With an average student loan debt of $23,485 weighing on their shoulders and savings at all-time lows, college aid borrowers often view their post-graduate existence as an uphill battle. At the critical juncture of student loan repayment, financially-drained grads with tight incomes feel the financial pinch as they juggle job-hunting, business-launching, home-purchasing, and family-building. While a magical genie to make their school loan disappear is wishful thinking, a powerful debt-management tool known as student loan consolidation is a viable option at debtors’ disposal. Surprisingly, a recent survey conducted by the Collegiate Funding Services found that 41% of college graduates had not heard of the federal student loan consolidation program,  student loan consolidation rates and that only 35% among them had taken advantage of this form of student loan refinance. (more…)