Consolidation

Federal Perkins, HPSL, LDS, Federal Stafford, Federal SLS or Federal Direct Loan programs may be consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan from the U.S. Department of Education.  Harvard Institutional loans are private education loans that are not eligible for consolidation.

Benefits of consolidation are:
*One lender/one bill
*Choice of repayment plans, including extending the repayment period beyond ten years.

To apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan, log into: Studentaid.gov.

Harvard University does not offer loan consolidation.

Some things to consider before consolidating:
• Some subsidized loans (not accruing interest in school or during most deferment periods) become unsubsidized (accrues interest from date of issue) when consolidated.
• What deferment options are available before and after consolidation?
• Federal Perkins loans offer forgiveness provisions that may not be available under a consolidation program.