As you are aware there can be several types of student loan consolidation for you.  Broadly however there can be two categories.  These are Federal Student Loan Consolidation Plan and Private Student Loan Consolidation plan for you.  Consolidation is made applicable to both types of loans. 

Stafford loans, private and federal, subsidized or not are prime subjects for such student loan consolidation.  You can also consolidate the HEAL, HPSL and Parent PLUS loans availed.  The PLUS loan includes the federal direct loans, consolidation loans, and direct loans.  Other loans that could be consolidated are Perkins Loans and Nursing Schools Loans.

About the federal and private loan consolidation processes

Federal loans as well as the direct consolidated loans cannot be consolidated once again without obtaining or including additional loans.  If you have already effected the student loan consolidation in respect of your undergraduate loans you can also add the graduation loans at later dates.  Since these are additional loans such loan consolidation shall be permissible.

You may also like to consolidate the private loans you had obtained as student.  Never ever try to consolidate federal with private loans that results in private consolidated student loans.  Such consolidation will deprive you of many benefits you could obtain with federal loan consolidation process.

Drawbacks of consolidating federal with private loans

Several drawbacks occur when you try to consolidate federal loans with the private loans.  Some of them are –

•    With federal loan consolidation you can defer payments if you wish to resume your academic career.  No such facilities are available under private loan consolidation plans.

•    Forbearance despite all economic hardship is not possible in case of private loan consolidation though permissible in case of federal loan consolidation. 

•    No income tax deductions as in case of the federal loan consolidation interests are available in private consolidation plans.

•    You have chances to be forgiven in case of federal loan consolidation that is not permissible under private loan consolidation plans.