Compare Private Student Loans
Finding the right private student loan is an important part of the financial aid process. That's why we created a simple and informative way to compare private student loans. Our comparison tool provides detailed information on the various features and benefit programs of multiple loan options in one glance.
Compare Private Student Loans
Lender
Benefits
Wells Fargo Collegiate® Loan 1
We've helped millions of students pay for college, and look forward to helping you. Applying with a qualified cosigner can help speed the approval process and ensure the lowest rate.
Our loan offers:
- No payments while in school 1,2
- Easy online application with quick credit decision
- Variable interest rate as low as 3.40% APR*
- Fixed interest rate also available, as low as 6.84% APR
- Reduce interest rate up to 1.00% with possible discounts 3,4
- No application, origination or early repayment fees
- Additional loan options for graduates who may qualify without a cosigner, parents/sponsors who want to borrow for student in their name, and private loan consolidation. Click “Apply” and choose your appropriate loan.
Sallie Mae® Smart Option Student Loan® for Degree-Granting Institutions
By making interest payments while in-school and taking advantage of the Smart Option Student Loan's shorter repayment term, you can save over 25%1 on your total loan cost compared to a traditional private student loan with deferred payments and a 15-year repayment term.
- Low rates - 2.25% APR to 9.11% APR2 (Competitive fixed interest rates also available.)
- No origination fees and no prepayment penalty
- Get a 2% Smart Reward® in your Upromise® account of 2% of your scheduled monthly payments that are made on time while in school3
- Receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction while enrolled to make scheduled monthly payments by automatic debit4
- Borrow up to 100% of your school-certified education costs (minimum $1,000)
- Applying with a creditworthy cosigner may help you qualify for and/or receive a lower interest rate
- You can apply to release your cosigner after you graduate and make 12 consecutive on-time principal and interest payments5
- Tuition Insurance Benefit: Covers up to $5,000 of tuition lost due to a covered medical withdrawal.6 Available at no cost to the consumer with loans that first disburse 7/1/12 through 10/31/12.
CitiAssist® Loan
With a private CitiAssist Loan, you can be completely confident you'll get the money you need to pay for college expenses not covered by federal loans.
- Variable interest rates as low as 3.20% APR1 View APR Examples
- Zero origination fees2
- No payments required while enrolled in school at least half-time3
- Adding a cosigner, you may improve your chance for loan approval and may receive a lower interest rate
- 0.25% interest rate reduction when you enroll in our auto-debit payment program
- Simple three-step online application with Live Chat
PNC Solution Loan 1
We realize that covering all of your expenses can be a challenge, especially when government loans and financial aid just aren't enough. Apply for your PNC Solution Loan today so you can get the money you need to finance your education.
- Choose your interest rate option: variable or fixed rate
- Save 0.50% off your interest rate when you establish automated payments from any checking or savings account 2
- Enjoy flexible payment options: defer until you graduate or leave school, or start paying right away and save on interest 3
- Stress less about repaying your loan - take up to 15 years 4
- Stay focused on your education - we'll send funds directly to your school
- A co-signer release option is available after the initial 48 consecutive on-time monthly payments and is subject to credit approval
Citizens Bank TruFit Student Loan®
The TruFit Student Loan helps make education possible by filling the gap after maximizing grants, scholarships and federal loan eligibility.
- No Fees & Reduced Rates
- 0.5% interest rate reduction with auto-payments from your Citizens Bank account
- Applying with a co-signer and you may receive a lower interest rate
- Co-signer release option available after 36 consecutive, on time payments
- No payments during school
- 24/7 online account management
Union Federal Private Student Loan
A Union Federal Private Student Loan allows you to apply in minutes and create a student loan personalized for you. We let you choose your repayment term and option during the application process. You can also compare multiple options in the application session and pick the option that best fits your needs. Apply Now!
- Interest rates from 2.81% to 9.20% 1
- No origination fees
- Receive a 0.25% interest rate reduction for making monthly payments from your bank account automatically 2
- Earn a 0.25% interest rate reduction for on time payments 3
- Apply with a creditworthy cosigner and you may receive a lower interest rate
- Choose from three repayment terms - you decide
Discover Student Loans
Discover Certified Private Loans have zero origination fees and a 2% Graduation Reward. We can help you cover up to 100% of your college costs and no payments are required while you are in school at least half-time.
- Variable rates as low as 3.25% APR
- Exclusive 2% Graduation Reward
- 0.25% Auto Debit Reward
- Zero origination fees
- Fast and easy online application process
- Live customer service 7 days a week
Charter One TruFit Student Loan®
The TruFit Student Loan helps make education possible by filling the gap after maximizing grants, scholarships and federal loan eligibility.
- No Fees & Reduced Rates
- 0.5% interest rate reduction with auto-payments from your Charter One Bank account
- Applying with a co-signer and you may receive a lower interest rate
- Co-signer release option available after 36 consecutive, on time payments
- No payments during school
- 24/7 online account management
SunTrust Custom Choice Loan®
Rising tuition, coupled with limited government aid, has created a widening gap between the cost of college and financial aid. The Custom Choice Loan is a private student loan designed to fill the gap by borrowing the difference between school expenses and other Federal financial aid.
- Six-month grace period upon graduation
- Choice of repayment term1
- Fixed and variable rate options
- Automatic Payment Discount of up to 0.50%2
- 0.25% interest rate reduction when you have your payments automatically deducted from a personal bank account
- Additional 0.25% interest rate reduction for auto debit of monthly payments from a SunTrust Bank deposit account
- 1% principal reduction upon graduation3
- Defer payments until after graduation4
- Cosigner release option available5
1 Repayment begins six months after graduating or leaving school.
2 Loans subject to qualification.
3 Wells Fargo may discontinue or modify rewards for future disbursements at any time without notice.
4 Reduce interest rate [by a total up to 1.00%] if you satisfy one or more of the following: you or your cosigner have a qualifying Wells Fargo relationship at the time of application [0.25% - 0.50%, depending on the relationship]; you qualify for the Wells Fargo Student Graduation BenefitSM Reward [0.25%]; or you authorize automatic payments from your personal checking or savings account [0.25%] (this rate reduction will be effective the day after the first automatic withdrawal is made). Different discounts may be combined, except that only one relationship discount will apply. You will automatically receive the highest applicable relationship discount. For details, including eligibility requirements, visit us at wellsfargo.com/student.
* The interest rate is variable and can increase and/or decrease over the life of the loan. If Prime changes, change is monthly on first day of month. Prime Rate subject to 3.25% minimum (Variable Floor Rate).
CitiAssist® Loan APR Examples
Please note the following as you review the examples below: The Deferment Term is an estimate of the number of months a student would be in school and have payments deferred. The Principal Amount Entering Repayment is based on the assumption that interest accrues during the in-school period and is capitalized when the loan enters repayment. The Repayment Term is the number of months over which the loan will be repaid.
APR Example for CitiAssist® Loan for Undergraduates
| Annual Percentage Rate Examples Assuming an Interest Rate of 3.375% | Annual Percentage Rate Examples Assuming an Interest Rate of 9.625% | |
| Loan Amount | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| APR | 3.32% | 8.21% |
| Loan Fees | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Principal Amount Entering Repayment | $11,068.75 | $13,047.92 |
| Monthly Payment (principal & interest) | $78.45 | $137.24 |
| Repayment Terms (months) | 180 | 180 |
| Deferment Term (months) | 38 | 38 |
APR Example for CitiAssist® Loan for Graduates
| Annual Percentage Rate Examples Assuming an Interest Rate of 3.875% | Annual Percentage Rate Examples Assuming an Interest Rate of 8.125% | |
| Loan Amount | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| APR | 3.84% | 7.98% |
| Loan Fees | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Principal Amount Entering Repayment | $10,871.88 | $11,828.13 |
| Monthly Payment (principal & interest) | $65.17 | $99.86 |
| Repayment Terms (months) | 240 | 240 |
| Deferment Term (months) | 27 | 27 |
The interest rate may vary and is indexed to the 3-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), as published in the "Money Rates" section of The Wall Street Journal, rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent, plus or minus a margin. As of Friday, December 16, 2011, the 3-month LIBOR Index, rounded up, was 0.625%. The variable rate is determined quarterly on the first day of January, April, July, and October based on the published LIBOR Index 15 days prior to those dates. The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for a loan will increase if the 3-month LIBOR Index increases and would result in higher monthly payments, an increase in the number of scheduled payments, or both.
1 PNC Solution Loans are subject to credit approval.
2 0.50% interest rate reduction is available as long as payments are automatically deducted from any checking or savings account. The interest rate reduction benefit is lost if automatic payment deduction is discontinued.
3 Students may choose to defer repayment until six months after graduation or ceasing to be enrolled at least half time in school. Interest-only and immediate repayment options are also available. Interest will accumulate while the student is enrolled in school if payments are deferred. If interest is not paid, the accumulated interest will be added to the principal at repayment.
4Effective 4/1/2012, variable loan interest rates range from 3.57% to 11.27% and APRs range from 3.51% to 11.27%. The monthly payment for the immediate repayment option at a variable rate range of 3.57% to 11.27% for 180 months on a $10,000 loan means you would make 180 payments which may range from $71.83 to $115.85 based on 30 days to first payment due date. All figures are for PNC Solution Loan for Undergraduates. Other terms and conditions may apply to other PNC Solution Loan programs.
Please note: PNC reserves the right to modify or discontinue the terms of this program at any time without notice. Visit pnconcampus.com for additional information, terms and conditions about our loan programs.
© 2012 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association.
Member FDIC
1 The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is variable and may increase during the life of the loan if the 3-month LIBOR Index increases, which would result in higher monthly payments, an increase in the number of scheduled payments, or both.
2 Our auto-debit payment program provides a 0.25% interest rate reduction during repayment when a borrower enrolls in the program and agrees to receive only electronic statements. To retain this borrower benefit and avoid late fees, you must make and have your payments posted to your account no later than the scheduled due date. Any payment posted after the due date will result in the termination of such benefit. The interest rate reduction does not apply during periods of deferment or forbearance and automatically terminates upon loan delinquency, default or for payments returned due to insufficient funds or other reason.
3 Subject to maximum allowed aggregate borrowing limits and payment-deferral periods.
We reserve the right to modify or discontinue benefit programs at any time without notice. Any termination or modification of the program will not affect the terms of loans previously made. Specific terms and conditions apply, visit studentloan.com or call us at 1-800-STUDENT.
1 15 and 20 year terms are only available for loan amounts of $5,000 or more.
2 ACH discount(s) only apply when full payments (including both principal and interest) are automatically drafted from a bank account. Discount(s) will remain on the account unless (1) the automatic deduction of payments is stopped (including times during deferment or forbearance) or (2) there are three automatic deductions returned for insufficient funds within the life of the loan. The additional SunTrust ACH reward is available for loans first disbursed on or after 6/1/11 and will be applied after the first automatic payment is successfully deducted from a SunTrust Bank checking, savings or money market account.
3 Proof of graduation (certified copy of diploma) must be submitted within 90 days of graduation. 1% principal reduction is based on the fully disbursed loan amount. To receive the reward, no more than one late payment (payment received more than 10 days after the due date) is allowed.
4 Payments may be deferred while a student is enrolled at least half-time at an approved school and during the 6 month grace period after graduation or dropping below half-time status. Interest will continue to accrue while your payments are deferred, and it will be capitalized (added to your principal loan balance) when repayment begins.
5 Request for the cosigner to be released can be made after the first 48 consecutive, on-time payments (not later than ten days after the due date) of principal and interest have been made. The borrower must meet credit criteria on their own at the time of the request. The borrower must also be currently enrolled for automatic deduction of monthly payments from a bank account and must not have used forbearance on the loan prior to the request.
Certain restrictions and limitations may apply. SunTrust reserves the right to change or discontinue these programs without notice. All loan programs are subject to approval and may not be available in certain jurisdictions.
This information is for borrowers attending degree-granting institutions only. Eligibility requirements apply.
1 Savings based on typical loan to a freshman.
2 Interest rates for the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options are higher than for loans with the Interest Repayment Option. APRs for borrowers attending non-degree granting institutions range from 7.99% to 14.05% with an origination fee up to 5%. Origination fees mean application or disbursement fees. Variable rates may increase after consummation.
3 Primary borrower can earn reward into his or her active Upromise account of 2% of the scheduled loan payment amount for each on time payment during the in school and separation periods. Loan payments must remain current to be eligible for the reward. Benefit and Upromise membership subject to the terms and conditions of the Upromise service, as may be amended from time to time. Upromise Accounts are not FDIC insured, carry no bank guarantee and may lose value.
4 Recurring payment must be successfully deducted from designated account for rate reduction to apply. Benefit suspended during forbearances and deferments.5 To qualify, borrower must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and meet the underwriting requirements when the release request is processed.
6 The Tuition Insurance Benefit is tuition refund insurance that covers up to $2500 per semester ($5000 total per policy) and is available with Loans that first disburse between 7/1/12 and 10/31/12. Borrowers are automatically enrolled at the first loan disbursement. Benefit must be activated within four months of first disbursement to receive twelve months of coverage. To process the benefit your information will be shared with Sallie Mae Insurance Services, their underwriters, and their providers. If the loan is cancelled, coverage terminates. Individuals may be enrolled in only one Tuition Insurance Benefit at a time. Benefit is offered through Sallie Mae Insurance Services, a service of Next Generation Insurance Group, LLC, a licensed insurance producer. For insurance licensing information, click here. Coverage is underwritten by Markel Insurance Company, Deerfield, IL; Administrative Office: Glen Allen, VA.
SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. CHECK THE SALLIE MAE WEBSITE (www.salliemae.com) TO OBTAIN THE MOST UP-TO-DATE PRODUCT INFORMATION.
Information advertised valid as of May 20, 2012.
The Sallie Mae logo is a service mark of, and Sallie Mae, Sallie Mae Bank, Smart Reward, and Smart Option Student Loan are registered service marks of Sallie Mae, Inc. Upromise is a registered service mark of Upromise, Inc. Sallie Mae Insurance Services is a registered service mark of and the Sallie Mae Insurance Services Logo is a service mark of Sallie Mae, Inc. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Sallie Mae, Inc. and Upromise, Inc., are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
Smart Option Student Loans are made by Sallie Mae Bank® or a lender partner.
1 The current interest rate in effect as of 7/1/2011 ranges from 2.81%to 9.20%. The applicable interest rate for each calendar quarter shall be based on the average of the One-month London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") published in the "Money Rates" section of The Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition) on the 1st day of each of the three previous calendar months, or the next business day thereafter, rounded to the nearest 1/100th percent (.01%). LIBOR stands for London Interbank Offered Rate. Your variable interest rate and Annual Percentage Rate (APR) may be higher depending upon your and your cosigner's credit history and will increase or decrease if the One-month LIBOR index changes. The current One-month LIBOR index was 0.21% on 7/1/2011.
2 To qualify, simply arrange with your loan servicer to automatically deduct monthly principal and interest payments from a bank account. The automatic payment benefit will discontinue and be lost for the remaining repayment period in the event any three payments are returned for insufficient funds over the life of the loan. This benefit is not available for interest payments made during the Deferment Period for the Interest-Only Repayment Option or Student Starter (partial interest payment) Option. This benefit may be terminated during deferment and forbearance periods.
3 Additional interest rate reduction of 25 basis points (0.25%) for borrowers who have made on-time monthly principal and interest payments (received within 10 days of the due date) for a minimum of the first 36 consecutive months. The borrower must have elected to use automated electronic payments prior to the 36th such payment. To qualify, contact your loan servicer after making the first 36 consecutive principal and interest payments on time.
Borrowers may choose to apply with any lender and should be aware that there are other loan options beyond those available on PrivateStudentLoans.com. For more general information about private student loans, check out our private student loan overview page, or simply get started and apply for a private student loan.
PrivateStudentLoans.com always recommends that students explore all of their financial aid options, from scholarships and grants to federal student loans, in addition to learning more about private student loans. To learn more about how this unique tool works, check out our comparison tool information page.
Apply With a Co-signer
While not required, we strongly encourage undergraduate students to apply with a creditworthy co-signer if they may have difficulty qualifying for a loan due to limited income and credit history. This may increase an applicant's chances of approval and of possibly obtaining a better interest rate.
Compare Private Student Loans to Federal Student Loans
Below are links to pages comparing private student loans to the two federal loan programs:
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Compare Private Student Loans to Federal Stafford Loans
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Compare Private Student Loans to Parent PLUS Loans
The School Certified Loan is disbursed to the school's financial aid office. In some cases, the school certified loan can have a higher approval rating because it is managed through your financial aid office and disbursed to the school, lowering the perceived risk of borrowing.


