6 Lenders That Will Refinance Student Loans for Borrowers With No Degree
If you have student loans but never received a degree, you still have options to refinance.
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Several lenders will refinance student loans if you haven’t earned a degree, which could reduce your payments or allow you to pay off the loans more quickly.
If you’re making payments on time, have a good credit score and have a stable job, you may be able to refinance your loans at a lower interest rate. Here are our top picks for student loan refinancing if you don't have a degree.
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- 35+ student loans lenders reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 10+ years of combined experience covering higher education and student loans.
- Objective, comprehensive star-rating system assessing 43 categories and 40+ data points across student loan origination and student loan refinance.
- Governed by NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Why trust NerdWallet
- 35+ student loans lenders reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 10+ years of combined experience covering higher education and student loans.
- Objective, comprehensive star-rating system assessing 43 categories and 40+ data points across student loan origination and student loan refinance.
- Governed by NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Lenders That Will Refinance Student Loans for Borrowers With No Degree
Lender | NerdWallet Rating | Min. credit score | Fixed APR | Variable APR | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Earnest Student Loan Refinance See Offers on Earnest's website COMPARE RATES on Credible’s website | 4.5 /5 | 665 | 4.25-10.49% | 5.88-10.49% | See Offers on Earnest's website COMPARE RATES on Credible’s website |
5.0 /5 | 670 | 5.95-9.99% | N/A | ||
5.0 /5 | 680 | 6.34-8.29% | N/A | See Offers on Credible’s website |
Our pick for
Borrowers still in school who have a job offer
Earnest Student Loan Refinance
665
4.25-10.49%
5.88-10.49%
- Key factsBest for borrowers who want to customize their repayment schedule to pay off debt fast.Pros
- Customizable payments and loan terms.
- Option to skip one payment every 12 months.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Cons- Loans aren't available in Nevada.
Qualifications- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: 760.
- Loan amounts: $5,000 to $500,000.
- Must have a degree: No, but must be within six months of graduation and have income or a job.
Available Term Lengths5 to 20 yearsDisclaimerActual rate will vary based on your financial profile. Fixed annual percentage rates (APR) range from 4.50% APR to 10.74% APR (4.25% - 10.49% with .25% auto pay discount). Variable annual percentage rates (APR) range from 6.13% APR to 10.74% APR (5.88% - 10.49% with .25% auto pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan refinance 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 a month, but there is no limit on the amount that the rate could increase at one time. Please note, we are not able to offer variable rate loans in AK, IL, MN, NH, OH, TN, and TX. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and require selection of our shortest term offered (5 years) and enrollment in our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. Enrolling in autopay is not required as a condition for approval.
Our pick for
Borrowers who want extra forbearance
Advantage Education Loan Student Loan Refinance
670
5.95-9.99%
N/A
- Key factsBest for borrowers who didn’t graduate.Pros
- You can refinance without a degree.
- Forbearance of 24 months is twice as long as most lenders.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Cons- Loans aren’t available in Alaska, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Washington, Washington D.C.
- You cannot postpone repayment if you re-enroll in school.
Qualifications- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Does not disclose.
- Minimum income: Does not disclose.
- Loan amounts: Minimum $7,500. Maximum depends on creditworthiness and debt-to-income ratio.
Available Term Lengths10, 15 or 20 years
Our pick for
Income-based repayment
RISLA Student Loan Refinance
680
6.34-8.29%
N/A
- Key factsBest for borrowers who want payment flexibility should they run into financial trouble.Pros
- Income-based repayment plan available, with forgiveness after 25 years.
- Co-signer release available after 24 months.
Cons- Students cannot refinance a parent PLUS loan in their name.
Qualifications- Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 748.
- Loan amounts: $7,500 to $250,000, depending on the highest degree earned.
- Must have a degree: No.
Available Term Lengths5, 10 or 15 years
Our pick for
Borrowers who want to chose from multiple repayment terms
EDvestinU Student Loan Refinance
700
7.41-11.03%
7.52-9.27%
- Key facts
Best for students who don’t have a degree and are seeking multiple repayment terms.
Pros- You can refinance without a degree.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Cons- You cannot refinance parent PLUS loans in your name.
Qualifications- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: 756.
- Minimum income: $30,000.
- Loan amounts: $7,500 to $200,000.
Available Term Lengths5, 10, 15 or 20 yearsDisclaimerAPR, projected monthly payments, and total cost of loan examples are based on a $10,000 loan disbursed in one disbursement with either 5–year, 10–year, 15–year or 20–year repayment. APR’s provided include a 0.25 percent interest rate reduction for authorizing our loan servicer to automatically deduct your payments each month from your bank account. The interest rate reduction for authorizing our servicer to automatically deduct monthly payments from a savings or checking account will not reduce the monthly payment, but will reduce the monthly finance charge, resulting in a lower total cost of loan. Variable APR rates may increase or decrease depending on fluctuations in the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) index. Monthly interest rate accrual is based on the published One–Month London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") as of the last business day of the previous month plus your applicable margin.
Our pick for
Borrowers with a stable income who don’t have a degree
MEFA Student Loan Refinance
670
6.20-8.99%
N/A
- Key factsBest for borrowers with a stable income who don’t have a degree.Pros
- No late fees.
- You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.
Cons- No formal deferment/forbearance options.
- No co-signer release.
Qualifications- Typical credit score of approved borrowers or co-signers: Did not disclose.
- Loan amounts: $10,000 minimum.
- Must have a degree: No.
Available Term Lengths7, 10 or 15 years.
Our pick for
Borrowers who don’t have a degree
PNC Student Loan Refinance
Does not disclose
6.99-16.39%
7.89-17.39%
- Key factsBest for borrowers who don’t have a degree.Pros
- Interest rate discount for autopay is larger than most lenders offer.
- Borrowers can refinance without a degree.
Cons- No flexible repayment options for struggling borrowers.
- 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.
- Loan amounts: $10,000 to $75,000.
- Must have a degree: No.
Available Term Lengths5, 10 or 15 years.
How to refinance student loans without a degree
Some lenders don’t require you to have a degree to refinance your student loans. However, you still need to meet certain qualifications:
Have attended a school that offers federal student aid, known as a Title IV school, even if you didn’t graduate.
Have a credit score in the high 600s or higher, plus a stable financial history and consistent income. Borrowers with higher incomes have an easier time getting approved for refinancing and tend to get the best interest rates.
Have a co-signer who meets these qualifications if you don’t. Consider lenders that offer a co-signer release, which allows your co-signer to be released from your debt after a specified period of on-time payments.
Should I refinance my student loans?
Refinancing can save you money by replacing your current debt with a new, lower-rate loan through a private lender. You can refinance both federal and private student loans.
For example, refinancing $30,000 in student debt from an annual percentage rate of 8% to 6% could drop a monthly payment from $364 to $333 and reduce your interest by $3,711. Alternatively, you could keep the same payments as before and be debt-free 13 months sooner.
Nerdy Tip
If you have federal loans, there's a downside to refinancing with a private lender: You forfeit your rights to federal loan repayment options, such as income-driven repayment and public service loan forgiveness.
What if I don’t qualify for refinancing?
Federal loans
If you can’t qualify for refinancing and are having trouble making payments on federal loans, apply for an income-driven repayment plan. These plans cap payments at a percentage of your income and extend repayment length.
To enroll in an income-driven plan, you may need to first consolidate your federal loans into one new federal direct loan. Consolidation won’t lower your interest rate like refinancing does, but it could lower payment amounts by extending the repayment term.
Private loans
If you have private loans that you can’t refinance, contact your lender to see what repayment options are available to struggling borrowers. You may be able to renegotiate the terms of your loan or lower payments for a period of time.
Lenders also typically offer hardship forbearance, which temporarily halts payments on loans while interest continues to accrue.
STUDENT LOAN REFINANCING RATINGS METHODOLOGY
Our survey of more than 26 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 21, 2025
Frequently asked questions
Yes, some lenders will let you refinance your student loans if you haven’t earned a degree. You’ll need to meet credit and income requirements that your lender sets, or have a co-signer who meets those qualifications.
NerdWallet's Lenders That Will Refinance Student Loans for Borrowers With No Degree
- Earnest Student Loan Refinance: Best for Borrowers still in school who have a job offer
- Advantage Education Loan Student Loan Refinance: Best for Borrowers who want extra forbearance
- RISLA Student Loan Refinance: Best for Income-based repayment
- EDvestinU Student Loan Refinance: Best for Borrowers who want to chose from multiple repayment terms
- MEFA Student Loan Refinance: Best for Borrowers with a stable income who don’t have a degree
- PNC Student Loan Refinance: Best for Borrowers who don’t have a degree
