9 Part-Time Student Loan Options for 2022

Min. credit score

Mid-600s

Fixed APR

4.74-15.32%

Variable APR

4.74-15.32%

Check rateon College Ave's website

Key factsBest for students who want to make payments while they're still in school.

Pros

You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
More flexible repayment options than other lenders.
Six-month grace period extension is available.

Cons

You must be at least halfway through your repayment term before you can request a co-signer release.

Qualifications

Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Mid-700s.
Minimum income: $35,000 per year.
Loan amounts: $1,000 up to cost of attendance.

Available Term Lengths5, 8, 10 or 15 years

DisclaimerCollege Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC.. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000. Rates shown are for the College Ave Undergraduate Loan product and include autopay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. Variable rates may increase after consummation. This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Deferred Repayment Option with a 10-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 8.35% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 120 monthly payments of $179.18 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $21,501.54. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. Information advertised valid as of 3/1/2023. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on the creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of full principal and interest payments with the shortest available loan term.

Check rateon Sallie Mae's website

Sallie Mae Private Student Loan

4.5

Min. credit score

Mid-600's

Fixed APR

4.50-14.83%

Variable APR

5.49-15.83%

Check rateon Sallie Mae's website

Key facts

Sallie Mae offers flexible repayment options including its interest-only repayment option in school and during the grace period and a rate that is 1% lower than the traditional deferred repayment option. Borrowers can defer payments while enrolled in school, even while attending less than half time.

Pros

One of the few lenders to provide loans to part-time students.
Non-U.S. citizens, including DACA students, can apply with a U.S. co-signer.

Cons

You can't see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.

Qualifications

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.

Available Term Lengths10 to 15 years

DisclaimerLowest rates shown include the auto debit. Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount 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. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment. Advertised APRs are valid as of 2/27/2023. Loan amounts: For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website may be subjected to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Student Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years.

Check rateon Earnest's website

Earnest Private Student Loan

4.5

Min. credit score

650

Fixed APR

4.45-14.60%

Variable APR

4.99-14.40%

Check rateon Earnest's website

Key factsAn option for borrowers who want flexible repayment.

Pros

Option to skip one payment every 12 months.
No late fees.
Nine-month grace period is longer than most lenders offer.

Cons

You can’t see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Loans aren't available in Nevada.

Qualifications

Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 758.
Minimum income: $35,000.
Loan amounts: $1,000 up to your total cost of attendance.

Available Term Lengths5, 7, 10, 12 or 15 years

DisclaimerActual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. Fixed rates range from 4.70% APR to 14.85% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Variable rates range from 5.24% APR to 14.65% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan origination loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once per month. Although the rate will vary after you are approved, it will never exceed 36% (the maximum allowable for this loan). Please note, Earnest Private Student Loans are not available in Nevada. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and contain our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. It is important to note that the 0.25% Auto Pay discount is not available while loan payments are deferred.

Check rateon LendKey's website

LendKey Private Student Loan

4.0

Min. credit score

660

Fixed APR

4.89-10.51%

Variable APR

5.36-10.37%

Check rateon LendKey's website

Key factsBest for students who value working with a community bank or credit union.

Pros

Forbearance of 18 months is longer than many lenders offer.

Cons

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.

Qualifications

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.

Available Term Lengths5, 10 or 15 years.

Check rateon Cognition's website

Custom Choice Loan, Powered by Cognition

5.0

Min. credit score

Varies

Fixed APR

3.65-12.47%

Variable APR

5.67-14.19%

Check rateon Cognition's website

Key factsBest for students at four-year universities who are confident they can take advantage of the 2% Grad Reward.

Pros

You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
No late fees.
Principal reduction of 2% if you graduate.
Stands out for features that enable faster loan repayment.

Cons

Doesn't apply extra payments to the principal balance by default.
Forbearance program is less generous than others.

Qualifications

Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 747.
Minimum income: No minimum, but borrowers must demonstrate positive income.
Loan amounts: $1,000 up to $99,999.

Available Term Lengths7, 10 or 15 years

DisclaimerBefore applying for a private student loan, Citizens and Cognition Financial recommend comparing all financial aid alternatives including grants, scholarships, and both federal and private student loans. The Custom Choice Loan® is made by Citizens (“Lender”). All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to Lender’s underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions and other terms and conditions apply. LENDER AND COGNITION FINANCIAL CORPORATION EACH RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. Interest rates and APRs (Annual Percentage Rates) depend upon (1) the student’s and cosigner’s (if applicable) credit histories, (2) the repayment option and repayment term selected, (3) the expected number of years in deferment, (4) the requested loan amount and (5) other information provided on the online loan application. If approved, applicants will be notified of the rate applicable to your loan. Rates and terms are effective as of 3/1/2023 The variable interest rate for each calendar month is calculated by adding the 30-Day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) index , or a replacement index if the SOFR index is no longer available , plus a fixed margin assigned to each loan. The SOFR index is published on the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York . The current SOFR index is 4.52% as of 3/1/2023. The variable interest rate will increase or decrease if the SOFR index changes or if a new index is chosen. The applicable index or margin for variable rate loans may change over time and result in a different APR than shown. The fixed rate assigned to a loan will never change except as required by law or if you request and qualify for the auto pay discount. APRs assume a $10,000 loan with one disbursement. The high APRs assume a 15-year term with the Full Deferment option, a 31 month deferment period, and a six-month grace period before entering repayment. The low APRs assume a 7-year term, and the Immediate Repayment option with payments beginning 30-60 days after the disbursement via auto pay. Auto pay yields a 0.25% interest rate reduction which is applied after the Servicer validates your bank account information and will continue until (1) three automatic deductions are returned for insufficient funds during the life of the loan (after which the discount cannot be reinstated) or (2) automatic deduction of payments is canceled. The auto pay discount is not available when reduced payments are being made or when the loan is in a deferment or forbearance, even if payments are being made.Custom Choice Loan® is a registered trademark of Cognition Financial Corporation.Citizens is a brand name of Citizens Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

Nelnet Bank Private Student Loan

4.5

Min. credit score

High-600s

Fixed APR

4.49-14.57%

Variable APR

5.12-15.15%

Key factsBest for borrowers who value flexibility in repayment.

Pros

Offers 13 options for flexible post-graduation repayment, which is more than most lenders.
Provides rate offer with soft credit check.
Borrowers enrolled less than half-time can qualify.

Cons

Does not disclose full underwriting requirements.
Does not have a standardized hardship forbearance program.
Does not allow bi-weekly payments via autopay.

Qualifications

Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Did not disclose.
Loan amounts: $1,000 with an aggregate loan limit of $125,000

Available Term Lengths

DisclaimerFixed interest rates range from 4.49% APR (with auto debit discount) to 14.57% APR (without auto debit discount). Your interest rate will depend on your (and if applicable, your cosigner’s) credit qualifications. The fixed interest rate will remain the same for the life of the loan. Variable interest rates range from 5.12% APR (with auto debit discount) to 15.15% APR (without auto debit discount). Your interest rate will depend on your (and if applicable, your cosigner’s) credit qualifications. Variable rates may increase after consummation. Variable rates for Nelnet Bank Student Loans are calculated as the One-Month SOFR plus the applicable Margin percentage. Variable rates will be based on the highest One-Month SOFR as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the twenty-fifth day (or the next business day) of the immediately preceding calendar month. The variable rate may change on the first day of each month if the SOFR index changes. This may result in higher monthly payments. The current One-Month SOFR index is 4.67% as of March 1, 2023. Lowest rates listed above include an interest rate reduction for eligible applications, enrollment in auto debit, and are available only to the most creditworthy applicants. Advertised variable rates reflect the starting range of rates and may increase over the life of the loan. The lowest rate for each loan type requires automatically withdrawn (“auto debit”) payments, a five-year repayment term, and the borrower making immediate principal and interest payments. The lowest rate is available only to the most creditworthy applicants. Not all borrowers will receive the lowest rate., The interest rate and Annual Percentage Rate (APR) may be higher depending upon (1) the credit history of the borrower and, if applicable, the cosigner, (2) the repayment option and loan term selected, (3) the loan type selected, and (4) the highest level of education attained. If approved, applicants will be notified of the rate qualified for within the stated range. Checking your rate results in a soft credit pull, which will not affect your credit score. If you continue with your application, Nelnet Bank will request your permission to obtain your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies. This is a hard credit pull and may affect your credit score. Interest rate reduction of .25% for automatically withdrawn payments from any designated bank account (“auto debit discount”). Auto debit discount applies when full payments (including both principal and interest) are automatically drafted from a bank account. The auto debit discount will continue to apply during periods of approved forbearance or deferment if the auto debit discount was in effect at the time of receiving the forbearance or deferment. Auto debit discount will remain on the account unless (1) the automatic deduction of payments is cancelled or (2) there are three consecutive automatic deductions returned for insufficient funds at any time during the term of the loan. Subject to Credit approval. A request for the cosigner to be released can be made by either the borrower or cosigner when each of the following conditions has been met: • The account must have been in full principal and interest repayment for at least 24 months. • Twenty-four consecutive, on-time principal and interest payments, or lump sum equivalent, must have been made. Note: A lump sum payment does not replace the requirement to have been in full principal and interest repayment for at least 24 months. Interest-only or fixed-pay payments while enrolled in school do not qualify toward the 24 consecutive on-time payments. • The loan must be current at the time of request. • The loan must not have been in deferment, hardship forbearance, or other alternative payment assistance plan within the past 24 months. • The loan must not have been permanently modified from its original terms in the credit agreement. • The primary borrower must be a U.S. citizen or have permanent residency in the United States. • The primary borrower must meet the age of majority requirement in their permanent state of residency. • Requirements are subject to change. • If all of these conditions have been met, an application for cosigner release may be submitted. The primary borrower is required to demonstrate they have the ability to assume sole responsibility for the loan(s) by providing proof of income, meeting debt-to-income requirements, and having a satisfactory credit history. (A credit report will be obtained during the review process).

Advantage Education Private Student Loan

4.5

Min. credit score

Does not disclose

Fixed APR

2.84-6.23%

Variable APR

N/A

Key facts

Advantage Education Loans are fixed-rate loans from the nonprofit Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corp. They're available outside Kentucky, but not in every state. You can use an Advantage Education Loan if you’re enrolled less than half-time, provided you immediately enter repayment, and for non-degree programs like certification courses.

Pros

Forbearance of 24 months is twice as long as most lenders.
Loans are available if you’re enrolled less than half time.

Cons

Loans may not be available depending on where you live or go to school.
Fewer repayment terms than other lenders offer.
You can't see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.

Qualifications

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.

Available Term Lengths10 years

Avenify Income Share Agreement

5.0

Min. credit score

None

Fixed APR

N/A

Variable APR

N/A

Key factsBest for nursing students who need money to finish their degree

Pros

Periods of unemployment count toward your payment total.
Lending decisions are not based on your credit score.
You receive a discount for paying off your ISA early.

Cons

Funding is available only to nursing students.
Nursing certificate programs currently aren’t eligible.
You must be within 12 months of graduation to qualify.

Qualifications

Eligibility is based on factors like your GPA and potential cost of living, not credit score.
Loan amounts: $1,000 to $15,000.
Income share percentages: Typically range from 1.5% to 7.5%; average is 3.99%.

Available Term Lengths5 years, but can extend to up to 10 years.

RISLA Private Student Loan

4.5

Min. credit score

680

Fixed APR

4.99-6.86%

Variable APR

N/A

Key facts

RISLA is one of the only private lenders that offers income-based repayment, allowing borrowers to pay a maximum of 15% of income per month and earn forgiveness after 25 years. Undergraduate borrowers must be enrolled for at least one credit per semester to qualify for deferment, while graduate borrowers must be enrolled at least half time.

Pros

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.

Cons

Fewer repayment terms available than other lenders.

Qualifications

Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 768.
Minimum income: $40,000.
Loan amounts: $1,500 to $45,000.

Available Term Lengths10 or 15 years