History

The Federal Loan Consolidation Program was created in 1986. In 1998, the United States Congress changed the interest rate to the aforementioned fixed rate weighted mean, effective February 1, 1999. Consolidation loans taken out before that date had a variable interest rate, determined by the individual FDLP loan origination center (e.g., in the case of a university, that university) or FFELP lender (e.g., a third party bank).
In 2005, the Government Accountability Office considered consolidating consolidation loans so that they were exclusively managed through the FDLP. Based on several assumptions about future variations in interest rates, the loan volume, the percentage of defaulters, cost estimates from the United States Department of Education, it concluded that while doing so would incur an additional cost of $46 million, caused by the higher administrative costs of the FDLP compared to the FFELP, this would be offset by a $3,100 million saving comprised in part of avoiding $2,500 million in subsidy costs. In 2008, turmoil in the financial and credit markets has led to the suspension of many loan consolidation programs, including Sallie Mae, Nelnet and Next Student.

Home equity
Home equity is the value of a homeowner's unencumbered interest in their property, i.e. the difference between the home's fair market value and the unpaid balance of the mortgage and any outstanding debt over the home. Equity increases as the mortgage is paid or as the property enjoys appreciation. This is sometimes called real property value in economics.
Technically, home equity has a zero rate of return and is not liquid. So-called home equity management is the process of using equity extraction via loans, at favorable and often tax-favored interest rates, to invest otherwise illiquid equity in a target that offers higher returns. This can be considered a form of arbitrage.
Arbitrage is in essence borrowing money at one rate and earning a higher rate elsewhere. In home equity management, home equity is reduced, and the owner's liability is increased. Therefore, safety and liquidity are essential to preserving nominal home equity. Consequently, the process excludes all equity extraction that is actually spent or invested in non-liquid ways.
Home equity is frequently used as a form of collateral to obtain loans such as HELOC and home equity loan. Interest paid on such loans can be partially tax deductible in the United States and other countries.