At the time of researching your student loan consolidation information options you need to consider what interest rates are now and what they may likely be in the future, it was only a few years ago interest rates on Stafford loans and other programs changed from fixed rate to variable interest rate then as of July 1, 2006 they changed back to fixed rate again, however they can always alter again, what the Government does today it is able to undo tomorrow.

Additionally because lenders have a reasonable amount of flexibility, even official rates are often altered in subtle ways, some lenders for example charge the Federally set up origination fee of 3% and the default insurance rate of 1% others are more enthusiastic to absorb these penalties to obtain your business, as a rough rule of thumb for every 3% in charges it is equivalent to almost 1% in interest rate.

Interest Rates and Amounts.

Though the interest rate shifts can be modest, for example PLUS loans have increased from 6.1% to 8.5%, on say even a low loan amount of $16,000.00 borrowed a 2.4% rate difference equals almost a $400.00 difference in interest fees in the first year alone, for the exact amounts per month you are able to run a few sample scenarios using a loan calculator, such as those available free on-line at many websites.

Also there are no guarantees that rates can not alter since they are the same as variable rate house loans, even after the loans have been funded, predicting interest rates both in the short term and long term is a function that challenges even the best financial experts, if it were otherwise the bond market would be a pretty dull affair which it is not, therefore the better option for the average student or parent is to watch and see what those experts are predicting.

Follow The Industry Leaders.

Among the easiest ways to follow those predictions is to review some of the various interest-bearing financial instruments, such as T-Accounts or long-term corporate bonds, by evaluating these numbers likely borrowers are able to obtain the best available guesses about where interest rates are headed, that information is without too much trouble gained from any finance website such as Yahoo Finance or some other personal favorite website.

Looking at the 30-year Treasury account, for example shows two items what the government is offering to sell debt for a projected time out over 30 years and what the buyers of that debt are prepared to pay, as that interest rate varies a large proportion of other long-term rates such as student loan rates will vary also, though not always at the exact same amount.

Corporate Bonds.

The same can be said for certain corporate bonds, Ford Motor Company, for example has been in financial problems for the previous few years and that fact is reflected in their bond rates and ratings, their quality ratings have dipped to near junk bond level and the rates are significantly higher than ordinary levels, several are over 10% coupon rate a full 5% above money market rates, for a large proportion of the considerable older blue chip corporations, their bond rates on long bonds over 10 years are a very good indicator.

As rates increase it becomes more difficult for borrowers to pay off their loans, not only does that cost students and parents more money but it may also cause it to be harder to qualify since the higher numbers are factored into lending decisions, Stafford and most other loans are need-based so it is not a factor with them, but interest rates of one plan tends to influence others which are credit history based.

In any volatile market, the best scenario for most students and their parents is to acquire a private loan at a fixed interest rate, the better loans cost Prime Rate less 1% that is a very good outcome, but borrowers must have excellent credit to qualify, there is no perfect solution to financing the high cost of tuition and the high cost of borrowing for education today, however as with any cost shopping around to find out all the available options is the better bet for the long-term and must form a critical aspect of any student loan consolidation information.