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The Best Student Loan Help for Six Figure Borrowers

These Are the Smartest Ways to Make Your FedLoan Payments

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means Student Loan Planner may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you click through to make a purchase. Please read full disclaimer for more information. In some cases, you could obtain a better deal from our advertising partners than you could obtain by utilizing their services or products directly.

This content is not provided or commissioned by any financial institution. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone.

Editor’s Note: FedLoan Servicing is ending its contract with the Department of Education in December 2021. If FedLoan is your current servicer, don’t panic. Listen to our emergency podcast outlining what to expect when your loans are transferred to a new servicer, including how to get ahead of any potential paperwork problems.

The government guarantees federal student loans, but you don’t make student loan payments directly to the government. Instead, the U.S. Department of Education assigns student loan servicers to manage your debt.

Unfortunately, many loan borrowers have had subpar experiences with their loan servicers. If this happens to you, it can negatively impact your financial future.

FedLoan Servicing falls into this category. Borrowers have left numerous complaints about FedLoan. In some instances, FedLoan has cost borrowers thousands of dollars because of fumbling paperwork and giving lousy guidance when it comes to repayment options and loan forgiveness programs.

Here’s what you need to know about making FedLoan payments and steps you should take to prepare for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).



Table of Contents hide
1. How to pay student loans with FedLoan
2. Making FedLoan payments while planning for PSLF

How to pay student loans with FedLoan

Your loan servicer is automatically assigned, meaning you don’t have a say in the process unless you consolidate your loans with a new servicer or refinance your student loans with a private lender.

If your student loans are through the William D. Ford Direct Loan program, you may pull the short straw and have your loans assigned to FedLoan. Additionally, if you plan to apply for PSLF, your loans will inevitably be transferred to FedLoan (or which servicer will take over PSLF borrowers with its exit at the end of the year).

You have several options for making FedLoan payments:

  • Direct debit (autopay). You can link your checking or savings to your FedLoan account to have automatic withdrawals taken out each month.
  • Online platform. You can make one-time payments manually through the MyFedLoan website.
  • Mobile app. FedLoan Servicing has an app for iOS and Android users that allows borrowers to make payments via mobile device anytime.
  • Phone. You can make a FedLoan payment over the phone 24/7 using the FedLoan automated phone system. Call 1-800-699-2908 and provide your 10-digit account number and date of birth.
  • Mail. You can send a check or money order to: Department of Education, FedLoan Servicing, P.O. Box 790234, St. Louis, MO 63179-0234. FedLoan recommends mailing your payment at least five to seven business days before your due date to account for transit time.

Setting up your MyFedLoan account

The FedLoan portal and app are your best options for making FedLoan payments and tracking your loan progress.

You’ll need to create an account by visiting the MyFedLoan website and clicking on “Create an Account” in the area marked “Account Access.” You can also click on the “Sign In” icon located in the top right-hand corner. Then choose “Create One Now.”

Enter your name, email, date of birth, and either your account number or Social Security number. You’ll complete the process by creating a username, password and security questions.

Once your account is set up, you can use the MyFedLoan portal to access your loan details and explore other tools related to repayment options and loan forgiveness programs.

Making FedLoan payments while planning for PSLF

Unfortunately, the federal government gave FedLoan Servicing a monopoly for managing student loan borrowers who are working toward PSLF. Even if you have a different servicer, your loans will be transferred to FedLoan as soon as you send in your employment certification form for PSLF purposes.

Student Loan Planner® founder Travis Hornsby’s personal experience with FedLoan — along with countless stories from Student Loan Planner® clients — have shown that you should be wary of FedLoan’s recordkeeping and disorganized practices. In fact, borrowers have taken a stand to call out the company’s poor practices through recent PSLF lawsuits against FedLoan.

Best practices for managing your loans with FedLoan

Here are some best practices for keeping your student loan forgiveness journey on track:

  • Certify your employment status sooner rather than later. Although FedLoan isn’t the greatest loan servicer, you want to switch over to them as soon as possible if you’re working toward PSLF. If you wait until the end of your 10-year repayment period, you’ll likely run into a paper trail nightmare.
  • Send in your employment certification form annually. Fill out and submit the Employment Certification Form each year, but preferably semiannually. This can be done online with FedLoan and will help force them to properly track your progress.
  • Check out your account monthly. Thoroughly review your account each month to ensure your payment is processed and applied correctly. If you want your payment to go toward a specific loan, explicitly direct FedLoan to do so. Then, verify that action was taken.
  • Keep records for everything. Store copies of any forms you submit and write down information from all phone call interactions (e.g., date, time, customer service representative’s name, etc.).
  • Sign up for automatic payments. Your FedLoan Servicing payment must be on time to receive credit as a PSLF-qualifying payment. Autopay can eliminate the risk of missing a payment, and you can score a 0.25% interest rate reduction.
  • Consolidate your loans with FedLoan if you haven’t already made payments. Consolidation can simplify the repayment process and make it as easy as possible for FedLoan to keep track of your PSLF progress.

Avoid going into “Pay Ahead Status”

When you pay more than your required monthly payment, your loans may enter paid-ahead status. With paid-ahead status, your excess payment is applied to your next required payment.

For example, let’s say your required monthly payment is $200, but you choose to pay $250 this month. Your extra $50 payment will be pushed forward. When the next month rolls around, your bill will show that you only owe $150.

While this might help alleviate next month’s financial burden, it can cause serious damage when you apply for student loan forgiveness.

Under the PSLF program, you’re required to make 120 qualifying monthly payments, meaning 10 years’ worth of on-time, full payments. When we look at the example above, your full required payment is $200. Therefore, if you only pay the $150 bill the following month, it wouldn’t count as a qualifying payment, further delaying your loan forgiveness and costing you more money over time.

However, changes were made to lump sum payments in August 2020 that might benefit some borrowers who want to make larger payments.

Money-saving strategies for PSLF borrowers

Paying more than required won’t necessarily expedite your journey to loan forgiveness. But there are some strategies that’ll allow you to use those extra funds to your advantage.

Here are some tips to save thousands with PSLF:

  1. Make sure you’re on the right repayment plan. If you’re on the income-based repayment (IBR) plan and pursuing PSLF, you may be overpaying. Under an IBR plan, you may be required to pay 15% of your discretionary income. By switching to either the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) or Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) plan, your payment will only be 10% of your income, saving you money each month.
  2. Minimize your adjusted gross income. Your income-driven repayment plan uses your documented taxable income to determine your payment. Lower your payment by maxing out available pretax accounts, such as a health savings account.
  3. Put as much money as you can into your retirement plans. The current maximum limit for 2021 is $19,500 for plan types like 401(k) or 403(b) and $6,000 for traditional and Roth IRAs. These contributions also lower your AGI.
  4. Invest in a nonretirement account. Open an account with Vanguard or Betterment to invest any funds you would’ve used to pay extra on your loans. This investment fund acts as a safety net if your PSLF plan is denied or if the program is ever repealed.

Navigating FedLoan on your own is doable. But it can be daunting if you run into paperwork issues or keep hitting a wall with the company’s customer service.

Student Loan Planner® has advised thousands of borrowers and is ready to provide you with a plan to save you money. Book your one-hour consult today.

Refinance student loans, get a bonus in 2022
$1,050 BONUS1 For 100k+. $300 bonus for 50k to 99k.1
VISIT LAUREL ROAD Variable 1.89-5.90%1 Fixed 2.50-6.00%1
$1,050 BONUS2 For 100k+. $300 bonus for 50k to 99k.2
VISIT COMMONBOND Variable 2.49-6.84%%2 Fixed 2.59-6.74%2
$1,000 BONUS3  For 100k or more. $200 for 50k to $99,9993
VISIT EARNEST Variable 1.74-5.64%3 Fixed 2.44-5.79%3
$1,000 BONUS4 For 100k+. $300 bonus for 50k to 99k.4
VISIT SPLASH Variable 1.74-6.52%4 Fixed 1.99-6.25%4
$1,275 BONUS5  For 150k+. Tiered 300 to 575 bonus for 50k to 149k.5
VISIT ELFI Variable 1.86-6.01%5 Fixed 2.47-5.99%5
$1,000 BONUS6 For $100k or more. $200 for $50k to $99,9996
VISIT SOFI Variable 1.74-7.24%6 Fixed 2.49-7.59%6
$1,250 BONUS7 For $100k or more. $100 to $350 for $5k to $99,9997
VISIT LENDKEY Variable 1.90-5.25%7 Fixed 2.49-7.75%7
$1,250 BONUS8  $350 for 50k to 100k8
VISIT CREDIBLE Variable 1.74-7.58%8 Fixed 2.15-7.83%8
Not sure what to do with your student loans?

Take our 11 question quiz to get a personalized recommendation of whether you should pursue PSLF, IDR forgiveness, or refinancing (including the one lender we think could give you the best rate).

Take Our Quiz

About Caitlin See

Caitlin is a personal finance writer specializing in student loans, debt repayment, credit cards and budgeting basics. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration and has spent the last decade building a career in service of others. Her work has appeared on The Ascent, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance and The Financial Gym.

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Lender and Bonus disclosure

All rates listed represent APR range. Commonbond: If you refinance over $100,000 through this site, $500 of the cash bonus listed above is provided directly by Student Loan Planner. 

CommonBond Disclosures: Refinancing

Offered terms are subject to change and state law restriction. Loans are offered by CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS # 1175900), NMLS Consumer Access. If you are approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your credit profile, your application, the loan term selected and will be within the ranges of rates shown.  If you choose to complete an application, we will conduct a hard credit pull, which may affect your credit score. All Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed assume borrowers enroll in auto pay and account for the 0.25% reduction in interest rate. All variable rates are based on a 1-month LIBOR assumption of 0.15% effective Jan 1, 2021 and may increase after consummation.

CommonBond Disclosures: Private, In-School Loans

Offered terms are subject to change and state law restriction. Loans are offered by CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS # 1175900), NMLS Consumer Access. If you are approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your credit profile, your application, the loan term selected and will be within the ranges of rates shown.  If you choose to complete an application, we will conduct a hard credit pull, which may affect your credit score. All Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed assume borrowers enroll in auto pay and account for the 0.25% reduction in interest rate. All variable rates are based on a 1-month LIBOR assumption of 0.15% effective Jan 1, 2021 and may increase after consummation.

Student Loan Planner® Disclosures

Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. This offer is not valid for borrowers who have previously received a bonus from Student Loan Planner®.

Lender and Bonus disclosure

Earnest: $1,000 for $100K or more, $200 for $50K to $99.999.99. For Earnest, if you refinance $100,000 or more through this site, $500 of the $1,000 cash bonus is provided directly by Student Loan Planner. Rate range above includes optional 0.25% Auto Pay discount. 

Earnest Bonus Offer Disclosure:

Terms and conditions apply. To qualify for this Earnest Bonus offer: 1) you must not currently be an Earnest client, or have received the bonus in the past, 2) you must submit a completed student loan refinancing application through the designated Student Loan Planner® link; 3) you must provide a valid email address and a valid checking account number during the application process; and 4) your loan must be fully disbursed.

You will receive a $1,000 bonus if you refinance $100,000 or more, or a $200 bonus if you refinance an amount from $50,000 to $99,999.99. For the $1,000 Welcome Bonus offer, $500 will be paid directly by Student Loan Planner® via Giftly. Earnest will automatically transmit $500 to your checking account after the final disbursement. For the $200 Welcome Bonus offer, Earnest will automatically transmit the $200 bonus to your checking account after the final disbursement. There is a limit of one bonus per borrower. This offer is not valid for current Earnest clients who refinance their existing Earnest loans, clients who have previously received a bonus, or with any other bonus offers received from Earnest via this or any other channel. Bonus cannot be issued to residents in KY, MA, or MI.

Interest Rate Disclosure

Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. Fixed rates range from 2.69% APR to 6.04% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Variable rates range from 1.99% APR to 5.89% APR (excludes 0.25% 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, and using the daily interest rate based on actual days in the year and rounding up, plus a margin and will change on the 1st of each month. The rate will not increase more than once per month. The maximum rate for your loan is 8.95% if your loan term is 10 years or less. For loan terms of more than 10 years to 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 9.95%. For loan terms over 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 11.95%. Please note, we are not able to offer variable rate loans in AK, IL, MN, NH, OH, TN, and TX.

Auto Pay Discount Disclosure

You can take advantage of the Auto Pay interest rate reduction by setting up and maintaining active and automatic ACH withdrawal of your loan payment. The interest rate reduction for Auto Pay will be available only while your loan is enrolled in Auto Pay. Interest rate incentives for utilizing Auto Pay may not be combined with certain private student loan repayment programs that also offer an interest rate reduction. For multi-party loans, only one party may enroll in Auto Pay.

Skip a Payment Disclosure

Earnest clients may skip one payment every 12 months. Your first request to skip a payment can be made once you’ve made at least 6 months of consecutive on-time payments, and your loan is in good standing. The interest accrued during the skipped month will result in an increase in your remaining minimum payment. The final payoff date on your loan will be extended by the length of the skipped payment periods. Please be aware that a skipped payment does count toward the forbearance limits. Please note that skipping a payment is not guaranteed and is at Earnest’s discretion. Your monthly payment and total loan cost may increase as a result of postponing your payment and extending your term.

Student Loan Refinancing Loan Cost Examples

These examples provide estimates based on payments beginning immediately upon loan disbursement. Variable APR: A $10,000 loan with a 20-year term (240 monthly payments of $72) and a 5.89% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $17,042.39. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed APR: A $10,000 loan with a 20-year term (240 monthly payments of $72) and a 6.04% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $17,249.77. Your actual repayment terms may vary.Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest. com/terms-of-service, e-mail us at [email protected], or call 888-601-2801 for more information on our student loan refinance product.

Student Loan Origination Loan Cost Examples

These examples provide estimates based on the Deferred Repayment option, meaning you make no payments while enrolled in school and during the separation period of 9 billing periods thereafter. Variable APR: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $157.12) and an 11.69% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $21,290.40. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed APR: A $10,000 loan with a 15-year term (180 monthly payments of $173.51) and an 13.03% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $22,827.79. Your actual repayment terms may vary.

Earnest Loans are made by Earnest Operations LLC or One American Bank, Member FDIC. Earnest Operations LLC, NMLS #1204917. 535 Mission St., Suite 1663, San Francisco, CA 94105. California Financing Law License 6054788. Visit earnest.com/licenses for a full list of licensed states. For California residents (Student Loan Refinance Only): Loans will be arranged or made pursuant to a California Financing Law License.

One American Bank, 515 S. Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. Earnest loans are serviced by Earnest Operations LLC with support from Navient Solutions LLC (NMLS #212430). One American Bank and Earnest LLC and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

© 2021 Earnest LLC. All rights reserved.

Student Loan Planner® Bonus Disclosure:

Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. This offer is not valid for borrowers who have previously received a bonus from Student Loan Planner®.

Lender and Bonus disclosure

Laurel Road: If you refinance more than $250,000 through our link and Student Loan Planner receives credit, a $500 cash bonus will be provided directly by Student Loan Planner. If you are a member of a professional association, Laurel Road might offer you the choice of an interest rate discount or the $300, $500, or $750 cash bonus mentioned above. Offers from Laurel Road cannot be combined. Rate range above includes optional 0.25% Auto Pay discount. 

Laurel Road Bonus Offer Disclosure:

Terms and conditions apply. To qualify for this Laurel Road Welcome Bonus offer: 1) you must not currently be an Laurel Road client, or have received the bonus in the past, 2) you must submit a completed student loan refinancing application through the designated Student Loan Planner® link; 3) you must provide a valid email address and a valid checking account number during the application process; and 4) your loan must be fully disbursed. If a borrower is eligible for and chooses to accept an interest rate promotional offer due to that borrower’s membership in a professional association, the borrower will not be eligible for the cash bonus from Laurel Road. However, the borrower can still be eligible for the Student Loan Planner® bonus if they qualify under the “Student Loan Planner® Bonus Disclosure terms below.”  If you opt to receive the cash bonus incentive offer, you will receive a $1,050 bonus if you refinance $100,000 or more, or a $300 bonus if you refinance an amount from $50,000 to $99,999.99. For the $1,050 Welcome Bonus offer, $500 will be paid directly by Student Loan Planner® via Giftly. Laurel Road will automatically transmit $550 to your checking account after the final disbursement. For the $300 Welcome Bonus offer, Laurel Road will automatically transmit the $300 bonus to your checking account after the final disbursement.  There is a limit of one bonus per borrower. This offer is not valid for current Laurel Road clients who refinance their existing Laurel Road loans, clients who have previously received a bonus, or with any other bonus offers received from Laurel Road via this or any other channel.

You can take advantage of the Auto Pay interest rate reduction by setting up and maintaining active and automatic ACH withdrawal of your loan payment. The interest rate reduction for Auto Pay will be available only while your loan is enrolled in Auto Pay. Interest rate incentives for utilizing Auto Pay may not be combined with certain private student loan repayment programs that also offer an interest rate reduction. For multi-party loans, only one party may enroll in Auto Pay

Student Loan Planner® Bonus Disclosure

Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. This offer is not valid for borrowers who have previously received a bonus from Student Loan Planner®.

Lender and Bonus disclosure

Elfi: If you refinance over $150,000 through this site, $500 of the cash bonus listed above is provided directly by Student Loan Planner. 

To begin the qualification process for the Student Loan Planner® sign on bonus, customers must apply from the link provided on https://www.elfi.com/student-loan-planner. Customers who are approved for and close a loan will receive the $300-$775 bonus through a reduction in the principal balance of their Education Loan Finance loan when your loan has been disbursed. The amount of the bonus will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. In order to receive this bonus, customers will be required to complete and submit a W9 form with all required documents. Taxes are the sole responsibility of the recipient. There is a limit of one bonus per borrower. This offer is not valid for current ELFI customers who refinance their existing ELFI loans, customers who have previously received a bonus, or with any other bonus offers received from ELFI via this or any other channel. If the applicant was referred using the referral bonus, they will not receive the bonus provided via the referring party. If the applicant becomes an ELFI customer, they may participate in the referral bonus by becoming the referring party. Additional terms and conditions apply.

For the $1,275 bonus associated with refinancing at least $150,000, $500 of the bonus is provided by Student Loan Planner® via Giftly, which can be redeemed as a deposit to your bank account or PayPal account. Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. This offer is not valid for borrowers who have previously received a bonus from Student Loan Planner®.

Lender and Bonus disclosure

Splash: If you refinance over $100,000 through this site, $500 of the cash bonus listed above is provided directly by Student Loan Planner. 

To begin the qualification process for the Student Loan Planner® sign on bonus, customers must apply from the link provided. Customers who are approved for and close a loan will receive the $300-$500 bonus through Splash Financial. The amount of the bonus will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. There is a limit of one bonus per borrower. This offer is not valid for current Splash customers who refinance their existing Splash loans, customers who have previously received a bonus, or with any other bonus offers received from Splash via this or any other channel. If the applicant was referred using the referral bonus, they will not receive the bonus provided via the referring party. Additional terms and conditions apply.

For the $1,000 bonus associated with refinancing at least $100,000, $500 of the bonus is provided by Student Loan Planner® via Giftly, which can be redeemed as a deposit to your bank account or PayPal account. Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. This offer is not valid for borrowers who have previously received a bonus from Student Loan Planner®.

Lender and Bonus disclosure

Sofi: If you refinance $100,000 or more through this site, $500 of the $1,000 cash bonus is provided directly by Student Loan Planner. Fixed rates range from 2.49% APR to 6.94% APR with 0.25% autopay discount. Variable rates range from 1.99% APR to 6.59% APR with a 0.25% autopay discount. Unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law, Variable Interest rates on 5-, 7-, and 10-year terms are capped at 8.95% APR; 15- and 20-year terms are capped at 9.95% APR. SoFi rate ranges are current as of 11/01/2021 and are subject to change at any time. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on the term you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, presence of a co-signer and a variety of other factors. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For the SoFi variable-rate product, the variable interest rate for a given month is derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001). APRs for variable-rate loans may increase after origination if the SOFR index increases. The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. This benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit lowers your interest rate but does not change the amount of your monthly payment. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment and forbearance. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi. SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers, or may become available, such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp. or an affiliate (dba SoFi), a lender licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law, license #6054612; NMLS #1121636 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Additional terms and conditions apply; see SoFi.com/eligibility for details. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE.

Rate Match Guarantee Disclosure

Get $100 when you fund a Student Loan Refinance offered by SoFi Lending Corp. or an affiliate. $100 bonus not available to residents of OH. Rate Match valid only for private student loan refi products & will be on the rate, exclusive of all discounts. Eligible documentation of a competitor’s current rate offer, issued within 30 days of your SoFi pre-qualified rate, will be determined at SoFi’s sole discretion and must be for the same loan amount and repayment terms. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Void where prohibited by state law. See full terms & conditions at sofi.com/refinance-student-loan/#guaranteed-rate-match. SoFi reserves the right to modify or discontinue at any time without notice. Additional terms & conditions apply; see SoFi.com/eligibility. CFL#6054612, NMLS#1121636 (nmlsconsumeraccess.org)

Student Loan Planner® Bonus Disclosure

Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. This offer is not valid for borrowers who have previously received a bonus from Student Loan Planner®.

Lender and Bonus disclosure

Credible: If you refinance over $100,000 through this site, $500 of the cash bonus listed above is provided directly by Student Loan Planner. 

To begin the qualification process for the Student Loan Planner® sign on bonus, customers must apply from the link provided on www.credible.com.

The amount of the bonus will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. In order to receive this bonus, customers will be required to complete and submit a W9 form with all required documents. Taxes are the sole responsibility of the recipient. A customer will only be eligible to receive the bonus one time. New applicants are eligible for only one bonus. Additional terms and conditions apply.

For the $1,250 bonus associated with refinancing at least $100,000, $500 of the bonus is provided by Student Loan Planner® via Giftly, which can be redeemed as a deposit to your bank account or PayPal account. Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. This offer is not valid for borrowers who have previously received a bonus from Student Loan Planner®.

Lender and Bonus disclosure

Terms and conditions apply. To qualify for this LendKey Bonus offer: 1) you must not currently be an LendKey client, or have received the bonus in the past, 2) you must submit a completed student loan refinancing application through the designated Student Loan Planner® link; 3) you must provide a valid email address and a valid checking account number during the application process; and 4) your loan must be fully disbursed.

You will receive a $1,250 bonus if you refinance $150,000 or more, or a $100 to $400 bonus if you refinance an amount from $20,000 to $149,999.99, depending on the amount refinanced. For the $1,250 Welcome Bonus offer, $500 will be paid directly by Student Loan Planner® via Giftly. LendKey will automatically transmit $750 to your checking account after the final disbursement. For the $100 to $400 Welcome Bonus offer, LendKey will automatically transmit the $100 to $400 bonus to your checking account after the final disbursement. There is a limit of one bonus per borrower. This offer is not valid for current LendKey clients who refinance their existing LendKey loans, clients who have previously received a bonus, or with any other bonus offers received from LendKey via this or any other channel. Bonus cannot be issued to residents in KY, MA, or MI.

Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed.

Sallie Mae Disclosures

1 Lowest rates shown include auto debit discount. Advertised rates are for the Smart Option Student Loan for undergraduate students and are valid as of 7/22/2021.

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. Payments may be required during the grace/ separation period depending on the repayment option selected. Variable rates may increase over the life of the loan. Advertised variable rates reflect the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Advertised APRs assume a $10,000 loan to a borrower who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae loans. The borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction benefit. This benefit 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, if available for the loan.

Sallie Mae Disclosures

1 Lowest rates shown include auto debit discount. Advertised rates are for the Smart Option Student Loan for undergraduate students and are valid as of 7/22/2021.

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. Payments may be required during the grace/ separation period depending on the repayment option selected. Variable rates may increase over the life of the loan. Advertised variable rates reflect the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Advertised APRs assume a $10,000 loan to a borrower who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae loans. The borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction benefit. This benefit 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, if available for the loan.

Sallie Mae Disclosures

1 Lowest rates shown include auto debit discount. Advertised rates are for the Smart Option Student Loan for undergraduate students and are valid as of 7/22/2021.

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. Payments may be required during the grace/ separation period depending on the repayment option selected. Variable rates may increase over the life of the loan. Advertised variable rates reflect the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Advertised APRs assume a $10,000 loan to a borrower who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae loans. The borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction benefit. This benefit 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, if available for the loan.

Discover Disclosures

Lowest APRs shown for Discover Student Loans are available for the most creditworthy applicants for undergraduate loans, and include an interest-only repayment discount a 0.25% interest rate reduction while enrolled in automatic payments.

The interest rate ranges represent the lowest and highest interest rates offered on Discover student loans, including Undergraduate, Graduate, Health Professions, Law and MBA Loans. The lowest APRs shown for residency, bar exam, private consolidation and parent loans are available for the most creditworthy applicants and include a 0.25% interest rate reduction while enrolled in automatic payments.

The fixed interest rate is set at the time of application and does not change during the life of the loan. The variable interest rate is calculated based on the 3-Month LIBOR index plus the applicable margin percentage. For variable interest rate loans, the 3-Month LIBOR is 0.250% as of January 1, 2021. Discover Student Loans may adjust the rate quarterly on each January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 (the “interest rate change date”), based on the 3-Month LIBOR Index, published in the Money Rates section of the Wall Street Journal 15 days prior to the interest rate change date, rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent (0.125% or 0.00125). This may cause the monthly payments to increase, the number of payments to increase or both.

Our lowest APR is only available to customers with the best credit and other factors. Your APR will be determined after you apply. It will be based on your credit history, which repayment option you choose and other factors, including your cosigner’s credit history (if applicable). Learn more about Discover Student Loans interest rates at DiscoverStudentLoans.com/Rates.

Sallie Mae Disclosures

1 Lowest rates shown include auto debit discount. Advertised rates are for the Smart Option Student Loan for undergraduate students and are valid as of 7/22/2021.

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. Payments may be required during the grace/ separation period depending on the repayment option selected. Variable rates may increase over the life of the loan. Advertised variable rates reflect the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Advertised APRs assume a $10,000 loan to a borrower who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae loans. The borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction benefit. This benefit 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, if available for the loan.

CommonBond Disclosures: Private, In-School Loans

Offered terms are subject to change and state law restriction. Loans are offered by CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS # 1175900), NMLS Consumer Access. If you are approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your credit profile, your application, the loan term selected and will be within the ranges of rates shown.  If you choose to complete an application, we will conduct a hard credit pull, which may affect your credit score. All Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed assume borrowers enroll in auto pay and account for the 0.25% reduction in interest rate. All variable rates are based on a 1-month LIBOR assumption of 0.15% effective Jan 1, 2021 and may increase after consummation.

Student Loan Planner® Disclosures

Upon disbursement of a qualifying loan, the borrower must notify Student Loan Planner® that a qualifying loan was refinanced through the site, as the lender does not share the names or contact information of borrowers. Borrowers must complete the Refinance Bonus Request form to claim a bonus offer. Student Loan Planner® will confirm loan eligibility and, upon confirmation of a qualifying refinance, will send via email a $500 e-gift card within 14 business days following the last day of the month in which the qualifying loan was confirmed eligible by Student Loan Planner®. If a borrower does not claim the Student Loan Planner® bonus within six months of the loan disbursement, the borrower forfeits their right to claim said bonus. The bonus amount will depend on the total loan amount disbursed. This offer is not valid for borrowers who have previously received a bonus from Student Loan Planner®.

Sallie Mae Disclosures

1 Lowest rates shown include auto debit discount. Advertised rates are for the Smart Option Student Loan for undergraduate students and are valid as of 7/22/2021.

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. Payments may be required during the grace/ separation period depending on the repayment option selected. Variable rates may increase over the life of the loan. Advertised variable rates reflect the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Advertised APRs assume a $10,000 loan to a borrower who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae loans. The borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction benefit. This benefit 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, if available for the loan.