Earnest is a partner lender from which we receive compensation. Edvisors® evaluates each lender we partner with and only recommend loan programs which we believe are a best fit for our audience.
What is Earnest?
Earnest, a subsidiary of Navient Corporation, is a private student loan company that was founded in 2013. They offer in-school private loans as well as refinancing and personal loans. And they are a founding member of the Fintech Equality Coalition which works toward a more inclusive and equitable financial ecosystem. Earnest merges technology with a keen understanding of banking principles to evaluate the creditworthiness of all individuals, including taking earning potential into consideration. The company made CNBC's list of the World's Top FinTech Companies of 2024.
Earnest Customer Service
Earnest offers customer service through various channels. You can easily chat with them online when visiting their contact page. They also help over the phone from Monday to Friday. Additionally, you have the option to submit your questions on their website and receive a response via email. Earnest has received excellent reviews on Trustpilot, earning 4.6 stars for their service. They also hold an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Earnest Student Loans
Earnest prides themselves in providing low rates and a longer grace period than most private student loan lenders (9 months instead of 6 months). With Earnest you can also take advantage of zero fees, choice of loan terms, a 2-minute eligibility check, and the option to skip one payment a year through a one-month forbearance.
Some of Earnest’s student loan products include:
- Undergraduate Private Student Loans
- Graduate Private Student Loans
- Cosigned Private Student Loans
- Medical School Loans
- Law School Loans
- Personal Loans
- Refinance Student Loans
Apply for an Earnest Private Student Loan
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- Check your eligibility in just minutes
- No fees, including late payment, disbursement, or origination fees3
- Skip a payment once per year (once repayment period restarted)4
This information is for graduate and undergraduate students attending Title IV-qualified, not-for-profit, 4-year institutions. Rates offered vary by loan type (undergraduate, graduate, cosigner). 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 financial profile. Fixed annual percentage rates (APR) range from 3.04% to 16.74% (2.79% - 16.49% with auto pay discount). Variable annual percentage rates (APR) range from 5.24% to 17.10% (4.99% - 16.85% with auto pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student 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 a month, but there is no limit on the amount that the rate could increase at one time. Please note, Earnest Private Student Loans are not available in Nevada. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and requires selection of our shortest term offered (5 years), full principal and interest payment while in school, and enrollment in our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. Enrolling in autopay is not required as a condition for approval.
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 late payment, prepayment, or loan origination. However, late payments may still be reported to credit bureaus and may affect your credit score.
4Earnest clients may skip a payment through a one, one-month forbearance during a 12 month period. Your first request to skip a pay can be made once you’ve made at least 6 months of consecutive on-time full principal and interest 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. Any unpaid accrued interest may capitalize (added to the principal balance) at the end of the forbearance period by adding unpaid accrued interest to the outstanding principal as permitted by law and the terms of the loan agreement.
1.) Earnest’s Loan Cost Examples: These examples provide estimates based on principal and interest payments beginning immediately upon loan disbursement. Variable annual percentage rate ("APR"): A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $152.84) and a 16.85% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $27,511.20. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed APR: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $152.84) and a 16.85% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $27,511.20.
2.) These examples provide estimates based on interest only payments while in school. Variable interest rate: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $152.84) and a 16.85% interest rate (16.85% APR) would result in a total estimated payment amount of $35,515.14. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed interest rate: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $152.84) and a 16.85% interest rate (16.85% APR) would result in a total estimated payment amount of $35,515.14. Your actual repayment terms may vary. Other repayment options are available. The calculation assumes that the “in-school” period is 4 years (48 months) and includes our 9 month grace period, during which the monthly payment will be $140.42 for 57 months.
3.) These examples provide estimates based on fixed $25 payments while in school. Variable interest rate: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $253.39) and a 16.85% interest rate (14.92% APR) would result in a total estimated payment amount of $47,035.20. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed interest rate: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $253.39) and a 16.85% interest rate (14.92% APR)would result in a total estimated payment amount of $47,035.20. Your actual repayment terms may vary. Other repayment options are available.The calculation assumes that the “in-school” period is 4 years (48 months) and includes our 9 month grace period, during which the monthly payment will be $25.00.
4.) These examples provide estimates based on deferred payments. Variable interest rate: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $275.17) and a 16.85% interest rate (14.67% APR) would result in a total estimated payment amount of $49,530.60. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed interest rate: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $275.17) and a 16.85% interest rate (14.67% APR) would result in a total estimated payment amount of $49,530.60. Your actual repayment terms may vary. Other repayment options are available. It is important to note that the 0.25% Auto Pay discount is not available while loan payments are deferred. The calculation assumes that the “in-school” period is 4 years (48 months) and includes our 9 month grace period, during which the monthly payment will be $0.
The information provided on this page is updated as of 12/04/2025. Earnest reserves the right to change, pause, or terminate product offerings at any time without notice.
Earnest Private Student Loans are made by One American Bank, Member FDIC, or FinWise Bank, Member FDIC. One American Bank, 515 S. Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. Finwise Bank, 756 East Winchester, Suite 100, Murray, UT 84107.
Earnest student loans are serviced by Earnest Operations LLC, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 340, Oakland 94612. NMLS #1204917, with support from Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri (MOHELA) (NMLS# 1442770) One American Bank, FinWise Bank, and Earnest LLC and its subsidiaries, including Earnest Operations LLC, are not sponsored by agencies of the United States of America.
© 2025 Earnest LLC. All rights reserved.
THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY PAYMENT OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS OFFER.Earnest Private Student Loans
Earnest provides student loans with a variety of benefits including:
- 100% rate match guarantee (Earnest will match any competitor rate and give you a $100 Amazon gift card once your rate match is finalized)
- The option to pick a repayment option with bi-weekly or monthly payments
- A nine-month grace period for payments; fifty-percent longer than most competitors
- Options for flexible repayment plans
- Zero fees, including no prepayment penalties, late fees, or origination fees
- Increased chance of approval when you apply with a cosigner
Earnest Graduate Student Loans
Earnest provides graduate students with a loan that “works as hard you do” and allows students to take their education to the next level, with competitive interest rates, and flexible repayment options. The benefits of Earnest’s graduate student loans include:
- Zero fees
- 100% rate match guarantee
- The option to skip one payment a year
- The ability to save 0.25% with auto-pay
- The capability to easily include a cosigner
- A nine-month grace period
- The option to make a $25 in-school payment
Earnest Student Loan Refinance
Earnest offers competitive variable and fixed rates with the ability to combine multiple loans into one monthly payment. And their benefits include:
- Loan customization
- Choosing your loan term
- The ability to remove a cosigner
- The option to combine several loans into one payment
- Access to a Client Happiness team (customer service)
- The ability to adjust your payment date at any time
- A resource library with how-to guides, calculators, and comparisons to help you make the best choice when refinancing your loan
Bonus: You could earn a referral fee of $200 for your word-of-mouth efforts. Simply refer a friend who successfully refinances their loans and earn your bonus.
Apply for an Earnest Student Loan
When applying for an in-school student loan from Earnest you’ll want to keep the following eligibility requirements in mind.
- Students or potential cosigners must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Students must be enrolled at least half time at a Title IV-qualified institution.
- Utilizing a cosigner is highly encouraged, especially to qualify for lower rates.
- Earnest makes the process easy with an eligibility guide on their site for each loan product offered.
If you’re looking to refinance your loans with Earnest, you can pick them from our lineup of student loan refinance companies, and you can also see the other offers on our website. You’ll want to strongly consider whether it makes sense to include any of your federal loans as it may mean sacrificing borrower benefits, including potential loan forgiveness.
How Earnest Gives Back
Earnest partnered with Payitoff to launch it's Student Loan Manager, a free tool that provides personalized repayment plan recommendations to help lower monthly payments and take control of your student loan debt.
Earnest Headquarters
Earnest is headquartered in San Francisco, California with additional offices in Salt Lake City, Utah.
