Paying off student loans can be a lonely process. People often do not discuss student loans with their peers, so it is difficult to get advice and support from friends. In addition, the student loan challenges faced by this generation are different than the struggles faced by people who went to school decades ago. However, getting advice about student loans can be easy if you keep a few things in mind.
Siblings
Siblings can be an important resource when getting advice about student loans. Many people are used to discussing personal matters with their siblings, so it is usually easy to discuss student loans with siblings just like it is easy to talk with siblings about other life issues. In addition, siblings often have a similar financial situation because they have the same family background and usually the same financial history. As a result, siblings may provide targeted advice about specific situations faced by a borrower.
During my student debt saga, getting advice about student loans from siblings was very important for me. Since I am a triplet, I relied on my brothers to give me advice on filling out financial aid forms and providing supporting documentation, since they were usually going through the same process. In addition, since my older brother had attended law school before me, he gave me advice on the law school admissions process and student loans. Of course, not everyone has a solid relationship with their siblings, but if you have a good connection with your brothers and sisters, siblings can be an invaluable resource when getting advice about student loans.
Higher Education Professionals
Professionals who work at colleges and universities can also be an invaluable resource when getting advice about student loans. The primary point of contact about student loans at many universities is a financial aid officer. Students are usually assigned to a designated financial aid officer based on their last name or other criteria, and this individual is typically responsible for co-ordinating an individual’s student loans and financial aid.
When I was in college, I communicated with my financial aid officer regularly. My financial aid officer really took an interest in my background, and always gave me good advice on how to receive more aid, which student loans I should borrow, and other information. Anyone in school should regularly touch base with their assigned financial aid officer and let them know how much they appreciate him or her. It is hard for a financial aid officer to connect with a student without putting a face to the file, and communicating with your financial aid officer can pay dividends on your student debt burden.
Other professionals at colleges and universities can also be important when getting advice about student loans. At my college, the academic services personnel were helpful in discussing work-study jobs and other ways that I could use university resources to minimize my student loans. These individuals also told me about income potential in certain careers, which was helpful when evaluating how much debt I could comfortably borrow. Every university is different, but chances are that your college has other professionals that can provide valuable suggestions about student debt.
Student Loan Professionals
Another important resource when getting advice about student loans is student loan professionals. There are a variety of individuals who assist borrowers and students in making student loan decisions. For instance, there are a number of student loan experts who offer advice about student loans for a nominal fee. Sometimes, these professionals work on commission and do not charge a flat fee, since they may receive a monetary incentive from student loan refinancing companies or others for the work they provide to student loan borrowers. I have not worked too closely with any of these professionals, so I am not sure I am willing to recommend any specific professionals at this time, but top student loan experts can be found after some simple search engine queries.
Other student loan experts focus on publishing media full of useful information for people who are dealing with student loans. Anyone reading this website understands how many people with student loans write blog articles about their experiences. Indeed, this website has hundreds of articles about student loans, and there are a number of popular student loan blogs that can be consulted to learn more information about student debt. In addition, some student loan professionals make podcasts in order to convey helpful information about student loans. Indeed, I was recently interviewed by the folks at StartNoo for their Student Loan Podcast. The experience was very enriching, and made me realize that individuals can consume information from student loan professionals in a variety of ways.
I would be remiss if I didn’t suggest that individuals looking for advice from student loan professionals contact me with any questions. Since starting Student Debt Diaries, I have communicated with hundreds of individuals across the country and the world about student loans. If you have a specific question that is not covered by any of the articles on this website, feel free to email me at jordan@studentdebtdiaries.com.
All told, you are not alone in your student debt journey, and getting advice about student loans is possible in a variety of circumstances. People can seek advice from within their own families or turn to professionals for assistance about student loans.