Can GATE student loans be consolidated?

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I have a GATE loan from Bank of America. I took it out two years ago. I just finished graduate school this month. I previously consolidated some of my other loans (just didn't consolidate this loan). I'd like to consolidate this loan too to aviod higher interest payments

Can GATE student loans be consolidated?

No, not in the way you're hoping.

When you say that you wanted to avoid higher interest payments, I'm assuming that you were hoping to take advantage of the low, fixed rates associated with the Federal Consolidation Loan process. Well, GATE Loans are *private* loans, so cannot be included in a Federal Consolidation Loan (along with, say, your other Federal loans like Stafford [GSL], Perkins [NDSL], or PLUS).

It *is* possible to consolidate private loans via a Private Consolidaton loan, but keep in mind that in a private consolidation, you won't receive the same quality of benefits as you do in a federal consolidation.

That said, private consolidation could possibly help you get a better rate, so it's worth looking into. Below is a list of reputable companies who offer private consolidation:

**Sallie Mae: http://www.salliemae.com/content/private...

Key Bank: http://www.key.com/html/H-1.39.b.html

Education Finance Partners: http://www.educationfinancepartners.com/...

Nelnet: http://www.consolidation.nelnet.net/PvtD...

NextStudent: http://www.nextstudent.com/private-conso...

SunTrust: http://www.suntrusteducation.com/debtcon...

Wells Fargo: https://www.wellsfargo.com/student/loans...

Please be careful: some lenders will tell you that they can consolidate your federal loans with your private loans. Although this is true -- they can -- they are *not* offering you a Federal Consolidation Loan (it is simply not possible to consolidate private loans into the Federal Consolidation program). If you did consolidate your federal loans like this, all of the security of having federal loans (and all of your efforts to ge the lowest rate possible) will be signed away. You are best served by keeping your private loans separate from your federal loans.

Can GATE student loans be consolidated?

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