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Editor's Picks for Student Loans

Elaine Rubin

FAFSA Deadlines for 2025-2026

By Elaine Rubin
FAFSA deadlines can vary. The FAFSA for the 2025-2026 academic year opens on October 1st and remains open until June 30, 2026. However to improve your chances of getting more aid, file as soon as you can and certainly well before any applicable deadlines noted below. 
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Clipboard with application for a student loan with cosigner
Tré Norman

Private Student Loan Cosigner: Everything you Need to Know

By Tré Norman
Having a student loan cosigner is a great way to get approved for a private student loan and qualify for a lower interest rate. A cosigner can be any responsible adult who fits the criteria. Look for a lender that offers cosigner release as a way to relieve your cosigner of their responsibility once you’ve made a series of on-time payments.
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Elaine Rubin

Best Private Student Loans for May 2025

By Elaine Rubin
Once you’ve exhausted federal aid, private student loans can help fill in gaps in college funding. Learn how to find the best private student loan option for you.
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Most Popular Student Loan Articles

Elaine Rubin

Parent PLUS Loans vs. Private Student Loans

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Review the pros and cons of Parent PLUS Loans to private student loans. Comparison chart included.
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Elaine Rubin

Student Loans for Graduate School

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Graduate students can borrow federal and private student loans. Federal student loans include Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Grad PLUS Loans. Private student loans are also available and may offer more competitive rates.
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Elaine Rubin

Best Student Loan Refinance Companies for May 2025

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
The best student loan refinance company for you is the one that offers terms that align with your goals. Current interest rates are as low as 4.47%. Compare student loan refinancing lenders.
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Student Loans FAQs

The information provided on the FAFSA is used by a school to assess a student’s financial need and to determine their eligible for federal student aid.
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Parents are sometimes unwilling to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and/or other financial aid forms. But, parental information is required on the FAFSA of a dependent student, so a dependent student will not be able to qualify for need-based federal student aid without his or her parent’s help. There are many reasons why a parent may be unwilling to complete the FAFSA.
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Some students will file the FAFSA, but won’t qualify for need-based student aid such as grants, scholarships that require financial need, and subsidized federal student loans. For example, more than half of undergraduate students who file the FAFSA don’t qualify for a Federal Pell Grant or other federal grants. But you do have options if you didn’t receive any need-based aid.
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Check to see if your school participates in federal student aid. If you they do, you will likely need to complete the FAFSA. There are some basic eligibility criteria you need to meet to qualify to receive federal aid. Eligibility requirements include:...
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The FAFSA application is used to determine a student’s eligibility for federal student aid, it’s free to complete and submit. Based on the information provided on the FAFSA, you may be offered a federal student loan, if accepted, you will have to repay the loan.
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You don’t claim “dependents” on the FAFSA. The FAFSA will ask you to verify household size and the rules for who is in your household are far different than the tax rules used by the IRS to determine a dependent for tax purposes.
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Most college students will have to borrow one or more student loans before they graduate, because there aren’t enough government grants to cover all college costs. There are more than $100 billion in new student loans made each year and more than $1 trillion in student loan debt outstanding.
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The average student loan debt for a bachelors degree is $36,510 and the average student loan debt for a masters degree is $71,318
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It is always best to determine if you have federal or private student loans, and who services them before you start the refinance or consolidation process. To find your federal student loans log into your My Federal Student Aid account with the U.S. Department of Education. For private student loans request your free annual credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com.
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Most new private student loans require the borrower to have a creditworthy cosigner. This includes more than 90% of new private student loans to undergraduate students and more than 75% of new private student loans to graduate and professional students. But, what if the student doesn't have a creditworthy cosigner?
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There are the obvious expenses you can use your student loans for such as school tuition and fees. However, you can use your student loans to help you cover other education-related costs. Some of those items include:
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To qualify for federal, state, and college financial aid for graduate school, you have to submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA is required to receive federal and state grants and scholarships, as well as federal student loans, including Perkins Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and Grad PLUS Loans.
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A private student loan is a credit-based loan for college that can cover the gap between financial aid received and the full cost of attendance. Private student loans are issued by private lending institutions, such as banks and credit unions.
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Private student loan terms and conditions vary by lender. However, there are some terms and conditions that tend to be pretty similar from lender to lender.
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One way to find a private lender that works with your school is to contact your school’s financial aid office, you can also enter your school on the home page of Edvisors.com to see a list of lenders that work with your school.
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The exact amount of time it takes to get a private student loan will vary by lender, school, and time of year. Generally, the process can take as little as two weeks and as long as two months.
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Unless you have a strong credit rating and history, you will probably need to apply for a private student loan with a credit-worthy cosigner.
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Yes, some private student loan lenders offer options for students who are seeking professional training and trade certificate programs.
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The answer to this question is “it depends.” If you’re looking at saving money each month on the amount of your student loan payment, you will likely be able to reduce your monthly obligation by extending your repayment term. However, extending your repayment term may cost you more overall in interest paid over time, but can help to reduce your monthly expenditures.
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Interest rates on private refinance loans vary by lender, and may be variable or fixed. Typically, the interest rate is based on the credit score of the borrower and the cosigner (if applicable).
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A private student loan refinance repayment terms vary by lender, and can be anywhere from 5 to 20 years. The Standard Direct Consolidation Loan repayment period is determined by your total education debt, which considers both federal and private student loan debt. In your application you can report the amount of your private student loans, even though you can't include the actual loans in your consolidation.
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If you do not satisfy a lender’s credit criteria, a cosigner may be required. Recent college graduates may not have a long enough credit history or work history to qualify without a cosigner.
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When we refer to consolidation, we are talking about the federal student loan consolidation program. This program is only available for federal student loans. Private student loans may not be included.
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To refinance your student loans, you need to find a lender that offers student loan refinancing. If you choose to combine your loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan, you will need to submit an application to StudentLoans.gov.
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Private student loan lenders are lenders (banks, credit unions, online lenders) offering loans to students looking to pay for college that are outside of the federal student loan program.
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In general, private student loans are based upon your creditworthiness. Undergraduate student borrowers, are typically less likely to be able to demonstrate a strong credit history and qualify for a loan on their own.
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Good credit is preferred by all private student loan lenders. In general, private student loan lenders are looking for borrowers to have FICO® a credit score of at least 680, a decent debt-to-income ratio, and at least two years of work history.
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Federal student loans come from the federal government – U.S. Department of Education. While you may have a loan servicer that is working with the government to accept payments and manage the loan, the loan itself is from the government.
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Yes, you can consolidate (i.e., refinance) student loans from different lenders. When you apply to refinance your loans with a private student loan refinance lender, you can include all existing loans you may have, regardless of the lender.
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Student loan payments are calculated based upon the terms of your loan. This will include your interest rate, the repayment term of your loan (i.e. the number of years you agreed to pay the loan back within) and the current outstanding balance on your loan.
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FAFSA

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Elaine Rubin

Filing the FAFSA 2025-2026: A Simple Guide for Students

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

FAFSA Deadlines for 2025-2026

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

Who is My Parent When I Fill Out the FAFSA?

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

FAFSA® FAQ - Your FAFSA® Questions Answered

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

Subsidized vs Unsubsidized Student Loans

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

The Complete Guide to Federal Undergraduate Student Loans

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Edvisors Network

Financial Aid for Graduate School

By Edvisors Network
Updated on
Edvisors Network

Federal vs Private Student Loans: A Comparison

By Edvisors Network
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

Best Private Student Loans for May 2025

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Edvisors Network

Emergency Student Loans

By Edvisors Network
Updated on
Tré Norman

Private Student Loan Cosigner: Everything you Need to Know

By Tré Norman
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

13 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Repaying Student Loans

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

Best Student Loan Refinance Companies for May 2025

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

Student Loan Refinancing and Consolidation: What You Should Consider

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Elaine Rubin

Student Loan Forgiveness: How to Get Student Loans Forgiven

By Elaine Rubin
Updated on
Edvisors Network

Sallie Mae Student Loan Review

By Edvisors Network
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Edvisors Network

Nelnet Bank Student Loan Review

By Edvisors Network
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Edvisors Network

College Ave Student Loan Review

By Edvisors Network
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Edvisors Network

ELFI Student Loan Review

By Edvisors Network
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Edvisors provides expert advice on planning and paying for college. On Edvisors.com easily compare student loan lenders, learn how to apply for financial aid, and discover scholarships. Learn about federal and private student loans for students and parents, how and when to apply to college, and more!

Edvisors (“Edvisors Network, Inc.”) provides independent advertising-supported platforms for consumers to search compare and apply for private student loans. Loan offers from participating lenders that appear on our websites are not affiliated with any college and/or universities, and there are no colleges and/or universities which endorse Edvisors’ products or services. Lender search results do not constitute an official college preferred lender list. Edvisors receives compensation from lenders that appear on this site. This compensation may impact the placement of where lenders appear on this site, for example, the order in which the lenders appear when included in a list. Not all lenders participate in our sites and lenders that do participate may not offer loans to every school.

Edvisors is not a lender and makes no representations or warranties about your eligibility for a particular loan or financial aid. Lenders are solely responsible for any and all credit decisions, loan approval and rates, terms and other costs of the loan offered and may vary based upon the lender you select. Please check with your school or lender directly for information related to your personal eligibility.

Edvisors has endeavored to provide accurate information. However, the results provided by lenders are for illustrative purposes only and accuracy is not guaranteed, as such, Edvisors assumes no responsibility for errors or omission in the information provided.

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