9 Student Loans With Fastest Co-Signer Release
To get a co-signer release you must have at least one year of on-time payments and meet the lender's additional requirements on your own.
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
Most college students have a limited credit history, so they apply for student loans with a co-signer to increase their odds of approval and more favorable loan terms. But you may not want the co-signer on the hook for the full term of the loan.
A co-signer release relieves your parent, relative or whoever co-signed your loan of their legal obligation — but only once you prove you’re capable of making payments on your own.
But a co-signer release is not the only way to remove a co-signer. If you can qualify for a lower interest rate, student loan refinancing can remove your co-signer and save you money. To qualify for a refinance, you'll need good credit, sufficient income and a track record of on-time payments.
If you can’t get a better interest rate by refinancing student loans, these are our picks for lenders who offer co-signer release.
» MORE: Can you refinance student loans?
Student Loans With Fastest Co-Signer Release
Lender | NerdWallet Rating | Min. credit score | Fixed APR | Variable APR | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sallie Mae Undergraduate Student Loan Check rateon Sallie Mae's website on Sallie Mae's website COMPARE RATESon Credible’s website on Credible’s website | 4.5 /5 | Mid-600's | 4.50-15.49% | 6.37-16.70% | Check rateon Sallie Mae's website on Sallie Mae's website COMPARE RATESon Credible’s website on Credible’s website |
Ascent Credit-based Student Loan Check rateon Ascent's website on Ascent's website COMPARE RATESon Credible’s website on Credible’s website | 5.0 /5 | Low-Mid 600s | 4.53-15.36% | 6.16-15.59% | Check rateon Ascent's website on Ascent's website COMPARE RATESon Credible’s website on Credible’s website |
4.5 /5 | Mid-600s | 4.44-13.80% | 5.99-14.30% | Check rateon SoFi's website on SoFi's website |
Our pick for
Release after 12 months of payments
Sallie Mae Undergraduate Student Loan
Mid-600's
4.50-15.49%
6.37-16.70%
- One of the few lenders to provide loans to part-time students.
- Non-U.S. citizens, including DACA students, who live in the U.S. and attend school in the U.S. can apply with a qualified co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- You can't see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Does not disclose.
- Minimum income: Did not disclose.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 up to 100% of the school-certified expenses.
Ascent Credit-based Student Loan
Low-Mid 600s
4.53-15.36%
6.16-15.59%
- Among the best for payment flexibility.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Stands out for features that enable faster loan repayment.
- Students enrolled less than half-time are not eligible.
- Co-signer release not available to international students.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Did not disclose.
- Minimum income: $0 for primary borrower. $24,000 for current and previous year for co-signer.
- Loan amounts: $2,001 to $200,000 per year with an aggregate loan limit of $200,000.
Our pick for
Release after 24 months of payments
SoFi Undergraduate Student Loan
Mid-600s
4.44-13.80%
5.99-14.30%
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Multiple in-school repayment options available, including interest-only and flat-fee, and deferred for undergrad and grad students.
- Additional perks like career planning, job search assistance and entrepreneurship support available.
- Does not offer bi-weekly payments via autopay.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: 700+.
- Minimum income: No minimum.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 minimum.
LendKey Private Student Loan
660
4.39-11.11%
5.84-11.11%
- Forbearance of 18 months is longer than many lenders offer.
- You can’t see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Payment required while in school and during the grace period.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 748.
- Minimum income: $24,000 per year.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 up to cost of attendance, minus other aid received.
Navy Federal Private Student Loan
Does not disclose
N/A
N/A
- Forbearance of 18 months is longer than many lenders offer.
- Available only to existing Navy Federal Credit Union customers.
- Only one repayment term: 10 years.
- Payment required while in school and during the grace period.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Did not disclose.
- Minimum income: A co-signer must earn $15,000 or more.
- Loan amounts: $2,000 minimum to $120,000 for undergraduates, or $160,000 for graduate students.
RISLA Private Student Loan
680
4.99-6.94%
N/A
- Income-based repayment plan available, with forgiveness after 25 years.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Partial loan forgiveness for eligible internships; interest forgiveness for qualifying nurses.
- Fewer repayment terms available than other lenders.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 768.
- Minimum income: $40,000.
- Loan amounts: $1,500 to $45,000.
Nelnet Bank Private Student Loan
Mid to High 600s
4.49-15.47%
6.30-15.52%
- Provides rate offer with soft credit check.
- Does not disclose full underwriting requirements.
- Does not allow bi-weekly payments via autopay.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Did not disclose.
- Loan amounts: $1,000 with an aggregate loan limit of $125,000
ISL Private Student Loan
660
3.85-8.40%
5.59-10.71%
- Forbearance of 24 months is longer than many lenders offer.
- No late fees.
- Only offers 2 loan terms.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: 670.
- Minimum income: No minimum income.
- Loan amounts: $1,001 or $2,001, based on residency and school location, up to cost of attendance minus other aid received.
Our pick for
Release after 12 month of payments
Advantage Education Private Student Loan
Does not disclose
2.84-7.74%
N/A
- Forbearance of 24 months is twice as long as most lenders.
- Loans are available if you’re enrolled less than half time.
- Fewer repayment terms than other lenders offer.
- Borrowers are not able to defer loans if they return to school after their grace period ends.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Does not disclose.
- Minimum income: Does not disclose.
- Loan amounts: Minimum $1,000. Maximum depends on creditworthiness and debt-to-income ratio.
How to get a student loan co-signer release
Almost all private student loans have a co-signer release option. Each lender has slightly different requirements; check with yours to make sure you know all the fine print. Generally, you must:
1. Make at least 12 on-time payments
Depending on the lender, you must make 12, 24, 36 or 48 on-time payments before applying for a co-signer release. Often, those payments must be consecutive and without periods of forbearance. If you made fixed or interest-only payments during school, those may not count.
2. Meet the income and credit requirements
When you take out a student loan with a co-signer, you qualify based on their credit history and financial profile. To remove the co-signer, you must meet those requirements on your own.
You'll need good credit — a FICO score in the high 600s, at least — and enough income to afford your debt payments and other expenses. Most lenders also require that you graduate first and have U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status.
3. Submit a co-signer release application
Some lenders and servicers, including Sallie Mae, have co-signer release applications available online. Otherwise, contact your lender or servicer to request one.
You may need to disclose financial information including your income, housing payment and other debt payments. Your lender may also check your credit report and ask for income verification.
Co-signer release for refinanced student loans
It’s possible to apply for student loan refinancing with a co-signer.
Some student loan refinance lenders — including Laurel Road and PenFed — offer co-signer release. But other refinance lenders, such as SoFi and Earnest, don’t.
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 July 13, 2023
NerdWallet's Student Loans With Fastest Co-Signer Release
- Sallie Mae Undergraduate Student Loan: Best for Release after 12 months of payments
- Ascent Credit-based Student Loan: Best for Release after 12 months of payments
- SoFi Undergraduate Student Loan: Best for Release after 24 months of payments
- LendKey Private Student Loan: Best for Release after 24 months of payments
- Navy Federal Private Student Loan: Best for Release after 24 months of payments
- RISLA Private Student Loan: Best for Release after 24 months of payments
- Advantage Education Private Student Loan: Best for Release after 12 month of payments
- Nelnet Bank Private Student Loan: Best for Release after 24 months of payments
- ISL Private Student Loan: Best for Release after 24 months of payments
