Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L. Forum

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MrJD2020

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Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by MrJD2020 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:57 am

Anyone know of any good ones? Looking for two things:

1. Good spreadsheet I can use to track how much debt I'm accruing and how long it'd take to pay it off. Something where I can plug in amounts of debt taken out and when (using disbursement dates for each semester), the interest rates of the debt, the amount of each loan outstanding, and then a payoff trajectory (where I plug in the monthly amount I would pay toward each loan and the date I start paying off that loan).

2. LS budgeting spreadsheet. I've been working for years but budgeting with an income is a bit different than budgeting the use of student loan funds since you really only get "paid" a few times a year and have to plan months ahead, as well as plan for the summer (which I'm not totally familiar with).

CPA-->JD

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by CPA-->JD » Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:42 pm

MrJD2020 wrote:Anyone know of any good ones? Looking for two things:

1. Good spreadsheet I can use to track how much debt I'm accruing and how long it'd take to pay it off. Something where I can plug in amounts of debt taken out and when (using disbursement dates for each semester), the interest rates of the debt, the amount of each loan outstanding, and then a payoff trajectory (where I plug in the monthly amount I would pay toward each loan and the date I start paying off that loan).

2. LS budgeting spreadsheet. I've been working for years but budgeting with an income is a bit different than budgeting the use of student loan funds since you really only get "paid" a few times a year and have to plan months ahead, as well as plan for the summer (which I'm not totally familiar with).
I like your idea for 1. I'll try to make it tonight after work and would be happy to send it to you. Just do you happen to know if you take out loans in 3 different year from the same source (e.g. Stafford) does that get aggregated into 1 amount or are they considered 3 separate loans?

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MrJD2020

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by MrJD2020 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:10 pm

CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:Anyone know of any good ones? Looking for two things:

1. Good spreadsheet I can use to track how much debt I'm accruing and how long it'd take to pay it off. Something where I can plug in amounts of debt taken out and when (using disbursement dates for each semester), the interest rates of the debt, the amount of each loan outstanding, and then a payoff trajectory (where I plug in the monthly amount I would pay toward each loan and the date I start paying off that loan).

2. LS budgeting spreadsheet. I've been working for years but budgeting with an income is a bit different than budgeting the use of student loan funds since you really only get "paid" a few times a year and have to plan months ahead, as well as plan for the summer (which I'm not totally familiar with).
I like your idea for 1. I'll try to make it tonight after work and would be happy to send it to you. Just do you happen to know if you take out loans in 3 different year from the same source (e.g. Stafford) does that get aggregated into 1 amount or are they considered 3 separate loans?
Thanks very much, that would be so helpful. I am 99% sure that loans from different years are considered separate loans -- they certainly are for undergraduate federal loans, so I assume the same happens with graduate loans (whether subsidized or not). I would expect to have at least six loans - sub and unsub for each year .

CPA-->JD

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by CPA-->JD » Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:18 pm

MrJD2020 wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:Anyone know of any good ones? Looking for two things:

1. Good spreadsheet I can use to track how much debt I'm accruing and how long it'd take to pay it off. Something where I can plug in amounts of debt taken out and when (using disbursement dates for each semester), the interest rates of the debt, the amount of each loan outstanding, and then a payoff trajectory (where I plug in the monthly amount I would pay toward each loan and the date I start paying off that loan).

2. LS budgeting spreadsheet. I've been working for years but budgeting with an income is a bit different than budgeting the use of student loan funds since you really only get "paid" a few times a year and have to plan months ahead, as well as plan for the summer (which I'm not totally familiar with).
I like your idea for 1. I'll try to make it tonight after work and would be happy to send it to you. Just do you happen to know if you take out loans in 3 different year from the same source (e.g. Stafford) does that get aggregated into 1 amount or are they considered 3 separate loans?
Thanks very much, that would be so helpful. I am 99% sure that loans from different years are considered separate loans -- they certainly are for undergraduate federal loans, so I assume the same happens with graduate loans (whether subsidized or not). I would expect to have at least six loans - sub and unsub for each year .
Ok thanks. And by sub you mean the interest doesn't accrue until x months after graduation? Are any of the loans we can take out subsidized?

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MrJD2020

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by MrJD2020 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:42 pm

CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:Anyone know of any good ones? Looking for two things:

1. Good spreadsheet I can use to track how much debt I'm accruing and how long it'd take to pay it off. Something where I can plug in amounts of debt taken out and when (using disbursement dates for each semester), the interest rates of the debt, the amount of each loan outstanding, and then a payoff trajectory (where I plug in the monthly amount I would pay toward each loan and the date I start paying off that loan).

2. LS budgeting spreadsheet. I've been working for years but budgeting with an income is a bit different than budgeting the use of student loan funds since you really only get "paid" a few times a year and have to plan months ahead, as well as plan for the summer (which I'm not totally familiar with).
I like your idea for 1. I'll try to make it tonight after work and would be happy to send it to you. Just do you happen to know if you take out loans in 3 different year from the same source (e.g. Stafford) does that get aggregated into 1 amount or are they considered 3 separate loans?
Thanks very much, that would be so helpful. I am 99% sure that loans from different years are considered separate loans -- they certainly are for undergraduate federal loans, so I assume the same happens with graduate loans (whether subsidized or not). I would expect to have at least six loans - sub and unsub for each year .
Ok thanks. And by sub you mean the interest doesn't accrue until x months after graduation? Are any of the loans we can take out subsidized?
Yes, the "subsidized" loans are those for which the interest does not accrue until 6 months after graduation.

I originally thought all federal graduate loans were "unsubsidized" (i.e., interest accruing from disbursement date). While both the Direct Stafford (which caps at $20,500), and the Direct Graduate PLUS (up to full need, minus other loans/grants) are unsubsidized, the Federal Perkins Loan actually IS subsidized. It's capped at $8,000 a year for grad students but not every school offers it. They generally only offer it for students with truly "exceptional" need and you'd have to ask your finaid office about it. I don't know if I'm eligible yet.

There may also be subsidized institutional loans (i.e., from the school, not the federal government), but not many schools do this and again it's for exceptional circumstances. If possible to track five loans for each semester in your spreadsheet that might be best, to cover all bases (Stafford, Grad PLUS, Perkins, Institutional and Private).

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CPA-->JD

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by CPA-->JD » Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:47 pm

MrJD2020 wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:Anyone know of any good ones? Looking for two things:

1. Good spreadsheet I can use to track how much debt I'm accruing and how long it'd take to pay it off. Something where I can plug in amounts of debt taken out and when (using disbursement dates for each semester), the interest rates of the debt, the amount of each loan outstanding, and then a payoff trajectory (where I plug in the monthly amount I would pay toward each loan and the date I start paying off that loan).

2. LS budgeting spreadsheet. I've been working for years but budgeting with an income is a bit different than budgeting the use of student loan funds since you really only get "paid" a few times a year and have to plan months ahead, as well as plan for the summer (which I'm not totally familiar with).
I like your idea for 1. I'll try to make it tonight after work and would be happy to send it to you. Just do you happen to know if you take out loans in 3 different year from the same source (e.g. Stafford) does that get aggregated into 1 amount or are they considered 3 separate loans?
Thanks very much, that would be so helpful. I am 99% sure that loans from different years are considered separate loans -- they certainly are for undergraduate federal loans, so I assume the same happens with graduate loans (whether subsidized or not). I would expect to have at least six loans - sub and unsub for each year .
Ok thanks. And by sub you mean the interest doesn't accrue until x months after graduation? Are any of the loans we can take out subsidized?
Yes, the "subsidized" loans are those for which the interest does not accrue until 6 months after graduation.

I originally thought all federal graduate loans were "unsubsidized" (i.e., interest accruing from disbursement date). While both the Direct Stafford (which caps at $20,500), and the Direct Graduate PLUS (up to full need, minus other loans/grants) are unsubsidized, the Federal Perkins Loan actually IS subsidized. It's capped at $8,000 a year for grad students but not every school offers it. They generally only offer it for students with truly "exceptional" need and you'd have to ask your finaid office about it. I don't know if I'm eligible yet.

There may also be subsidized institutional loans (i.e., from the school, not the federal government), but not many schools do this and again it's for exceptional circumstances. If possible to track five loans for each semester in your spreadsheet that might be best, to cover all bases (Stafford, Grad PLUS, Perkins, Institutional and Private).
Ok sweet. I'll definitely try to build it all in. It might take me a while to make a clean interface but I'll try to do it as quickly as possible.

CPA-->JD

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by CPA-->JD » Wed Apr 26, 2017 5:27 pm

CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:Anyone know of any good ones? Looking for two things:

1. Good spreadsheet I can use to track how much debt I'm accruing and how long it'd take to pay it off. Something where I can plug in amounts of debt taken out and when (using disbursement dates for each semester), the interest rates of the debt, the amount of each loan outstanding, and then a payoff trajectory (where I plug in the monthly amount I would pay toward each loan and the date I start paying off that loan).

2. LS budgeting spreadsheet. I've been working for years but budgeting with an income is a bit different than budgeting the use of student loan funds since you really only get "paid" a few times a year and have to plan months ahead, as well as plan for the summer (which I'm not totally familiar with).
I like your idea for 1. I'll try to make it tonight after work and would be happy to send it to you. Just do you happen to know if you take out loans in 3 different year from the same source (e.g. Stafford) does that get aggregated into 1 amount or are they considered 3 separate loans?
Thanks very much, that would be so helpful. I am 99% sure that loans from different years are considered separate loans -- they certainly are for undergraduate federal loans, so I assume the same happens with graduate loans (whether subsidized or not). I would expect to have at least six loans - sub and unsub for each year .
Ok thanks. And by sub you mean the interest doesn't accrue until x months after graduation? Are any of the loans we can take out subsidized?
Yes, the "subsidized" loans are those for which the interest does not accrue until 6 months after graduation.

I originally thought all federal graduate loans were "unsubsidized" (i.e., interest accruing from disbursement date). While both the Direct Stafford (which caps at $20,500), and the Direct Graduate PLUS (up to full need, minus other loans/grants) are unsubsidized, the Federal Perkins Loan actually IS subsidized. It's capped at $8,000 a year for grad students but not every school offers it. They generally only offer it for students with truly "exceptional" need and you'd have to ask your finaid office about it. I don't know if I'm eligible yet.

There may also be subsidized institutional loans (i.e., from the school, not the federal government), but not many schools do this and again it's for exceptional circumstances. If possible to track five loans for each semester in your spreadsheet that might be best, to cover all bases (Stafford, Grad PLUS, Perkins, Institutional and Private).
Ok sweet. I'll definitely try to build it all in. It might take me a while to make a clean interface but I'll try to do it as quickly as possible.
Hey I had a minute a to set one up. How do I send it to you?

I also assumed the interest from year 1 is not capitalized and compounded for the next 2 years, etc.

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MrJD2020

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by MrJD2020 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:10 pm

CPA-->JD wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:
CPA-->JD wrote:
MrJD2020 wrote:Anyone know of any good ones? Looking for two things:

1. Good spreadsheet I can use to track how much debt I'm accruing and how long it'd take to pay it off. Something where I can plug in amounts of debt taken out and when (using disbursement dates for each semester), the interest rates of the debt, the amount of each loan outstanding, and then a payoff trajectory (where I plug in the monthly amount I would pay toward each loan and the date I start paying off that loan).

2. LS budgeting spreadsheet. I've been working for years but budgeting with an income is a bit different than budgeting the use of student loan funds since you really only get "paid" a few times a year and have to plan months ahead, as well as plan for the summer (which I'm not totally familiar with).
I like your idea for 1. I'll try to make it tonight after work and would be happy to send it to you. Just do you happen to know if you take out loans in 3 different year from the same source (e.g. Stafford) does that get aggregated into 1 amount or are they considered 3 separate loans?
Thanks very much, that would be so helpful. I am 99% sure that loans from different years are considered separate loans -- they certainly are for undergraduate federal loans, so I assume the same happens with graduate loans (whether subsidized or not). I would expect to have at least six loans - sub and unsub for each year .
Ok thanks. And by sub you mean the interest doesn't accrue until x months after graduation? Are any of the loans we can take out subsidized?
Yes, the "subsidized" loans are those for which the interest does not accrue until 6 months after graduation.

I originally thought all federal graduate loans were "unsubsidized" (i.e., interest accruing from disbursement date). While both the Direct Stafford (which caps at $20,500), and the Direct Graduate PLUS (up to full need, minus other loans/grants) are unsubsidized, the Federal Perkins Loan actually IS subsidized. It's capped at $8,000 a year for grad students but not every school offers it. They generally only offer it for students with truly "exceptional" need and you'd have to ask your finaid office about it. I don't know if I'm eligible yet.

There may also be subsidized institutional loans (i.e., from the school, not the federal government), but not many schools do this and again it's for exceptional circumstances. If possible to track five loans for each semester in your spreadsheet that might be best, to cover all bases (Stafford, Grad PLUS, Perkins, Institutional and Private).
Ok sweet. I'll definitely try to build it all in. It might take me a while to make a clean interface but I'll try to do it as quickly as possible.
Hey I had a minute a to set one up. How do I send it to you?

I also assumed the interest from year 1 is not capitalized and compounded for the next 2 years, etc.
Will PM you now.

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by AceofSky » Mon Jun 05, 2017 1:24 pm

Hey is there any chance you could either send this to me in a PM or upload this online and provide a download link for everyone? Thanks in advance!

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Re: Spreadsheets/calculators for LS debt repayment and budgeting from 1L - 3L.

Post by mrtux45 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 10:21 am

Could I also have a copy of that spreadsheet?

I've been using this sheet so far that's from the Law School COA thread in the choosing forum, but i'd be interested in seeing what you come up with.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1AHcF ... sp=sharing

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