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
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Conduent Education Services (Originally ACS Student Loans) Review
Conduent Education Services manages private and federal student loans. You cannot choose to borrow from Conduent, but may be assigned it as loan servicer. However, you can refinance to move…
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Cosigner Release: How to Remove Cosigner From Student Loan in 3 Steps
Many students rely on their parents to cosign student loans to pay for college. Even after a student graduates and gets a full-time job, their cosigner remains on that loan—with…
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Create a Budget for Student Loan Repayment
Budgeting for student loan payments might feel overwhelming, but breaking the process down into steps can help.
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Credible Review: Best Marketplace for Student Loan and Refinance Comparison
Rates (APR) 3.39% – 17.99% Loan amounts Vary by lender Repayment terms 5 – 20 years (may vary by lender) Credible is a top name in the world of loan…
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Credit Union Student Choice Review
Credit Union Student Choice connects you with 250 nonprofit credit unions so you can compare offers on private student loans or student loan refinancing. Credit unions are owned by members,…
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Crowdfund to Limit Your Student Loan Debt
Crowdfunding is a strategy that may be able to reduce your student loan debt or eliminate it entirely.
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Custom Choice Student Loans Review: Low Rates, Graduation Bonus, But Some Drawbacks
Cognition Financial offers the Custom Choice Loan that comes with competitive interest rates and perks not offered by most competitors.
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Dance Scholarships
Regardless of whether your passion is hip hop or ballet, there are a number of scholarships for students who are passionate about dance. Some of these opportunities are solely for students who…
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Data From Nearly 10,000 Student Loan Borrowers Reveals 16% Will Have Debt-to-Income Ratio Above 20% at Graduation
Using exclusive applicant data provided by student loan lender Funding U, LendEDU found that a solid proportion of student loan borrowers will probably face a serious debt-to-income problem.
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Debt-to-Income Ratio for Student Loan Refinance: What to Know About DTI [With Calculator]
Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI)—your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income—is a crucial factor lenders consider when reviewing your application for student loan refinancing. Most lenders prefer a…