Align Credit Union Helps College Grads Manage Finances

To help college graduates effectively manage their student loan debt, Align Credit Union, Lowell, Massachusetts, recently launched a new student loan refinance solution. Members will be able to refinance and consolidate their student loans from one or more lenders to make payments more manageable.

"Student loan debt is a reality for the majority of college students today," saidAlign EVP/ CFO Tom Hammond. "Unfortunately, they often feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to repay their student loans once they graduate. By offering refinancing, we can reduce stress for graduates and their families and help them on a path toward overall financial wellness."

Align's refinance product is unique to many other lending solutions in that it allows students to combine private and institutional loans as well as federal student loans. By refinancing these loans, borrowers may be able to extend their repayment terms, lower their interest rate and enjoy the convenience of making payments to only one financial institution. Members can refinance private and/or federal loans from $10,000 up to $100,000.

In addition to the new refinance solution, Align offers an undergraduate line of credit. The undergraduate line of credit allows students to borrow from a trusted, local lender once they have exhausted other sources of free or lower cost financial aid such as scholarships, grants and federal student loans.

Align provides private student lending solutions plus educational tools to help members make smart decisions before, during and after college.

"At Align, we want to help our members at every important milestone in their lives. By providing solutions for students when they're in school and after graduation, we hope to educate them about the importance of borrowing responsibly and guide them to make wise financial decisions that will last a lifetime," said Align President/CEO Ken Del Rossi.