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

 
Apply for Discover private student loans
 
Private student loans lenders: Discover private student loans
  • No origination fees
  • 2% rate reduction upon graduation
  • Learn more »

Discover Student Loans

Discover Private Student Loans come with zero up-front fees and a 2% Graduation Reward. That's a 2% cash reward on your outstanding principal balance at graduation.

  • Up to 100% of your cost of attendance minus other aid, based on certification
  • No origination or prepayment fees
  • Exclusive 2% graduation reward based on your outstanding principal balance
  • Rates as low as Prime plus 1.0% to Prime +7.75%, based on credit evaluation
  • The funds are certified by your school's financial aid office and sent directly to the school on your behalf
  • Discover Private Student Loan full terms and information
Apply for Wells Fargo private student loans
 
Private student loans lenders: Wells Fargo private student loans
  • No annual maximum
  • 0.5% rate reduction upon graduation
  • Learn more »

Wells Fargo Collegiate LoanSM

If you've already received all the federal loans and scholarships you're eligible for and still don't have enough, you can use the Wells Fargo Collegiate Loan to borrow up to the entire cost of your education.

  • Borrow up to the entire cost of your education, minus other financial aid1
  • Interest rate based on the Prime rate plus a margin of 1.0% to 7.99%
  • No payments are due until six months after you graduate or leave school2
  • 0.50% rate reduction at repayment upon verification of graduation with the Wells Fargo Student Graduation BenefitSM program3
  • 0.25% interest rate reduction when we automatically withdraw payments from a personal checking or savings account4
  • Wells Fargo Private Student Loan full terms and information
Apply for Suntrust private student loans
 
Private student loans lenders: Suntrust private student loans
  • Zero upfront fees
  • $300 balance reduction upon graduation
  • Learn more »

SunTrust Academic Answer®

Rising tuition, coupled with limited government aid, has created a widening gap between the cost of college and financial aid. The private student loan, Academic Answer®, is a way to fill the gap by borrowing the difference between school expenses and other Federal financial aid.

  • Six-month grace period while you find a job
  • Generous student loan repayment terms
  • Exclusive SunTrust Graduation Reward — $300 principal reduction on every SunTrust Academic Answer® loan upon graduation1
  • No Upfront Fees!2
  • 0.25% interest rate reduction when you have your payments automatically deducted from a personal bank account3
  • Defer payments until after graduation4
  • Suntrust Private Student Loan full terms and information
Apply for Sallie Mae private student loans
 
Private student loans lenders: Sallie Mae private student loans
  • In-school payments reduce total interest
  • Cosigner release upon graduation
  • Learn more »

Sallie Mae Smart Option Student LoanSM

The innovative Smart Option Student LoanSM helps students save money, build good credit, and pay off their student loan debt faster.

  • Pricing that rewards creditworthy borrowers
  • Applying with a creditworthy cosigner may help you qualify and/or receive a lower interest rate
  • Borrowers may apply for a cosigner release after successful completion of their education1
  • A 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction is available for automatic debit2
  • Sallie Mae Private Student Loan full terms and information
Apply for Graduate Leverage private student loans
 
Private student loans lenders: Graduate Leverage private student loans
  • Low, fixed interest rate of 7.9%
  • Payments not due until graduation
  • Learn more »

Graduate Leverage Student Plus Program

The Student Plus Program is a lower cost alternative to a traditional private student loan. This program helps families better utilize the Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan by arranging for the student to make payments on the loan following graduation.

  • Low, fixed interest rate (7.9%) of the Federal Direct PLUS loan*
  • Neither parent's nor student's credit score is used to determine interest rate
  • Graduate Leverage facilitates the payment process to help protect against risks of delinquency
  • Student makes payments following graduation

Parent's participation is required

*The Graduate Leverage Student Plus Program is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or the Federal Parent PLUS Loan Program.


Click here for full terms and information
Apply for Credit Union EdAccess Private Student Loan
 
cuStudentLoans
  • 30 Day No-Fee Return Policy
  • Zero Fees if interest is paid in-school
  • Learn more »

Credit Union EdAccess Private Student Loan

Federal loans not enough to cover the cost of your college education? The EdAccess Loan can be the answer to your funding needs.

  • Borrower as little as $2,500 or as much as $30,000 per year. $120,000 lifetime maximum
  • Defer full principal and interest payments until six month after graduation or leaving school
  • Variable interest loan based upon LIBOR index plus a margin. Recent rates for approved loans range from 6% - 9%
  • Zero fees or low fees (2% - 4%) based on repayment option selected - Borrower has the option to choose between making interest payments or a nominal $25 "Good Faith" payment towards the loan while in school
  • No prepayment penalty and 30-day loan cancellation policy
  • Use EdAccess Private Student Loan funds for any qualified educational expense, including past due tuition bills
  • Fast pre-approval once we receive your completed application


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.

We strongly recommend applying with a cosigner. Doing so can increase your chances of approval and potentially lower your interest rate. Learn more about adding a cosigner to your private loan application.

Private student loans lenders: Wells Fargo private student loans

Loans subject to qualification.

1 The annual loan limit for temporary resident aliens is $25,000.

2 The maximum in-school period is seven years after the date of first disbursement.

3 Wells Fargo retains the right to discontinue or modify our rewards for future disbursements at any time without notice.

4 Wells Fargo retains the right to discontinue or modify our rewards for future disbursements at any time without notice. Reduced interest rate requires continued automatic payment from a personal checking or savings account. If the automatic payment is cancelled at any time after repayment begins, the discount will be lost until automatic payment is reinstated. The automatic payment interest rate reduction is separate from the graduation reward interest rate reduction and available to both borrowers who graduate and those who do not.

Private student loans lenders: Suntrust private student loans

SunTrust is a federally registered service mark and Academic Answer® is a federally registered trademark of SunTrust Banks, Inc.

1Proof of graduation is required.

2A Repayment Finance Charge may apply based on your or your cosigner's credit history.

3The 0.25% rate reduction is available to borrowers who arrange with their servicer to automatically deduct monthly payments from their personal bank account. Savings programs are effective for all loans disbursed on or after October 13, 2006.

4Interest will continue to accrue while your payments are deferred, and it will be capitalized (added to your principal loan balance) when repayment begins.

Certain restrictions and limitations may apply. SunTrust reserves the right to change or discontinue these benefits without notice. This loan program may not be available in all jurisdictions

Private student loans lenders: Sallie Mae private student loans

1 The release of a cosigner is at the sole discretion of Sallie Mae. The borrower must have a satisfactory history of making principal and interest payments and meet underwriting guidelines when the request for cosigner release is processed. The borrower's account must remain current until the request for release is processed and the borrower must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time the cosigner release is processed.

2 The automatic debit benefit is available for as long as the borrower's monthly payment amount is successfully deducted from the designated bank account. Borrowers can elect to make payments via automatic debit through Sallie Mae's online account management system. This benefit lowers the borrower's interest rate but does not change the amount of the monthly payment. This benefit is suspended during periods of forbearance and certain deferments.

Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loans are made by Sallie Mae Bank®. The Student Loan Network is compensated for the referral of Smart Option Student Loan customers.

Borrower benefit information is valid as of July 16, 2009.

SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND BORROWER BENEFITS (INCLUDING INTEREST RATE REDUCTIONS) AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. APPLICANTS SHOULD CHECK THE SALLIE MAE WEBSITE (SALLIEMAE.COM) CLOSE TO THEIR LOAN APPLICATION DATE AND AGAIN PRIOR TO DISBURSEMENT TO OBTAIN THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION REGARDING PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND BORROWER BENEFITS.

Sallie Mae, and Sallie Mae Bank are registered service marks and Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan is a service mark of Sallie Mae, Inc. Upromise and Upromise Loan Link are registered service marks of Upromise, Inc. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Sallie Mae, Inc., are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America. ©2009 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved. (7/09)

Private student loans lenders: Wells Fargo private student loans

Loans subject to qualification.

1 The annual loan limit for temporary resident aliens is $25,000.

2 The maximum in-school period is seven years after the date of first disbursement.

3 Wells Fargo retains the right to discontinue or modify our rewards for future disbursements at any time without notice.

4 Wells Fargo retains the right to discontinue or modify our rewards for future disbursements at any time without notice. Reduced interest rate requires continued automatic payment from a personal checking or savings account. If the automatic payment is cancelled at any time after repayment begins, the discount will be lost until automatic payment is reinstated. The automatic payment interest rate reduction is separate from the graduation reward interest rate reduction and available to both borrowers who graduate and those who do not.

Private student loans lenders: Suntrust private student loans

SunTrust is a federally registered service mark and Academic Answer® is a federally registered trademark of SunTrust Banks, Inc.

1Proof of graduation is required.

2A Repayment Finance Charge may apply based on your or your cosigner's credit history.

3The 0.25% rate reduction is available to borrowers who arrange with their servicer to automatically deduct monthly payments from their personal bank account. Savings programs are effective for all loans disbursed on or after October 13, 2006.

4Interest will continue to accrue while your payments are deferred, and it will be capitalized (added to your principal loan balance) when repayment begins.

Certain restrictions and limitations may apply. SunTrust reserves the right to change or discontinue these benefits without notice. This loan program may not be available in all jurisdictions

Private student loans lenders: Sallie Mae private student loans

1 The release of a cosigner is at the sole discretion of Sallie Mae. The borrower must have a satisfactory history of making principal and interest payments and meet underwriting guidelines when the request for cosigner release is processed. The borrower's account must remain current until the request for release is processed and the borrower must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time the cosigner release is processed.

2 The automatic debit benefit is available for as long as the borrower's monthly payment amount is successfully deducted from the designated bank account. Borrowers can elect to make payments via automatic debit through Sallie Mae's online account management system. This benefit lowers the borrower's interest rate but does not change the amount of the monthly payment. This benefit is suspended during periods of forbearance and certain deferments.

Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loans are made by Sallie Mae Bank®. The Student Loan Network is compensated for the referral of Smart Option Student Loan customers.

Borrower benefit information is valid as of July 16, 2009.

SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND BORROWER BENEFITS (INCLUDING INTEREST RATE REDUCTIONS) AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. APPLICANTS SHOULD CHECK THE SALLIE MAE WEBSITE (SALLIEMAE.COM) CLOSE TO THEIR LOAN APPLICATION DATE AND AGAIN PRIOR TO DISBURSEMENT TO OBTAIN THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION REGARDING PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND BORROWER BENEFITS.

Sallie Mae, and Sallie Mae Bank are registered service marks and Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan is a service mark of Sallie Mae, Inc. Upromise and Upromise Loan Link are registered service marks of Upromise, Inc. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Sallie Mae, Inc., are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America. ©2009 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved. (7/09)


Compare Private Student Loans to Federal Student Loans

Below are links to pages comparing private student loans to the two federal loan programs:

We also provide a comparison of the School Certified Private Student Loan to the Direct to Consumer Private Student Loan.

The School Certified Loan is disbursed to the school's financial aid office. Direct to Student Private Loans are disbursed "directly to the Student" In some cases, this "school certified loan" can have a higher approval rating because it is certified by and disbursed to the school.

PSLCOMPARE is worth 25 scholarship points at ScholarshipPoints.com