If you’re a student looking for an undergraduate loan, it can be challenging to find options available to you that don’t require excellent credit or a cosigner. However, most high school students don’t get the opportunity to build good credit before graduation, and not every student will have the support system available to land a strong cosigner. If this sounds like your situation, don’t worry; options are available.
Apply for federal loans.
Federal loans are the most common form of loans available to college students. They have several advantages over private and alternative loan options, including:
- They’re often easier to get and more likely to be awarded than private or alternative loans. The government offers federal loans, so they don’t require credit checks or cosigners to qualify. Private lenders may place those requirements on their applicants before awarding a loan.
- Federal loans usually carry lower interest rates than private ones, which can save you thousands if you plan on paying back your student loans quickly after graduation instead of stretching them out over many years.
Outcome-Based Loan Options
When searching for private student loans without a cosigner, it can be challenging to find an affordable loan option. While companies like Sallie Mae say you have a 4x greater chance of being approved for a student loan with a cosigner, other lenders like SoFi understand that not all students can secure a cosigner. Some students want to pursue higher education independently without family assistance or scholarships. Typically, it’s difficult for high school students to accumulate good credit, so when they apply for student loans, they don’t have strong credit scores to secure affordable rates. SoFi is one of the only private lenders to advertise Outcomes-based student loans for students with no credit and no cosigner. These loans are based on other factors like GPA, school of attendance, etc. If you’re struggling to find a student loan that works for you, check out the options available at SoFi for students struggling to afford undergraduate education.
Consider your options.
The first thing to do is to consider the interest rate, repayment terms, origination fee, and loan forgiveness options. You can do this by searching for “undergraduate student loans” on Google or visiting a lender’s website.
- Interest Rate: The lower your interest rate, the better off you are in the long run. Several factors will determine what kind of interest rate you get: your credit score, your academic affiliation; whether or not you have a cosigner(s); whether or not you are an eligible veteran; etc.
- Repayment Terms: When taking out a loan with a fixed term (i.e., one that requires repayment at specific intervals over time), it is essential to ensure that these terms work well for your financial situation. If possible, try to extend payments if necessary to fit your budget better than just paying them off early would allow.
Applying for a student loan can be a daunting process, but it’s important to remember that you have options. If you don’t want or need help from your family or friends with your undergraduate education, there are many options available. Whether it’s federal loans or other types of financing that don’t require a cosigner, there are plenty of resources, so don’t give up on your dream of going to college!
