BEST OF

Compare Bar Loans for 2022

Bar loans are private loans for bar study courses, bar exam fees and living expenses while you’re studying for the bar.

Cecilia Clark
Jan 20, 2022

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Skip bar loans if possible — they have high interest rates compared with student loans and typically cannot be included in student loan refinancing. If you take one, plan to pay it off as quickly as you can.

You can apply for bar loans starting in your final semester of law school or up to a year after graduating.

Compare Bar Loans

Our picks for

Bar loans

Sallie Mae Bar Study Loan
Check rate

on Sallie Mae's website

Sallie Mae Bar Study Loan

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Sallie Mae Bar Study Loan

Min. credit score

N/A

Fixed APR

N/A

Variable APR

5.26-12.18%
Check rate

on Sallie Mae's website

Variable APR

5.26-12.18%

Key facts

This product not rated. Rating displayed is for Sallie Mae's private student loan. Sallie Mae is the only lender whose bar loans don’t have fixed rates — rates are variable, meaning they’re subject to change as economic conditions fluctuate. Sallie Mae also has a generous co-signer release program that allows co-signers to get off the hook after the borrower makes on-time payments for 12 consecutive months.

Pros

  • Option to make interest-only payments for the first two or four years.

  • Nine-month grace period is longer than the six-year standard.

  • Generous co-signer release program: Drop your co-signer after 12 consecutive on-time payments.

Cons

  • No fixed interest rates — only variable.

Qualifications

  • Loan amounts: $1,000 up to 100% of the school-certified expenses.

  • Application deadline: 12 months after graduation.

  • Grace period: 9 months.

Available Term Lengths

15 years

Disclaimer

1 Lowest rates shown include the auto debit discount. Interest rates for Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options are higher than interest rates for the Interest Repayment Option. You’re charged interest starting at disbursement, while in school, during your separation/grace period, and until the loan is paid in full. The repayment option that is selected will apply during the in-school and separation/grace periods. When you enter principal and interest repayment, Unpaid Interest will be added to your loan’s Current Principal. Variable rates may increase over the life of the loan. Advertised variable rates reflect the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Advertised APRs are valid as of 05/28/2019 and assume a $10,000 loan to a freshman with no other Sallie Mae loans. Borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The rate reduction benefit applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. This benefit may be suspended during periods of forbearance or deferment, if available for the loan. 2 Loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received as certified by the school. Sallie Mae reserves the right to approve a lower loan amount than the school-certified amount. 3 This repayment example is based on a typical Smart Option Student Loan made to a freshman borrower who chooses a fixed rate and the Fixed Repayment Option for a $10,000 loan, with two disbursements, and a 8.88% fixed APR. It works out to 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $162.06 and one payment of $120.23, for a Total Loan Cost of $20,680.37.

PNC Bar Study Loan

PNC Bar Study Loan

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
PNC Bar Study Loan

Min. credit score

660

Fixed APR

4.49-9.64%

Variable APR

2.92-8.07%

Variable APR

2.92-8.07%

Key facts

This product not rated. Rating displayed is for PNC's private student loan. You can apply to release the co-signer on your PNC bar loan after you make 48 consecutive on-time payments.

Pros

  • Shortest repayment periods among bar loans on the market.

  • Co-signer release available after 48 consecutive on-time payments

Qualifications

  • Loan amounts: $1,000 to $15,000.

  • Application deadline: 6 months after graduation.

  • Grace period: 6 months.

Available Term Lengths

1 to 15 years

How to shop for a bar loan

  1. Compare your bar loan options. Look for the lender that offers the lowest interest rate you qualify for. Bar loans are credit-based, meaning the higher your credit score, the lower the rate you’ll get.

  2. Be aware of the fine print. Generally, lenders require that you apply for a bar loan in your last semester of law school or up to 12 months after graduation, and that you sit for the bar within 12 months of graduation.

  3. Budget your bar loan disbursement. Unlike student loans, which are first disbursed to schools to be applied to tuition and fees, a bar loan will be disbursed directly to you.

  4. Plan to pay off the loan relatively quickly. Bar loan terms range from one to 20 years, depending on the lender. Pay it off as soon as possible to save on interest — the major bar loan lenders don’t charge prepayment penalties. Repayment typically begins after a six- to nine-month grace period.

  5. Refinance your law school loans if it makes sense for you. While you can’t typically refinance bar loans, refinancing your law school loans may free up cash to pay off the bar loan more quickly. Refinancing isn’t for you if you plan to use federal income-driven repayment plans or loan forgiveness programs.

» MORE: How to pay for law school

Bar loan alternatives

  • Ask your employer for support. If you’ve landed your first job as a lawyer, consider that many law firms — especially those in Big Law — reimburse bar exam fees and prep courses, and some offer bar stipends, starting bonuses or salary advances, or a combination of those perks.

  • Apply for bar preparation scholarships. Search for scholarships based on your location, legal field and minority status.

  • Use leftover federal student loans. If you’ve already graduated, you can’t take out new student loans. However, you can use money remaining from your law school loans.

  • Borrow federal direct unsubsidized loans. If you’re still in school, contact the financial aid office and ask about your federal student loan eligibility. Law students can borrow up to $20,500 of unsubsidized direct loans per year and $138,500 total, including undergraduate federal loans.

  • Borrow federal Grad PLUS loans. PLUS loans have higher interest rates and fees compared with unsubsidized direct loans, but they also generally have higher borrowing limits — you can borrow up to the total cost of attendance, minus other financial aid. Your school may be able to increase your PLUS loan eligibility by increasing its estimated cost of attendance to include bar exam fees.

What to do if you're denied a bar loan

If you’re denied for a bar loan because you have bad credit and no co-signer, avoid unsecured personal loans and credit cards, which have high interest rates. Instead, try these alternatives:

  • Review the bar loan alternatives. You may not need a bar loan — scholarships, employer reimbursements and federal student loans are better options if you can get them.

  • Work while you’re studying for the bar. Sure, it would be great to have a few months of dedicated bar study time, but that’s not realistic for many people. A side hustle may be just what you need.

  • Get a secured personal loan. Also known as a collateral loan, secured personal loans generally have lower rates than unsecured personal loans. To get one, you need to pledge an asset like your car or savings account.

STUDENT LOAN RATINGS METHODOLOGY

Our survey of more than 29 banks, credit unions and online lenders offering student loans and student loan refinancing includes the top 10 lenders by market share and top 10 lenders by online search volume, as well as lenders that serve specialty or nontraditional markets.

We consider 40 features and data points for each financial institution. Depending on the category, these include the availability of biweekly payments through autopay, minimum credit score and income requirement disclosures, availability to borrowers in all states, extended grace periods and in-house customer service.

The stars represent ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars). Ratings are rounded to the nearest half-star.

Read more about our ratings methodologies for student loans and our editorial guidelines.

Last updated on January 20, 2022

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Compare Bar Loans for 2022

  • Sallie Mae Bar Study Loan: Best for Bar loans
  • PNC Bar Study Loan: Best for Bar loans