Student Loan Refinancing
Rewards: 0.25% interest rate reduction with autopay
Overall Limits: $3,000 (minimum)
Rewards: 0.25% interest rate reduction with autopay
Overall Limits: $3,000 (minimum)
SoFi, short for Social Finance, Inc., offers private refinancing loans that are some of the best on the market for a number of reasons. There are a few features that make this lender stand out and make it worth putting near the top of your loan list for consideration. These loans are also good for graduates with at least an Associate’s degree.
The minimum loan amount is $5,000 and you can refinance up to the full loan balance with SoFi. Choose from 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20-year repayment terms. Get your interest rate in just 2 minutes. SoFi offers death and disability discharge on refinanced student loans.
One of the only major cons associated with refinancing through this lender is that they do not offer cosigner release on loans disbursed after May 1, 2019. And because the credit and income eligibility requirements for this loan are fairly high (they are not set in stone, but many individual borrowers have above-average salaries), you will most likely need to apply with a cosigner.
Unlike many lenders, SoFi does offer the option of forbearance to borrowers attending graduate school at least half-time, borrowers undergoing disability rehabilitation and active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces. If you fall into one of these categories, contact Customer Support (available five days a week) to receive application documents. Forbearance of up to 12 months is also available.
Like most lenders, borrowers can refinance both private loans and federal student loan debt with SoFi. However, refinancing federal student loans means a loss in many federal protections: income-driven repayment options, any federal forgiveness programs, generous deferment options, and more.
Savingforcollege.com provides our readers with free access to objective information, articles and tools to help them make informed decisions about saving and paying for education. We are able to do this because we are compensated by our partners, including some private student lenders. Some, though not all, of the products featured here are offered by partners who may pay us a sales commission. Our partnerships do not influence our ratings or reviews, which are based on in-depth research and objective methodologies, though they may influence which products we write about and where those products appear on our site. Our opinions are our own.
Input your loan terms and we’ll tell you how much you can expect to pay monthly and in total
The latest articles and tips to help parents stay on track with saving and paying for college, delivered to your inbox every week.
Saving For College is an unbiased, independent resource for parents and financial professionals, providing them with information and tools to understand the benefits of 529 college savings plans and how to meet the challenge of increasing college costs.