Many people are talking about college student loan consolidation currently. What is it about? What does "consolidate" mean? It means lump everything together. Student debt consolidation means combine all your study loan debts into ONE total loan amount. Then you will be making your repayment in ONE amount every month based on ONE interest rate in a fixed period of time. The most challenging task here is how to obtain the best rate for your student loan consolidation. Here are some simple tips to make your process easier.

Step 1:

• Gather all the detailed information about all your different student debts. If you have both federal government loan and private loan, separate them first and put the priority on federal student loans. Write down the amount of each of your student loans together with the name of lenders and the current loan account numbers. Include the outstanding balances as well. Then write down each of the interest rates beside the loan amount.

Step 2:

• Start estimating the loan consolidation rate based on the weighted average of all interest rates. You may try to calculate it on your own. If you totally don't have any idea about the formula, you can get the rates easily online. Many lenders offer online loan calculator for public. You can get an estimate figure of your monthly payment, new interest rate and the terms of your new loan easily through internet.

Step 3:

• Where can you "place" all your loans? It is wise for you to start with banks and some financial institutions you know. Call or visit the banks personally to consult the loan officers in order to get more details about the interest rates and repayment period.

Step 4:

• After doing your market research, start comparing all the packages offered. The comparisons should be based on the interest rates, repayment period, benefits as well as additional terms on the policies. Analyze all the related items carefully. Interest rates will be the key factor.

Step 5:

• Once you have made up your mind, submit the application form to the bank you prefer and wait for approval. The last step will be signing the terms and promissory note.

It is important for you to keep in mind that current regulation stipulates that you can only consolidate your study loans once. Make sure you are extra careful in selecting the consolidation rate so that you can save the most in the long run.