Student Loans
Whether you’re gearing up for college, navigating life after graduation, or somewhere in between, we’re here to make student loans less confusing—and way more manageable.
I need to...
Take Out Student Loans
Whether you're an undergraduate, graduate student, or preparing for career training, we'll help you understand every step of the student loan process. Discover how federal and private loans work, how much you can borrow, and what to expect from different lenders before committing.
FAFSA
- FAFSA Guide 2025 – 2026
- 2025 – 2026 FAFSA Requirements: Documents, Eligibility, and What’s New
- FAFSA Deadlines
- How to File the FAFSA When You Don’t Live With Your Parents
- How to Report Parents’ Cash, Checking Accounts, and Savings on the FAFSA
- How to Edit the FAFSA Form After Submitting: Q&A Guide
- How to Add More Than 20 Schools to the FAFSA
FAFSA FAQ
- How Long Does the FAFSA Take to Complete & Process?
- How Much Does FAFSA Give? What to Expect in 2025
- What Should You Do If FAFSA Doesn't Cover Everything?
- What Is the Student Aid Index (SAI), and How Does It Work on the FAFSA?
- How Often Do You Need to File the FAFSA?
- Should You Include Your Spouse's Income on the FAFSA?
- Can You Complete the FAFSA Without a Driver’s License?
- FAFSA Independent Student: Real Loophole to Get More Financial Aid?
Financial Aid
- How Does Financial Aid Work?
- Am I Eligible for Financial Aid?
- How to Ask for More Financial Aid
- Can You Request More Financial Aid During the Semester?
- How to Write a Financial Aid Appeal Letter
- What to Do If You Maxed Out Financial Aid
- Need-Based and Non-Need-Based Financial Aid Guide
- The Complete Guide to Financial Aid for International Students
Private Student Loan Lender Reviews
LendEDU's top-rated lenders:
Other lenders:
- Brazos Review
- PNC Review
- RISLA Review
- Prodigy Finance Review
- MPOWER Financing Review
- Earnest Review
- Edly Review
- Funding U Review
- A.M. Money Review
- EdvestinU Review
- Nelnet Bank Review
- Union Federal Review
- Bank of North Dakota Review
- NJCLASS Review
- Advantage Education Review
- INvestEd Review
- Climb Credit Review
- Custom Choice Review
- Credit Union Student Choice Review
- Sparrow Review
- ELFI Review
- LendKey Review
- Navy Federal Review
- CollegeFinance Review
- Purefy Review
- PenFed Review
Types of Private Student Loans
- Based on financial profile
- Based on institution
- Based on immigration status
- For non-traditional applicants
- Career training loans
- For parents
- For graduate students
- For health professions
The Best of the Best 🏆 See which lenders won
LendEDU's 2025 Awards for Best Private Student Loans
Repay Your Student Loans
Learn about repayment plans, forgiveness options, solutions for delinquent and defaulted student loans, and strategies to stay on track with repayment and get out of debt faster.
Plan Your Payoff Strategy
- How to Manage Your Student Loan Debt
- How to Pay Off $100K in Student Loans in 6 Steps
- How Long Will It Take to Pay Off Student Loans? Timelines for $10K – $200K
- How to Pay Off Student Loans Fast: 12 Strategies to Become Debt-Free Sooner
- How to Calculate Your Minimum Student Loan Payment
- Can You Make Principal-Only Payments on Student Loans?
- What "Do Not Advance Due Date" Means for Student Loan Repayment
- Student Loan Payments Too High? 7 Strategies to Lower or Pause Them
- Can You Pay Student Loans Off Early? What to Know Before You Decide
- 10 Reasons Your Student Loan Payment Increased (and What to Do About It)
- Student Loan Repayment Plan Denied? What to Know in September 2025
Navigating Repayment Plans
- Is Student Loan Repayment Still Paused in September 2025?
- Student Loan Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Calculator
- Student Loan Deferment & Forbearance Calculator
- How to Recertify Your IDR Plan in 2025
- Income-Driven Repayment Plans Guide
- What Is the Best Student Loan Servicer? Our 2025 Analysis
- The Complete List of Federal Student Loan Servicers for 2025
- What to Do If Your Student Loans Were Sold to Another Company
- Your Student Loan Balance Says Paid in Full? Here’s the Real Reason
- How to Check My Student Loans
Delinquency and Default
Refinance Your Student Loans
Looking to save on interest or simplify your payments? Refinancing could be the solution. Learn how refinancing works, when it makes sense, and which lenders offer the most competitive rates.
How Student Loan Refinance Works
- What Is Student Loan Refinance, and How Does It Work in 2025?
- Does Refinancing Student Loans Hurt Your Credit?
- Does Refinancing Student Loans Save Money?
- How Much Does It Cost to Refinance a Student Loan?
- 10 Must‑Know Pros and Cons of Refinancing Student Loans
- Is It Ever a Good Idea to Refinance Federal Student Loans?
- Can You Refinance Student Loans More Than Once?
- How Many Times Can You Refinance a Student Loan?
The Best of the Best 🏆 See which companies won
LendEDU's 2025 Awards for Student Loan Refinance Companies
All student loan articles
-
The 100 Small Public Colleges with the Least Student Loan Debt Per Borrower
Opposed to universities in some other countries, many public colleges in the United States have a history of burdening their students with rather sizable amounts of student loan debt. Although these…
-
The 12 Pros and Cons of Private Student Loans
Private student loans can help you close an education funding gap if federal student aid isn’t enough to pay for school. Private lenders such as banks and credit unions issue…
-
The 150 Small Private Colleges with the Least Average Student Debt Per Borrower
There are numerous steps that high school students all across the United States must take each year to complete the college decision making process. Some students have had their “dream schools”…
-
The 5 Best Credit Unions to Refinance Student Loans in 2025
The internet has made it significantly easier to apply for any kind of loan nowadays. You can find plenty of online lenders willing to refinance your student loan debt in…
-
The 8 Best Alternatives to Private Student Loan Forgiveness
Student loan debt has proven to be crippling for many students, but forgiveness programs are available in addition to cancellation and discharge of loans. Most loan forgiveness programs stem from…
-
![The Top 8 Reasons College Is So Expensive These Days [February 2025 Edition]](https://lendedu.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/The-Top-8-Reasons-College-Is-So-Expensive-These-Days-February-2025-Edition.jpg?w=640)
The 8 Main Reasons College Is So Expensive These Days
College tuition costs have become too expensive for the average American student. Case in point: A single year of undergraduate study, including tuition, fees, and room and board, during the…
-
The Best Alternatives to Discover’s Discontinued Student Loans [2025 Recommendations]
Discover offers student loans for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a loan to refinance and consolidate existing loans. Discover Student Loans have competitive rates, unique benefits, and…
-
The Best Colleges For Financial Aid
LendEDU provides an updated look at which colleges are the best for financial aid. We factored in need-based aid, non-need-based aid, and financial aid for international students to complete our…
-
The Best Federal and Private MBA Student Loans
Borrowers can pick from federal or private student loans when looking to finance their MBA degree. We’ll show you the best private lenders to consider if you max out federal…
-
The Best Lenders for MBA Student Loan Refinance in 2025
If you have a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), you know it can be a valuable key to unlocking high-paying doors. But that key comes with a high price tag: Over…