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Student Loan Refinancing and Consolidation with Great Lakes (MyGreatLakes.org)

Great Lakes does not directly offer student loan consolidation or refinancing. However, both moves are possible for loans with MyGreatLakes.

Written By: Michael P. Lux, Esq.

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Affiliate Disclosure and Integrity Pledge

Great Lakes Higher Education, commonly called MyGreatLakes, is one of the largest servicers of federal student loans.

Though Great Lakes does not directly provide consolidation or refinancing services, it is still possible to refinance loans with Great Lakes. The big question for borrowers to decide is whether or not this financial move is a good idea.

Getting a Lower Interest Rate from Great Lakes

Even though Great Lakes in not able to lower interest rates on their loans, borrowers can refinance with another lender to secure a lower interest rate. By locking in a lower interest rate, borrowers can shorten repayment length, lower monthly payments, and reduce total spending. There are many student loan refinance and consolidation companies currently in the market. At present, the best refinance rates start at around 5%

Going this route means the loan would no longer be owned or serviced by Great Lakes. The terms of the new loan would depend entirely upon the new loan contract.

Consolidating a Great Lakes Loan

Consolidation takes place when numerous loans combine into one single new loan. In many ways refinancing and consolidating are a very similar process.

However, in student loans, consolidation usually refers to the Federal Direct Student Loan Consolidation process. Federal direct consolidation doesn’t lower interest rates, but it can convert loans that were not previously eligible for certain forgives programs or repayment plans into eligible loans. For some borrowers, this process is a must. For others, it is a mistake. If you think consolidation might be a good idea, reach out to Great Lakes to discuss how consolidation will affect your loans and program eligibility.

Refinancing vs. Consolidation

There is some confusion about the differences between refinancing and consolidation. Rather than defining financial terms, it probably makes more sense to compare Federal Consolidation to Private Refinancing.

Federal Consolidation – Great Lakes does not directly provide this service. However, the Department of Education can consolidate all federal loans. The strategy behind federal consolidation is to get your federal loans eligible for the federal programs you desire. Note: all federal consolidation takes place directly through the Department of Education. For more details on the process, the Federal Student Aid page has a nice breakdown.

Private Refinancing – Private refinancing occurs when a private lender pays off some or all of your federal loans. At that point, the borrower is responsible for paying back the new lender per the terms of a new agreement. The idea behind this process is all about getting better loan terms. The risk behind the process is that federal perks such as income-driven repayment plans and student loan forgiveness are no longer an option. Be sure to check out our student loan refinancing page for a full list of lenders, as well as some tips on getting the best deal.

Numerous different events might indicate when the time is right to refinance.

The Consolidation and Refinancing Process

If it is time to refinance or consolidate your Great Lakes federal student loans, Great Lakes is largely an uninvolved observer.

The Department of Education handles federal consolidation. Great Lakes doesn’t have a role in the process. Just make sure that you stay up to date on payments before things getting started.

In private refinancing, the new lender does all of the heavy lifting. You may have to send a recent Great Lakes statement to the new lender, but the refinance company will be responsible for cutting the check and getting it to Great Lakes. Once your Great Lakes loans are paid off, you can begin repayment with the new company under the terms of the new agreement.

About the Author

Student loan expert Michael Lux is a licensed attorney and the founder of The Student Loan Sherpa. He has helped borrowers navigate life with student debt since 2013.

Insight from Michael has been featured in US News & World Report, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous other online and print publications.

Michael is available for speaking engagements and to respond to press inquiries.

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