"The process is not always as difficult as it seems and there are stress-free ways of searching for a suitable lender and then putting in an application for their consideration."
Loans
Consolidation Loan Repayment Period
Repayment of Consolidation Loans begins within 60 days of the disbursement of the loan. The payback term ranges from 10 to 30 years, depending on the amount of education debt being repaid and the repayment option you select. Education loans not included in the Consolidation Loan are considered in determining the maximum payback period. You may elect to repay your loans under a shorter period than the maximum allowed.
All the FFEL repayment plans are available to FFEL Consolidation Loan borrowers. For Direct Consolidation Loan borrowers, most of the Direct Loan repayment plans are available, except that Direct PLUS Consolidation Loans are not eligible to be repaid under the Income Contingent Repayment Plan and might not be eligible for some discharge/cancellation benefits. Check with the holder of your loan.
* Fees - Borrowers who consolidate will not pay any application fees or prepayment penalties.
* Credit checks - Under FFEL Consolidation Loans, no credit checks are required, even for PLUS borrowers. Under Direct Loan consolidation, PLUS borrowers are subject to a check for adverse credit history.
Is it because you need to have only one payment to worry about rather than a half-dozen with different dates for deadlines?
This is good for the amount of the monthly installment, but bad from the point of view of the total interest to be paid as a result of the extension.