student and is determined by the financial aid office of the college. Any student is eligible to avail these loans and these are not dependant on the credit ratings. The student should submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The interest rate for this loan is as low as 4.5%
   2. Graduate PLUS, PLUS- Parents of dependant students can take loans to help them through college and these loans are called parent PLUS loans. Graduate students are also eligible to apply for these PLUS loans.
   3. Consolidation- Federal student loan consolidation is a process of combining all loans and paying as a single consolidated loan interest every month. Consolidation starts with Federal loans, private loan consolidation can be done after that. This option allows refinancing, sometimes greatly lowering monthly instalment amounts.
   4. Supplement student loans (SLS)

The Stafford loans can be applied online from the ACS student education loans website. The requirements for submitting the Stafford loan application form online are that the student should have submitted the FAFSA form, the student aid report should have been received by the student and the FAFSA pin that is provided should be used as the e- signature for submitting the form. 2 references would need to be included in the application form and their details would have to be ready before application is filed. Certain lenders will not accept an e-signature and therefore an e-application, in such cases the application form may be downloaded, printed, filled and then duly submitted.

The other loan program on offer include the campus based student loans (CPS)

   1. Federal Perkins student loan program- This loan is for post secondary education and can be availed for study at any one of the 1,800 participating post secondary institutions. The U.S Department of Education determines the financial need of the student. Those who undertake service employment like teaching , military and certain public services are eligible for cancellation of the whole loan amount or a part of it.
   2. Nursing Student Loans (NSL) - This loan is federally funded and has a low interest rate. It is designed exclusively for those students who have enrolled in a nursing course in any of the accredited universities.
   3. Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL)- These loans covers attendance that includes tuition and a reasonable amount of educational and living expenses. The rate of interest is 5 %. Students who apply for the loan should be in a financial need and should enrol in a health profession or nursing school.
   4. 4)Institutional Loan Programs – Institutional loan programs are instituted by the Universities. Different universities and colleges offer different programs.

Apart from these loans there are other loans that are serviced by ACS educational loans and they include the private loans. When all the possible federal loans have been applied and still a difference in the cost of college education and the loan amount available exists, then private loans are options that can be exercised. These loans are comprehensive and cover the required amount of college fess, however their interest rates are very high and these loans should not be opted for at the first instance. They should be treated as the last option or as a small addition to the federal loans.

The services offered by ACS student education loans allow the user to log in and access his entire loan amount and the dues that he would have to pay. The services include explanations about tax deductions that an individual who has taken an educational loan is eligible for. These deductions are also provided if the loan is taken for one’s spouse or for dependant children. The loan should be an educational loan for a course that he/she is eligible for. Some of the tax benefits that are provided include Hope scholarship credits, Lifetime learning credits, Education IRAs, Penalty free IRA withdrawals and qualified state tuition programs.

The details regarding each education loan that is available is explained thoroughly and every aspect of the loan well drafted. Certain conditions like deferments that allow the student to defer paying his loan amount till he finishes his schooling is explained and the conditions attached to this service explained. When a student is unable to pay his loan dues but is not eligible for deferment then the option available is forbearance. The student has to declare economic hardship, the application for which may be submitted online through ACS. Forbearance will also be considered if a student is working as an intern which is necessary for him for his professional growth or if there has been a climatic disaster in the area where the student resides. These considerations will also help him delay repayment of loan.