Skip to main content
S 1066 113th Congress Senate Education Government lending and loan guarantees Higher education Interest, dividends, interest rates Student aid and college costs User charges and fees

Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act

Introduced: May 23, 2013 Introduced by: Gillibrand, Kirsten E. Democratic · New York See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 23, 2013
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
May 23, 2013
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow borrowers that received loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (DL) or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program on or after July 1, 2006, to consolidate those loans as Federal Direct Consolidation Loans.

Directs the Secretary of Education to consolidate DLs, and send a completed loan consolidation application to FFEL borrowers, within 90 days of this Act's enactment. Gives FFEL borrowers six months after their receipt of such application to endorse it and submit it to the Secretary if they wish to consolidate their loans.

Sets the interest rate on Federal Direct Consolidation Loans at 4% or, if the weighted average of the interest rates of the loans being consolidated is less than 4%, the lesser of: (1) that weighted average, or (2) an interest rate equal to 0.4% of the principal balance of the consolidation loan at the time of consolidation.

Adds an origination fee equal to 0.4% of the principal balance of the consolidation loan at the time of consolidation if an FFEL is being consolidated.

Reduces the interest rate on a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan by 0.25% if one or more of the loans being consolidated is an FFEL held by an eligible lender.

Prohibits any benefit a borrower is receiving or earning when issued a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan from being affected by the consolidation.

What's happening now May 23, 2013

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1