"Millions of graduates are having problems repaying their loans because of difficulties dealing with servicing companies."

Applying for and receiving student loans for college is pretty simple. But repayment can be tough. Forbes' recent article, "How to Tackle The Top Three Student Loan Issues," explains that colleges could do better at telling students what they need to know. Students can experience obstacles when they start to repay their loans, such as lacking the necessary income to cover the monthly payments. Others go back to school to earn a graduate degree, but are given poor advice on more affordable repayment options.

Students need to make sure they know their rights.

A loan servicer must respond to requests for more affordable income-based repayment plans. Under the federal loan program, a student has numerous options that can help with loan repayments. The article points out some of the most common issues and how to tackle them:

Federal Loans Made by Private Lenders. Private loans are under the same repayment requirements as the federal program, but anything involving a federal loan entitles the student to some breathing space. Payments can be based on income or gradually increased. There are provisions in the event the student becomes disabled, out of work, or is going back to school.

Don't Fall into Default! Even if you're not making any payments, do what you can to stay out of default status. The Consumer Fraud Protection Bureau found that one in five students were in a no man's land of not making payments, yet not into default status, which triggers the collection process. There are about four million borrowers in default. The article advises to find a workable repayment program before this happens.

Find Out More About Repayment Options. The federal program can alter loan terms, and a student can consolidate loans to save money.

Be proactive and avoid the situation where you get in deep water with payments and never look at alternatives. Don't be uninformed. Get started now.

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Reference: Forbes (November 18, 2015) "How to Tackle The Top Three Student Loan Issues"