4 Best Parent PLUS Loan Refinance Lenders of December 2023
You can refinance parent PLUS loans with a private lender to lower your interest rate. Depending on the lender, you can refinance the loan in your own name or transfer the loan to your child.
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Refinancing parent PLUS loans may save you money by lowering your interest rate — rates start a few percentage points below what the government currently charges for PLUS loans. It can also get you off the hook for the loan completely by transferring the debt to your child.
But refinancing parent PLUS loans isn’t right for you if you have bad credit, struggle to make monthly loan payments or want to access federal benefits including income-driven repayment plans and student loan forgiveness programs.
Not all private lenders refinance parent PLUS loans. Below are our top-rated lenders that offer this option, as well as information to help you decide if refinancing makes sense for you.
Best Parent PLUS Loan Refinance Lenders
Lender | NerdWallet Rating | Min. credit score | Fixed APR | Variable APR | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5.0 /5 | None | 5.24-9.99% | 6.24-9.99% | Check rateon SoFi's website on SoFi's website | |
5.0 /5 | 660 | 5.74-10.99% | 5.49-10.89% | Check rateon Laurel Road's website on Laurel Road's website | |
Brazos Student Loan Refinance Check rateon Brazos' website on Brazos' website COMPARE RATESon Credible’s website on Credible’s website | 4.5 /5 | 690 | 4.40-7.25% | 4.99-8.79% | Check rateon Brazos' website on Brazos' website COMPARE RATESon Credible’s website on Credible’s website |
Our pick for
Transferring or refinancing parent PLUS loans
These are the highest-rated lenders that meet all our criteria for PLUS loan refinancing, including transferring PLUS loans from parents to children.
None
5.24-9.99%
6.24-9.99%
- You can refinance parent PLUS loans in your name.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Additional perks like career planning, job search assistance and entrepreneurship support available.
- No co-signer release available.
- Loan size minimum is higher than most lenders.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: 700+.
- Loan amounts: $5,000, up to your total outstanding loan balance.
- Must have a degree: Yes, an associate degree or higher.
660
5.74-10.99%
5.49-10.89%
- You can refinance parent PLUS loans in your name.
- Refinancing available for medical and dental residents.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
- Payment postponement isn’t available if borrowers return to school.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Did not disclose.
- Loan amounts: $5,000 up to your total outstanding loan balance.
- Must have a bachelor's degree. For parent PLUS loans, the child does not need to have graduated to refinance.
690
4.40-7.25%
4.99-8.79%
Best for borrowers who live in Texas.
- Offers more repayment terms than many lenders.
- Offers greater-than-minimum payments via autopay.
- Only available to borrowers in Texas.
- Does not offer co-signer release.
- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 781 for primary borrower or 794 for co-signer (and 690 for primary borrower).
- Minimum income: $60,000 for co-signer or primary borrower, or $30,000 for primary borrower if applying with a co-signer.
- Loan amounts: $10,000 up to $150,000 for bachelors degree holders; $250,000 for graduate or professional degree holders.
Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:
How to refinance parent PLUS loans
You have two options to refinance parent PLUS loans: keep the student loan in your name, or transfer it to your child. No matter which you choose, a refinance lender will pay off your existing parent PLUS loan and issue a new private loan with new terms.
1. Refinancing parent PLUS loans in your name
Parent PLUS loan interest rates from recent years range from 5.3% to 8.05%, depending on the year in which you borrowed. You may be able to get a lower rate by refinancing your PLUS loan if you have good credit and enough income to cover your expenses and debts. Here’s how:
Estimate your savings. Use a student loan refinance calculator to see how much you’d save by lowering your parent PLUS loan rate.
Compare refinance lenders. Shopping around is the best way to ensure you get the lowest interest rate you qualify for. The table above lists lenders that offer parent PLUS loan refinancing. Many lenders allow you to pre-qualify without harming your credit. They’ll conduct a soft credit pull to estimate your rate.
Apply. Lenders will do a hard credit check before finalizing your new rate. If you’re approved, the lender will pay off your loans and you’ll make payments to the new lender. The loan will still be your responsibility to repay, not your child’s.
2. Refinancing parent PLUS loans to your child
The government doesn’t give the option to transfer parent PLUS loans to a child. Even if your child makes payments on your PLUS loan, you’re still ultimately responsible for the debt and would face the consequences of delinquency and default if payments aren't made. However, a growing number of private lenders allow you to refinance a parent PLUS loan to your child, effectively transferring responsibility for the loan.
The process and requirements for your child to refinance parent PLUS loans in their name are the same as if they were refinancing their own student loans with a private lender. To qualify, they’ll need good credit, a strong history of making loan payments and enough income to afford payments — or a co-signer who meets those qualifications.
Should you refinance parent PLUS loans?
You should refinance parent PLUS loans in your name if you have a credit score at least in the high 600s, are comfortable giving up federal loan benefits and can qualify for a lower rate.
Refinancing doesn't make sense if you need an income-driven repayment plan, will qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness or want other federal loan entitlements — like loan discharge if you or the child you borrowed the loan for dies.
You may want to transfer parent PLUS loans to your child via refinancing in the following instances:
Your child can qualify for a lower rate.
You want to switch the repayment responsibility to your child.
You can't pay parent PLUS loans, but your child can.
If you decide to refinance parent PLUS loans, doing so early in the repayment term — even before your parent PLUS loan deferment is over, for example — can save you the most money.
How and when to consolidate parent PLUS loans
Federal student loan consolidation is different from refinancing. Consolidation won’t lower your interest rate, but parent PLUS loan borrowers must jump through this hoop in the following instances:
If you want to switch to the federal Income-Contingent Repayment plan.
If you want to pursue parent PLUS loan forgiveness.
Income-Contingent Repayment is the only federal income-driven repayment plan for repaying parent PLUS loans. Under the plan, your monthly payments will be capped at 20% of your discretionary income or the amount of your fixed monthly payments on a 12-year loan term, whichever is lower. Your loan term will be extended to 25 years.
Parent PLUS loans debt can be canceled by Public Service Loan Forgiveness if you make 10 years worth of on-time monthly payments while working for the government, a public school, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or another nonprofit that provides a qualifying public service. The parent who originally took out the PLUS loan must work this job; it doesn't matter if another parent or the child works a job that would qualify for PSLF. Parent PLUS loan borrowers must also be on the Income-Contingent Repayment plan to enroll in PSLF.
You can apply for federal consolidation on the Federal Student Aid website.
STUDENT LOAN REFINANCE 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 the top 10 lenders by online search volume, as well as lenders that serve specialty or nontraditional markets.
We consider 41 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 loan refinance and our editorial guidelines.
Last updated on July 13, 2023
NerdWallet's Best Parent PLUS Loan Refinance Lenders of December 2023
- SoFi Parent PLUS Refinancing: Best for Transferring or refinancing parent PLUS loans
- Laurel Road Student Loan Refinance: Best for Transferring or refinancing parent PLUS loans
- Brazos Student Loan Refinance: Best for Transferring or refinancing parent PLUS loans
- Advantage Education Loan Student Loan Refinance: Best for Transferring or refinancing parent PLUS loans
Frequently asked questions
- What are my options for repaying parent loans?
Refinancing or sticking with the standard plan is the quickest option to repay parent loans. If you need lower payments, consider federal consolidation or the Income-Contingent Repayment plan.
- Can I transfer my parent loans to my child?
Refinancing through a private lender is the only way to transfer parent PLUS loans to your child. He or she will need good credit — FICO score in the high 600s — and a stable income to qualify.
- What if I can’t pay my parent PLUS loans?
If you can’t pay parent PLUS loans, consider switching repayment plans or postponing payments temporarily. You could also refinance in your child’s name, if he or she can afford the loan.
- How do federal PLUS loans and private refinance loans compare?
Parent PLUS loans have repayment options that private loans lack or offer lesser versions of. But private loans may offer better interest rates than federal loans and lower origination fees.