Will Student Loans Hurt My Credit

A few common student loan concerns involving credit, and how yours could be impacted by taking out a student loan are: Will student loans show up on my credit report and, will student loans hurt my credit or affect my credit score in a negative way?

To answer the first question, yes, an individual’s student loan debt will show up on their credit report, in the same fashion that any other type of documented debt will show up on a credit report. The second question, of rather or not student loan debt will negatively affect your credit score/rating, will depend on how you manage your student loan debt. The most important methods for maintaining a good credit rating is to make timely payments on all debts (including student loans), and to repay all debts as quickly as possible. As long as the student loan borrower does not fall into bad repayment habits or debt management practices, their student loans should not negatively impact their credit rating. What can borrowers do to make certain they are handling their student loan debt responsibly, and avoid a negative impact to their credit score?

1. Never Miss A Payment.
Borrowers should never miss a student loan payment, or make their monthly student loan payments late. One method for avoiding this is to set up a direct monthly deposit with your student loan lender, this way your payment is automatically withdrawn from your bank account every month on time. If you are having financial difficulty making your required monthly student loan payments, you need to contact your student loan lender immediately for further options. The worst thing a borrower can do is to simply ignore their student loan payments. Ignoring student loan payments for whatever reason, will absolutely impact the borrowers credit history negatively.

2. Do Not Default On The Student Loans.
If a borrower allows their student loans to default, this can have negative repercussions on the borrowers credit for up to seven years, even if the borrower repays the loan amount in full. As a borrower it is your responsibility to take the correct actions to prevent student loan default. Contact your student loan provider, learn about your repayment options, and/or utilize the loans deferment or forbearance option if you are unable to make the student loan payments for a certain period of time.

3. Pay Down The Debt Quickly.
Pay down the student loan debt as quickly as possible. While not as important as the first two tips, making more than the minimum monthly payment on student loan debt will reduce the amount of interest paid over the lifetime of the loan, and will likely have a positive effect on your credit rating. However, because certain student loans, such as federal student loans generally have a lower interest rate than credit card debt (for example), you will want to make certain you are applying your extra money to your most expensive debt, which may or may not be your student loan debt.

Can A Cosigner Be Removed From A Student Loan

Can a cosigner be removed from a student loan? How do I…

No Credit Check Student Loans

Q: I have pretty poor credit, and will be returning to college…

Getting Student Loans With Bad Credit If I Have No Cosigner

Before looking into student loans, make certain to exhaust all of your…

Tips On Finding And Applying For A Bad Credit Student Loan

If you suffer from bad credit and are struggling to find student…

5 Ways To Get Student Loans With Bad Credit

With the high price tag often attached to a college education, student…

Can I Get Financial Aid With Bad Credit

Q: I will be returning to college in the spring semester of…

Guaranteed Approval Student Loans

For college students with bad credit are there any guaranteed approval student…

Can A Cosigner Be Removed From A Student Loan

Can a cosigner be removed from a student loan? How do I…

Credit
Guaranteed Approval Student Loans

For college students with bad credit are there any guaranteed approval student…

Credit
5 Ways To Get Student Loans With Bad Credit

With the high price tag often attached to a college education, student…

Credit
No Credit Check Student Loans

Q: I have pretty poor credit, and will be returning to college…

Credit
Tips On Finding And Applying For A Bad Credit Student Loan

If you suffer from bad credit and are struggling to find student…

Credit

Questions For CollegeWhale

Have a college financial aid question? CollegeWhale.com is full on answers! Type your question in the search box to get started.

Sign Up To Win Scholarships

Sign up for The CollegeWhale.com Weekly Scholarship Round-Up, and let us bring the scholarships to you! Get a list of new available college scholarships delivered to your inbox each week.

sign upsign up