Compare Best Private Student Loans for May 2023

Borrow Responsibly

We encourage students and families to start with savings, grants, scholarships, and federal student loans to pay for college. Students and families should evaluate all anticipated monthly loan payments, and how much the student expects to earn in the future, before considering a private student loan.

Loans for Undergraduate & Career Training Students are not intended for graduate students and are subject to credit approval, identity verification, signed loan documents, and school certification. Student must attend a participating school. Student or cosigner must meet the age of majority in their state of residence. Students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must reside in the U.S., attend school in the U.S., apply with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident), and provide an unexpired government-issued photo ID. Requested loan amount must be at least $1,000.

¹Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent.  Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment.

²In 2022, instant credit decisions were provided to 97.8% of applicants.  Other applications typically received credit decisions in 3 to 5 business days.

³Although we do not charge a penalty or fee if you prepay your loan, any prepayment will be applied as outlined in your promissory note-first to Unpaid Fees and costs, then to Unpaid Interest, and then to Current Principal.

⁴Based on the percentage of borrowers who were approved for an undergraduate loan with a cosigner compared to the percentage of borrowers who were approved for an undergraduate loan without a cosigner from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022. 

⁵ For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school.  Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website may be subjected to a lower maximum loan request amount.  Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. 

⁶ Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44.  For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years. 

Information advertised valid as of 05/25/2023.

SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. CHECK SALLIEMAE.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE PRODUCT INFORMATION.

Smart Option Student Loans® are made by Sallie Mae Bank. Sallie Mae, the Sallie Mae logo, and other Sallie Mae names and logos are service marks or registered service marks of Sallie Mae Bank. All other names and logos used are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

Edvisors is not the creditor for these loans and is compensated by Sallie Mae for the referral of Sallie Mae loan customers.

© 2023 Sallie Mae Bank. All rights reserved. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Sallie Mae Bank are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

* Ascent's undergraduate and graduate student loans are funded by Bank of Lake Mills, Member FDIC. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations; and terms and conditions may apply. For Ascent Terms and Conditions please visit: www.AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs

Rates are effective as of 6/01/2023 and reflect an automatic payment discount of either 0.25% (for credit-based loans) OR 1.00% (for undergraduate outcomes-based loans). Automatic Payment Discount is available if the borrower is enrolled in automatic payments from their personal checking account and the amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. For Ascent rates and repayment examples please visit: www.AscentFunding.com/Rates

1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. Cosigned Credit-Based Loan student must meet certain minimum credit criteria. The minimum score required is subject to change and may depend on the credit score of your cosigner.  Lowest APRs require interest-only payments, the shortest loan term, and a cosigner, and are only available to our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores.  

This information is for graduate and undergraduate students attending participating degree-granting schools. Borrowers must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents if the school is located outside of the United States. Non-U.S. citizen borrowers who reside in the U.S. are eligible with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident) and are required to provide an unexpired government-issued photo ID to verify identity. Applications are subject to a requested minimum loan amount of $1,000. Current credit and other eligibility criteria apply.

Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. Fixed rates range from 4.70% APR to 15.15% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Variable rates range from 5.40% APR to 16.67% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan origination loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once per month. Although the rate will vary after you are approved, it will never exceed 36% (the maximum allowable for this loan). Please note, Earnest Private Student Loans are not available in Nevada. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and contain our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. It is important to note that the 0.25% Auto Pay discount is not available while loan payments are deferred.

¹You can take advantage of the Auto Pay interest rate reduction by setting up and maintaining active and automatic ACH withdrawal of your loan payment. The interest rate reduction for Auto Pay will be available only while your loan is enrolled in Auto Pay. Interest rate incentives for utilizing Auto Pay may not be combined with certain private student loan repayment programs that also offer an interest rate reduction. For multi-party loans, only one party may enroll in Auto Pay.

²Nine-month grace period is not available for borrowers who choose our Principal and Interest Repayment plan while in school.

³Earnest does not charge fees for origination, late payments, or prepayments. Florida Stamp Tax: For Florida
residents, Florida documentary stamp tax is required by law, calculated as $0.35 for each $100 (or portion thereof) of the principal loan amount, the amount of which is provided in the Final Disclosure. Lender will add the stamp tax to the principal loan amount. The full amount will be paid directly to the Florida Department of Revenue. Certificate of Registration No. 78-8016373916-1.

⁴Earnest clients may skip one payment every 12 months. Your first request to skip a payment can be made once you’ve made at least 6 months of consecutive on-time payments, and your loan is in good standing. The interest accrued during the skipped month will result in an increase in your remaining minimum payment. The final payoff date on your loan will be extended by the length of the skipped payment periods. Please be aware that a skipped payment does count toward the forbearance limits. Please note that skipping a payment is not guaranteed and is at Earnest’s discretion. Your monthly payment and total loan cost may increase as a result of postponing your payment and extending your term.

The information provided on this page is updated as of 05/03/2023. Earnest reserves the right to change, pause, or terminate product offerings at any time without notice.

Earnest loans are originated by Earnest Operations LLC. California Finance Lender License 6054788. NMLS # 1204917. Earnest Operations LLC is located at 303 2nd Street, Suite 401N, San Francisco, CA 94107. Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest.com/terms-of-service, e-mail us at [email protected], or call 888-601-2801 for more information.

THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY PAYMENT OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS OFFER.

 

 

*UNDERGRADUATE LOANS: Fixed rates from 4.24% to 13.55% annual percentage rate ("APR") (with autopay), variable rates from 5.24% to 12.82% APR (with autopay). GRADUATE LOANS: Fixed rates from 5.00% to 13.35% APR (with autopay), variable rates from 5.74% to 12.82% APR (with autopay). PARENT LOANS: Fixed rates from 6.25% to 13.73% APR (with autopay), variable rates from 6.07% to 12.88% APR (with autopay). For the SoFi variable-rate product, the variable interest rate for a given month is derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001). APRs for variable-rate loans may increase after origination if the SOFR index increases. Interest rates for variable rate loans are capped at 13.95%, unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law. Lowest rates are reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. If approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your creditworthiness, the repayment option you select, the term and amount of the loan and other factors, and will be within the ranges of rates listed above. The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. Information current as of 05/31/2023.

Terms and Conditions Apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or other eligible status and meet SoFi's underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. To qualify for the lowest rate, you must have a responsible financial history and meet other conditions. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, evaluation of your creditworthiness, years of professional experience, income, and a variety of other factors. Rates and Terms are subject to change at anytime without notice and are subject to state restrictions. SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers, or may become available, such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law License No. 6054612. SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp., NMLS # 1121636. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org)

Edly Student IBR Loans are unsecured personal student loans issued by FinWise Bank, a Utah chartered commercial bank, member FDIC. All loans are subject to eligibility criteria and review of creditworthiness and history. Terms and conditions apply.

Loans from $5,000 - $15,000 per academic year ($25,000 lifetime) with repayment terms of 60 or 84 months depending upon loan product. Example: $10,000 IBR Loan (60 month repayment term) with a 7% gross income payment percentage for a senior student making $65,000 annually throughout the life of the loan. Payments deferred for the first 12 months during final year of education. After which, $270 Monthly payment for 12 months. Then $379 Monthly payment for 44 months. Followed by one final payment of $137 for a total of $20,610 paid over the life of the loan. 

About this example: The initial payment schedule is set upon receiving final terms and upon confirmation by your school of the loan amount. You may repay this loan at any time by paying an effective APR of 23%. The maximum amount you will pay is $22,500 (not including Late Fees and Returned Check Fees, if any). The maximum number of regularly scheduled payments you will make in this example is 60 (loan with a 60-month repayment term). You will not pay more than 23% APR. No payment is required if your gross earned income is below $30,000 annually or if you lose your job and cannot find employment.

New student loans of $3,001 up to $15,000 per school year will be granted to residents of eligible states enrolled as undergraduates in bachelor’s degree or equivalent- granting programs at eligible schools.

Funding U offers fixed interest rate loans, without a cosigner, to students who are serious about their academic success and post-grad career. Eligibility is determined by several factors, including: school graduation rate, class hours completed, estimated graduation date, academic record, major; employment or internship experience; and, other academic and non-academic activities that demonstrate the borrower is working hard towards academic and professional goals and is on track to be able to repay debt accrued.

Eligibility is also limited by state of permanent residence. Terms and conditions vary by state. Not all loans are available in all states. Loan amounts available may vary by state.

DISBURSEMENT All Loan proceeds will be sent to the student borrower’s school around the time classes begin, on the date your school prefers. Funding U will require documentation to verify your registration and certify your loan need prior to disbursement. Your school must also certify your loan need. Your loan may be adjusted based upon the amount of need certified by your school.

REPAYMENT TERMS New Undergraduate loans for the 2021-2022 school year will have an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 7.49% to 12.99%. All loans have a fixed interest rate range of 7.49%* to 12.99% (before consideration of ACH discount). There is no origination fee. Interest accrues while students are in school.

In-school partial payments: Students may choose either $20 monthly as a “Fixed Payment” while enrolled in school or “Interest Only” payments. These payments will be reported to credit agencies like other student loans. All loans have a 10-year repayment term (paid monthly over 120 months starting 6 months after graduation). Both In-School payment options may not be available in all states. Student’s electing to make Interest-Only payments will receive a 0.5% interest rate discount.

PREPAYMENT PENALTIES There is no prepayment penalty on your loan.

Additional details, terms & conditions will be included in each loan offer.

*The lowest rate shown is available only to juniors & seniors with outstanding academic performance and is not typical of the rates offered to most borrowers. Your actual rate will depend on creditworthiness and other factors, such as your school year and GPA.

To be eligible for a Stride Income Share Agreement, students must fall into the following criteria:

• Attending a four-year Title IV college or university.
• Within two years of graduation.
• Enrolled in a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate program.
• Enrolled in an academic program that meets our outcome-driven eligibility criteria. 
• Reside or attend school in a state we serve:  Currently, we provide Income Share Agreements for all states in the U.S., except Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, South Carolina, and Washington. 
• U.S. Citizen or permanent resident attending school in the U.S.
• Current G.P.A. is greater than 2.9.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call (214)775-9960.