If you’re getting ready to head off to college or maybe take steps to further your education, there is a good chance that you have been looking for resources to get a student loan consolidation rate comparison. Did you know that many factors are taken into consideration when student finance is approved and funded on your behalf? Credit Score – This one is kind of an obvious one right? The problem is though, that many people just heading off to college for the first time don’t have any credit established. Normally, they’ve pretty much been supported by their parents, and haven’t gotten things like credit cards, personal or car loans. What this means is that many of them have what is called “insufficient credit”.This can in many cases cause the interest rate to be considerably higher. Co-Signor available? – Because many students heading off to school don’t have credit, many student loan lenders look for the availability of a co-signor. This more or less gives them more confidence that the loan will not only be paid back, but be paid back on time. Having your parents or someone else with an established history sign the loan with you is fairly commonplace for young people who are getting student finance. The actual terms – Just like regular loans, there are many different ways that a student loan can be structured. In some cases, the payments don’t actually start until the person getting the loan finishes college and has entered the work force. In other cases, payments begin immediately.In most cases, the first mentioned situation triggers a bump in the interest rate which of course will make the payments a little bit higher. Your grades – Must of the confidence that any lender has in repayment is in their belief that you will actually obtain gainful employment to be able to make the payments. So, those with a high GPA are much more likely to get a lower interest rate, than someone who is barely still academically eligible to remain in school.While you are doing your research for your student loan consolidation rate comparison, it’s wise to keep at the very least the three things above fresh in your mind so that you aren’t surprised when they are brought up or asked about. There are many different lenders and many different programs out there for you to combine all of your student loans into one, so it only makes sense to do a student loan consolidation rate comparison to make sure you are getting the best deal, and the best terms available for your individual situation.