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In addition to typical banking and lending services, some credit unions also offer student loan refinancing opportunities. Refinancing student loans means that you pool all or some of your existing federal or private student loans into a new loan with a new, private lender. The goal is to achieve some sort of advantage when you refinance: for example, a lower interest rate or a lower monthly payment by extending your loan term.

It’s important to note that if you refinance federal student loans, you will forfeit access to federal repayment plans, such as the Standard, Graduated, and Extended Repayment plans.

Keep reading to learn more about how credit unions differ from traditional banks and why you may want to consider a credit union for student loan refinance.

How Credit Unions Differ from Traditional Banks

A credit union is a financial services cooperative that exists to serve its members. Products and services of a credit union typically include member education, financial planning help, mobile and online banking, checking and savings accounts, and the usual menu of loans.

Banks deliver many of the same types of services as credit unions. Their main goals are to benefit stakeholders and customers. But credit unions differ from traditional banks in one main way — they are nonprofit, whereas traditional banks are for-profit. Take a look at the comparison table below to learn more about the differences between credit unions vs. banks.

Pros and Cons of Refinancing Student Loans With a Credit Union

Credit unions can offer benefits that other lenders might not give you, but there are some downsides to watch out for as well. It’s a good idea to take a look at both the pros and cons before refinancing student loans with a credit union.

If you’re looking for more in-depth information, SoFi offers a comprehensive student loan refinancing guide.

Finding a Credit Union That Refinances Student Loans

Which credit unions refinance student loans? It’s a good idea to consider a wide variety of lenders before you land on a credit union, including national credit unions, local credit unions, alumni credit unions, and even church credit unions. Not every credit union offers student loan refinancing, so you’ll have to do a little homework based on where you’re likely to be able to tap into membership opportunities.

By the time you finish comparing and contrasting all of your options (including interest rates), you’ll have a better idea of what type of lender you should choose. In addition to searching around for the right lender, you can do a few other things to strengthen your overall profile.

Review your FICO® credit score, the three-digit number that tells lenders how well you handle debt. Your credit score can reveal the rate and terms you will likely receive. It’s a good idea to try for the highest credit score you can get. The higher your credit score, the more favorable your terms will be, which can help you save a significant amount of money over time.

Consider paying down other debts you have, such as personal loans or credit card debt. Lenders take a look at your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, which compares your monthly debt to the income you bring in. The lower your DTI, the better your opportunities may be.

You can also assemble the types of documents that you know your lender may need, including government-issued identification (such as your driver’s license), pay stubs from your employer, and recent tax returns. It may speed up the process of loan approval once you apply for a student loan refinance with the credit union.

Recommended: What Is a Bad Credit Score?

Comparing Credit Union Loan Terms

Loan terms refer to all the conditions and options available to you when borrowing money. The key elements you should look for in a refinance lender are:

•   Interest rate: What interest rate will you receive from the lender? You want to be able to get a lower interest rate than what you have on your current loan(s). The lower the interest rate, the more money you’ll be able to save on your loan over time.

•   Payoff amount: Know the total “payoff amount” for each loan offer. Getting a round figure from each lender will let you determine the interest amount you’ll pay over your entire loan period. A student loan refinancing calculator can also help you calculate your final costs. You can also find out whether a 20-year student loan refinance or 30-year student loan refinance makes sense for your needs.

•   Fees. Some lenders charge fees to help cover the cost of servicing a loan. These may include origination fees, prepayment penalties, and late fees.

Besides loan terms, consider asking about flexible repayment options and customer service:

•   Flexible repayment options: What happens if you have trouble making your payments? Will your lender work with you? It’s a good idea to ask questions about the types of repayment options they offer in the case of a job loss or a demotion, for example.

•   Customer service: Will you get good customer service from the credit union you’re considering? Ask for references from current customers. You may also know of student loan refinance customers in your community who already use a particular credit union and who can talk to you about their experiences.

Recommended: When Should I Refinance My Student Loans?

Alternatives to Credit Unions for Student Loan Refinancing

What alternatives to credit unions do you have, and should you refinance student loans in the first place? You can refinance with banks, online lenders, and other financial institutions.

Some online banks and lenders differ in that they cannot accept cash deposits (to savings or checking accounts) from customers. Or they may only offer loans, lines of credit, and credit cards. Because they don’t accept cash deposits, online lenders face less stringent government requirements than traditional banks and credit unions.

Before you make a final decision about a credit union student loan refinance or alternative banking solution, take a look at the interest rates, overall payoff amounts, repayment options, and customer service reviews.

The Takeaway

You can refinance private student loans with a credit union (as well as federal student loans), but it isn’t your only option. Credit unions differ from traditional banks due to their nonprofit status, membership requirements, dividends offered to members, limited product offerings, and backing by the NCUA rather than the FDIC. Shop around to find the best loan terms (interest rate, repayment period, and fees) before you settle on a lender.

If you think refinancing might make sense for your situation, consider refinancing your student loans with SoFi. You can refinance online and pay zero fees.

Photo credit: iStock/SDI Productions

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
SoFi Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). SoFi Student Loan 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 Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, PAYE or SAVE. Additional terms and conditions apply. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal.

Selling a house to pay off student loans may not make the most sense for most borrowers. If you’re thinking about selling your home to pay off your mortgage debt and then buying another home after you pay off your student loans, it’s important to remember that no matter what, you’ll still have to pay back debt. Due to certain characteristics of both student loans and mortgages, it might not be advantageous to you as a borrower.

Read on to learn about mortgage debt vs. student loan debt, the challenges of selling your house to pay off student loans, and alternative options to selling your house to pay off student loans.

Paying Off Student Loans

It’s understandable that some borrowers may want to leverage the sale of a house to sweep away student loan debt. After all, student loan borrowers in the United States collectively owe about $1.6 trillion, up from $250 billion in 2004, according to Brookings and the U.S. Department of Education. Student loans take up the second largest portion of household debt after mortgages.

However, there are specific repayment plans that could help you put a plan in place to tackle the process of paying off your student loans. Here are several repayment plans available to federal student loan borrowers:

•   Standard Repayment Plan: The most common repayment option for federal student loans is the Standard Repayment Plan, which means you pay a fixed amount each month. You must make payments of at least $50 per month over a 10-year period in order to repay the loan in full.

•   Extended Repayment Plan: The federal fixed or graduated Extended Repayment Plan allows you to take up to 25 years to pay off your student loans in full. You must owe more than $30,000 to qualify under the Direct Loan or a Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program.

•   Graduated Repayment Plan: You can start out with a lower monthly payment and increase your payment amount every two years with the federal Graduated Repayment Plan. You’ll still pay your loans off in 10 years but the graduated repayment plan theoretically allows for your student loan payments to grow along with your salary.

•   Income-Driven Repayment Plan: The Income-Driven Repayment Plans set your monthly payments based on your income and family size. It can take up to 25 years to pay off your loan using four different options: the Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (REPAYE Plan), Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (PAYE Plan), Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR Plan), and Income-Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR Plan). You may even be able to cancel your remaining balance after you meet certain requirements.

These plans give you opportunities to pay off your student loan debt with a goal in mind as an alternative to selling your home.

The repayment plans available for private student loans will vary based on the lender’s policy.

Mortgage vs. Student Loan Debt

Whether you choose mortgage and student loan debt, the fact of the matter is that you’ll still have debt.

One of the first things you may look into when you’re trying to decide whether to sell your house and pay off your student loan debt may be your interest rate. The interest rate is the amount you pay per month as a portion of the loan you receive from your lender. The higher your interest rate, the more you’ll pay over the life of the loan.

Mortgage lenders set interest rates based on the action on secondary markets, where bundles of loans are bought and sold as well as the amount of risk you present to a lender. Rates fluctuate depending on the 10-year Treasury yield. Mortgage lenders will also evaluate factors like your personal credit score, the type of mortgage, and loan terms, your down payment, and more when determining your mortgage interest rate.

The U.S. Department of Education also sets interest rates for federal student loans based on the 10-year Treasury note. Private student loan lenders use market factors and information they gather about you, the borrower, and your cosigner (if applicable). Private lenders also use a benchmark index rate to determine interest rates called the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR).

Student loan interest rates may be higher or lower than mortgage rates, depending on the type of mortgage loan you choose. If your student loan interest rate is higher than your mortgage, you may want to consider keeping your mortgage and refinancing your student loans to a lower interest rate.

However, the interest rate isn’t the only thing you’ll want to consider before you make your decisions about how to pay off student loans. In the next section, we’ll discuss several other important considerations before you make the big decision about whether to sell your house to pay off debt.

Challenges of Selling Your House to Pay Off Student Loans

Why may you want to avoid selling your house to pay off student loans? Let’s walk through a few reasons why you might want to consider other options.

Your Home Serves as Collateral

A mortgage is a home loan secured by the property you finance. In other words, when you get a mortgage, you put your home up as collateral. This means that when you borrow money, you agree to put an asset up to back the loan or as backing for that loan. If you fail to make your payments, your lender could take away your home through foreclosure.

Student loans are not backed by any collateral. You can’t lose your home if you’re having trouble making your student loan payments — there are benefits to having student loans!

You Lose Out on Certain Tax Benefits

If you’re not paying interest on student loans, you can’t claim the student loan interest deduction, which allows you to deduct up to $2,500 of the interest paid for student loans on Form 1040. You may deduct $2,500 or the amount of interest you actually paid during the year, whichever is less.

It’s true that you can also take advantage of the mortgage interest deduction, which is a tax deduction on the mortgage interest paid on your mortgage debt. You can deduct interest on the first $750,000 of your mortgage as long as you itemize your tax return.

However, if you’re asking, “Should I sell my house to pay off student loans?” — it may be a better idea to keep your student loan and your mortgage and get the tax benefits of both the student loan and mortgage interest deductions.

Alternatives to Selling Your House to Pay Off Student Loans

What alternatives are available if you’re thinking, “I don’t know if I want to sell my house to pay off student debt?” Let’s go over a few options.

Consolidating Student Loans

If you have multiple federal student loans from different loan servicers, you may be able to combine them into one loan with a fixed interest rate by choosing student loan consolidation. You can also change your loan term when you consolidate and also adjust the repayment terms on your loans without paying extra fees. Though it’s worth noting that it’s possible to change your repayment plan for federal student loans at any time.

You must complete the Federal Direct Consolidation Loan Application to consolidate your loans but you can only use this option for federal student loans, not private student loans. You may consider refinancing your private student loans if you are interested in changing the rates or terms on them — continue reading for additional details on student loan refinancing.

Student Loan Forgiveness

It’s important to note that most student loan forgiveness programs don’t offer complete loan cancellation right away. As mentioned earlier in the article, with an income-driven repayment plan it could take 25 years to qualify for complete forgiveness.

One of the most common types of forgiveness, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), means you no longer have to pay your remaining federal student loan debt after you make a specified number of monthly payments. You must satisfy all of the requirements before you get your loans forgiven or canceled. Note that the program only applies to federal direct student loans, including:

•   Direct Subsidized Loans

•   Direct Unsubsidized Loans

•   Parent PLUS Loans

•   Graduate PLUS Loans

•   Direct Consolidation Loans

Pursuing loan forgiveness through a program like PSLF requires a series of on-time, qualifying payments. The program requirements can be strict so be sure to read the details closely to be sure you are fulfilling them. If you have any questions about whether you qualify for loan forgiveness, contact your loan servicer.

Refinancing Student Loans

Refinancing your student loans essentially means you trade in your current loans to a private lender and exchange them for a new loan with a better interest rate and payment plan. The goal with refinancing is to save more money over time with a lower interest rate over a fewer number of years.

The Takeaway

Ultimately, you’ll have to consider a wide variety of factors before you decide whether it makes sense to sell your house to pay off student loans, including:

•   Interest rates

•   Loan term

•   Repayment options

•   Student loan consolidation options

•   Forgiveness options

•   Refinancing opportunities

•   Tax deductions

In some situations, it doesn’t make sense to sell your house to pay off your student loans. Selling your home may mean eliminating a mortgage, but it also requires you to find a new place to live. Before you decide to sell your house to pay off student loans or buy a house again after doing so, it’s also important to remember that your home is a great investment — a nest egg that you can build on throughout your loan term.

Check out SoFi’s student loan calculator to see how you can refinance student loans and potentially secure a lower interest rate. You’ll quickly learn your estimated savings over the life of your loan. SoFi might have the answer to handling your student loans — no need to sell your home.

FAQ

Should I move to pay off student debt?

Moving to pay off your student loans is a personal choice. However, if you can find a lower-cost home, it may be beneficial for you to be able to make lower mortgage payments because you may be able to devote more money per month toward your student loan payments. Weigh the pros and cons and also find out if you’ll owe money for paying off student loans early. Most lenders don’t charge a prepayment penalty, but it’s possible that your lender could charge one.

Is it wise to sell a house to pay off debt?

Selling your home to pay off debt can be one option for eliminating some of your debt, especially if you feel that you’re paying too much for your mortgage. Downsizing can be an effective way to expedite the repayment of other debts because you can use the excess money to make extra payments. The general rule of thumb is to spend 28% or less of your monthly gross income on your mortgage payment, which includes your principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. Before you sell your home to pay off debt, consider all the angles before you take the leap.

Is it better to pay off a house before selling?

You may think it’s a good idea to pay off a house before you sell it to make a clean, fresh start before buying a new home. However, you might end up owing more at closing because you might be subject to a prepayment penalty through your lender. Check your loan terms before you decide.

Photo credit: iStock/Quils

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
SoFi Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). SoFi Student Loan 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 Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, PAYE or SAVE. Additional terms and conditions apply. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal.

As long as you meet lender requirements, it’s possible to refinance student loans without a cosigner. Refinancing means that a private lender bundles some or all of your loans, pays them off, and structures them into one new loan. A private lender can be a bank, school, credit union, or state agency. Federal student loans are funded by the federal government.

A cosigner is an individual with a good credit record who agrees to repay the loan if the primary borrower cannot. If you prefer to apply for a student loan without a cosigner, you may pay more for your loan over the long term through higher interest rates.

Keep reading for more information about student loan refinancing without a cosigner and what it involves.

What Is Student Loan Refinancing?

Student loan refinancing means that a private lender pays off your existing loans (which can be a mixture of private and federal student loans) and puts all of your loans under one roof. This means you don’t have to keep track of various loan payments.

Refinancing student loans allows you to lower your interest rates or extend your loan payoff. Your interest rate, which is a percentage of your principal amount borrowed, is the amount you pay to your lender in exchange for borrowing money. Extending your loan payoff means that you will increase the number of years you take to pay off your loan. It’s important to note that in this case, you will pay more over the life of your loan because you increase the number of years that you will pay for your loan.

You can refinance both federal and private student loans, but note that you must do so with a private lender. You cannot refinance any type of loan into a federal student loan. However, refinancing federal student loans means that you’ll lose access to federal protections such as federal loan forgiveness and income-driven repayment plans. Some lenders only refinance private student loans. Clearly, knowing if and when to refinance student loans is not a simple decision.

Benefits of Refinancing Student Loans Without a Cosigner

Take a look at the benefits of a student loan refinance with a cosigner and the drawbacks of refinancing student loans without a cosigner.

Keep in mind that if the student stops making loan payments, cosigners may end up paying back the student loan. Not making payments can damage both the student’s and the cosigner’s credit score. Your credit score is a three-digit number that shows a lender how well you pay down debt.

If this happens, it can result in a strained relationship. A student loan refinance without a cosigner may be the best option for all parties involved.

Recommended: Guide to Student Loan Refinancing

How To Refinance Student Loans in 4 Steps

Refinancing student loans without a cosigner typically follows these four steps:

1. Prequalify

By submitting some personal information, you can compare the rates among lenders. Lenders will run a soft credit check which won’t hurt your credit. Lenders will ask for your name, address, school you attended, degree achieved, total student loan debt, income, credit score estimate, and more. The information you need to provide varies from lender to lender.

Recommended: What’s the Difference Between a Hard and Soft Credit Check?

2. Get Multiple Rate Estimates

Each lender will likely give you several offers with various term lengths as well as fixed interest rates (those that don’t change) and variable interest rates (those that change depending on market fluctuations).

3. Complete the Application

Once you’ve chosen a lender and a loan, you can submit documentation that supports the soft credit check and any other information the lender needs, such as personal identification, pay stubs, or other income verification. You’ll undergo a hard credit check at this point.

4. Sign the Final Documents

Learn your final costs, or take a look at a student loan refinance calculator, to get a sense of your all-in costs so you know what you’ll have to pay every month.

What Refinancing Without a Cosigner Involves

Refinancing student loans without a cosigner involves special considerations:

Qualifying With Your Own Credit

Qualifying for a refinance with your own credit means that you aim to get a refinance using your own credit score. The credit score you need to qualify for a refinance will depend on a wide variety of factors, including your income and other information.

It’s important to put forth as high a credit score as you possibly can. The FICO® score range from 300 to 850 — 300 is the lowest and 850 is the highest credit score possible.

In addition to your credit check, you may also need to meet some basic eligibility requirements:

•   The legal age, or “age of majority,” in your state (typically 18)

•   A U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or non-permanent resident alien

•   Employed or have sufficient income from other sources

•   Graduated with an associate’s degree or higher from a qualified institution

Recommended: What is a bad credit score?

Debt-to-Income Ratio

When you get a refinance, a lender will also look at your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. This is a percentage that tells lenders how much of your money per month goes toward monthly debts versus how much money you have coming into your household.

You can figure out your DTI by adding up your monthly debts and dividing that figure by your gross monthly income (your income before taxes). The result is a percentage, and the lower the percentage, the less risk you present to lenders. Learn more about why debt-to-income ratio matters in student loan refinancing with cosigner and without a cosigner.

Employment Status

In many cases, you must be currently employed, earn income from other sources, or have an offer of employment to start within the next 90 days in order to get a refinance. However, various lenders may have different employment stipulations. Check with your lender to learn more.

Credit History

In order to qualify for a refinance, a lender will look at your credit history, which includes your current and past credit accounts, the amount you owe, and your payment history. Your credit history reveals how responsibly you repay your debts. Credit scores come from information on your credit reports.

What If You Can’t Get Approved Without a Cosigner?

If you can’t get approved without a cosigner, you may want to look for a lender with an alternative credit check. Lenders may offer an alternative process, including simply taking a look at your grade point average, field of study, graduation prospects, and estimated future earnings to determine your eligibility for a refinance or loan. Keep in mind that these alternative requirements may require you to pay a higher interest rate for your refinance.

You may also consider going ahead with a cosigner and then later applying for a student loan cosigner release. A cosigner release means that cosigner is released from a loan as long as you meet certain requirements, such as a minimum payment requirement. Once released, the cosigner is no longer obligated to take care of your debt if you cannot repay your loan.

Alternatives to Refinancing Without a Cosigner

One of the best ways to circumvent the need for a cosigner is to work on improving your credit score. You can do that by paying off debt — paying down credit cards, paying off loans that have gone into arrears — and not taking out too many other types of loans. Your credit score will increase over time as you make positive moves.

SoFi Student Loan Refinancing

It’s possible to refinance student loans without a cosigner, but you may end up with less desirable rates than if you did opt for a cosigner. However, consider the pros and cons of applying with and without a cosigner, including the potential for a strained relationship if you fail to make timely loan repayments. Another important factor to weigh is how likely you are to benefit from the current federal student loan forgiveness plan, as well as the protections that come with federal student loans.

If you think refinancing might make sense for your situation, consider refinancing your student loans with SoFi. You can refinance online and pay zero fees, whether you choose to refinance student loans with a cosigner or not.

Photo credit: iStock/paulaphoto

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
SoFi Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). SoFi Student Loan 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 Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, PAYE or SAVE. Additional terms and conditions apply. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal.

Generally, student loan borrowers with a FICO® score of 670 or higher stand a better chance at meeting a refinancing lender’s eligibility requirement. But according to an August 2020 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the average credit score across all student loan borrowers was at 656 — just a few points shy of what’s considered “good” credit.

The minimum credit score permitted to refinance varies between lenders. Whether you already have strong credit or currently don’t meet the credit score needed to refinance, there are ways to move forward with your student debt.

Credit Score Range Required for Student Loan Refinancing

You typically need what FICO calls a good credit score, which is from 670 to 739, to get approved for a competitive refinancing rate and terms. Another commonly used credit scoring model is called the VanatageScore® which sets its “good” credit range at 661 to 780.

Some lenders have more flexible credit score requirements than others and set their minimum credit score requirement at 650 which is considered “fair.”

However, higher is usually better when it comes to credit scores, regardless of the scoring model that’s used. If your credit score exceeds these ranges, and is considered “very good” or “excellent”, you may be more likely to qualify for student loan refinancing.

Recommended: What Is a FICO Score?

Why Is There a Minimum Credit Score?

Your credit score gives lenders an at-a-glance synopsis of your borrowing habits. It’s based on information from your credit report — which is a highly detailed record of activity on all of your credit accounts — and a single score tells lenders how well you’ve managed your credit and repayment thus far.

Refinance lenders establish the lowest eligible credit score they’re willing to approve and lend to better their chances of getting paid back.

Benefits of a Higher Credit Score When Refinancing

Meeting the minimum credit score requirement of your preferred refinancing lender can help you get through the door in terms of approval. However, a higher credit score improves your access to a lower interest rate and favorable terms.

Your lender’s lowest advertised refinancing rate, for example, is reserved for borrowers who’ve demonstrated excellent credit. If you don’t have established credit, some lenders let applicants apply with a cosigner.

Typically, a cosigner is someone who’s close to you like a spouse, parent, or grandparent, and has a strong credit profile. By agreeing to cosign your loan, they’re accepting financial liability to repay your loan if you fail to make payments.

Refinancing without a cosigner means that only the primary borrower is responsible for repaying the loan. Having another person who’s legally responsible for the debt is another way that lenders protect themselves from potential default. As the primary borrower, not only can a cosigner improve your chances of approval, their good credit can help you qualify for a lower interest rate.

Recommended: Guide to Establishing Credit

Tips That Can Help Improve Your Credit

If your credit isn’t high enough to meet a lender’s minimum credit score requirement, there are a few tips on how to build credit over time.

Make Timely Payments

Making full, on-time payments on your existing credit accounts is the most impactful way to improve your credit. This factor accounts for 35% of your FICO credit score calculation and is at the forefront of what lenders look at when evaluating your eligibility.

Lower Your Credit Utilization Ratio

This is the ratio of how much outstanding debt you owe, compared to your available credit. Credit utilization ratio accounts for 30% of your FICO score. Keeping your credit utilization low can be an indicator that — although you have access to credit — you’re not overspending.

Maintain Your Credit History

A factor that’s moderately important when it comes to your FICO score calculation is the age of your active accounts. Keeping older accounts active and in good standing shows that you’re a steady borrower.

Keep a Balanced Credit Mix Without Too Many New Accounts

Having revolving accounts such as credit cards, and installment credit like student loans or a car loan shows you can handle different types of credit. This factor affects 10% of your credit score calculation which isn’t as huge as your payment history but a factor nonetheless.

Additionally, although a mix of credit can help your score, opening too many new accounts in a short period can adversely affect your credit score by 10%.

Other Eligibility Requirements for Student Loan Refinancing

Lenders want to ensure that their borrowers have the ability to repay the loan, based on the loan agreement. However, your credit score isn’t the only factor that determines your ability to make payments.

Other eligibility requirements that lenders consider might include your:

•   Age

•   Status in the country (e.g. US citizen, permanent resident, etc.)

•   Employment status

•   Income

•   School that you graduated from

•   Existing debt obligations

•   Loan amount

If your situation and credit score meets the lender’s requirements, you might be approved for a student loan refinance. Before refinancing your student loans, however, use a student loan refinance calculator to understand how much refinancing can save you.

Your Options if You Don’t Meet the Credit Requirements

If your credit isn’t eligible for student loan refinancing, you still have a few options to choose from.

•   Apply with a creditworthy cosigner. As mentioned above, securing a trusted cosigner who has strong credit can potentially help you with your refinancing goal. Keep in mind that any late payments on your loan may impact your credit and your cosigner’s.

•   Request an income-driven repayment plan. You can reduce your federal loan monthly payment by requesting to be put on an IDR plan. Depending on your plan, your term will be extended to 20 or 25 years, and your payment is calculated based on a percentage of your discretionary income and your family size. This option results in paying more interest overall.

•   Ask about forbearance. If you’re experiencing a short-term financial hardship, like a job loss or sudden financial expense that’s making it hard to manage your student loan payment, forbearance might help. It pauses your payments for a temporary period, during which time interest still accrues. Ask your servicer about how to request forbearance, or contact your private lender to see if it offers this option.

Applying for Student Loan Refinancing With SoFi

Your credit score is just one factor that lenders consider when applying for a student loan refinance, but it’s an important one. Increasing your credit score before refinancing, or finding a willing cosigner with strong credit, can help you reduce your interest rate and lower your total education-related costs.

Refinancing a private student loan is advantageous if you qualify for a lower interest rate. However, determining if you should refinance your federal student loans needs more consideration. Refinanced federal loans are converted into private loans rendering you ineligible for federal benefits and programs. For example, you’ll no longer have access to programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness or income-driven repayment plan options that help reduce your monthly payment.

If you’re still convinced that refinancing is right for you, consider a SoFi student loan refinance. SoFi offers low-interest rates and significant savings for those who qualify. Checking your rate only takes only two minutes online.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
SoFi Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). SoFi Student Loan 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 Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, PAYE or SAVE. Additional terms and conditions apply. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal.

Getting laid off? Not great. Getting laid off with student loans? Even worse. Although the payment pause for federal student loans has been extended well into 2023, now is a good time to plan ahead and rethink your payment plan.

Fortunately, there are options for borrowers to lean on when they lose their jobs or experience another change in circumstances.

While many of these repayment plans can increase the amount you pay over time, including interest, they can make your student loans more affordable during a temporary period of financial hardship.

How COVID Affected Student Loans

COVID-19 led to pretty major derailments for some of us. Whether you were just starting your career or had a rapidly growing resume, there’s a good chance your job situation looks different now than before the pandemic.

Unemployment filings reached a record high at the end of March 2020, meaning a slew of people wondered how to pay their student loans with no job. Educational debt can be difficult to keep up with under the best of circumstances, let alone in the midst of a crisis. Fortunately, the government made some moves to offer federal student loan borrowers some solace.

The Trump administration suspended both principal and interest payments on federal student loans through January 2021. President Biden then extended the forbearance several times, most recently until the second half of 2023. Payments automatically stopped on March 13, 2020, and the suspension doesn’t affect the borrower’s eligibility for student loan forgiveness programs.

To be clear, the ruling doesn’t affect privately held student loans, like the ones through lenders like Sallie Mae® or smaller providers. However, private loan holders may still have options that can help keep their loans from becoming financially overwhelming.

Recommended: How Do Student Loans Work? Guide to Student Loans

Talk to Your Student Loan Servicer

If your loans haven’t been automatically suspended, you can still reach out to your student loan servicer about a modified repayment agreement if you’ve lost your job or are otherwise experiencing trouble with your current plan.

Sallie Mae, for instance, has “instituted additional options for customers experiencing financial difficulty” due to COVID-19. The company invites borrowers to contact them via online chat or phone to discuss alternatives and assistance.

No matter who your lender is, there’s a good chance they can offer you a temporary solution if you’re unable to make your payments. You may be able to pause your payments, for instance — though you’ll probably still accrue interest during the pause.

Either way, it’s worth reaching out to lenders to update them on your situation and hear what they might be able to offer.

File for Unemployment

Unemployment insurance — commonly referred to simply as “unemployment” — is a joint federal-state benefit that offers cash relief to eligible workers who lose jobs through no fault of their own.

Each state has its own requirements and filing processes, which you can learn more about by selecting your state in the drop-down menu .

Unemployment benefits may offer you enough cash flow to make some payments toward your student loans, especially if you were able to modify your payment plan with your servicer. But if not, there are alternatives to consider.

Options for Paying Off Student Loans While Unemployed

Life moves in unexpected ways. Student loan servicers know that, which is why most have specific protocols in place for borrowers whose plans change in one way or another.

Here are some that might be helpful in the case of sudden joblessness.

Forbearance

Student loan forbearance allows borrowers to pause student loan payments or make a smaller payment for a set period of time. It’s available for both federal and private student loans, and it can take a big load off your monthly budget.

In many cases, it’s worth exploring other options before turning to forbearance. You may still be accruing interest during the forbearance period, which can drive up your total debt quickly.

You also may not be making any progress toward potential student loan forgiveness programs.

Recommended: Will Pausing Payments Affect My Credit Score?

Deferment

Another option that may be right for you is student loan deferment, which works similarly to forbearance: You won’t be required to make payments for a temporary period, but you’ll still be responsible for the interest that will accrue during that time.

The main difference between forbearance and deferment is that deferments are usually granted in response to a certain life change, such as going back to school at least half-time or actively serving in the military, whereas you can always apply for forbearance (though it may not be granted).

Losing your job is another life change that may make you eligible for student loan unemployment deferment. Again, it’s important to understand that you’ll likely still be responsible for the interest generated during the deferment period, which could mean you pay more for your loan overall.

Certain types of federal student aid may not incur interest during the deferment, such as Direct Subsidized Loans, but you’ll want to double-check with your servicer before you make any decisions.

Income-Driven Repayment Plans

If you have federal student loans, you can look into income-driven repayment programs, which allow borrowers to adjust their payments based on what they can afford.

The government offers a variety of income-driven repayment plans, including the Pay As You Earn Plan (PAYE), the Income-Contingent Plan (ICR), and the Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR).

Income-driven repayment plans generally reduce your payments to 10% of your discretionary income, which could bring your payments down to $0. The plans adjust once you’re making money again, ensuring that your payments are affordable. But because they might extend your overall repayment period, you can also end up paying significantly more interest in the long run.

In August 2022, President Biden proposed changes to some income-driven repayment programs as part of his forgiveness plan. Payments for undergraduate borrowers would be reduced to 5% of discretionary income instead of the current 10%.

Recommended: REPAYE vs PAYE: What’s the Difference?

Student Loan Forgiveness

A variety of programs allow certain borrowers to have their student loans forgiven, canceled, or discharged if they meet certain requirements.

In many cases, you will be required to have made a certain number of qualifying monthly payments on the loan and meet the terms for the specific forgiveness program you’re considering.

Many student loan forgiveness programs are contingent on the borrower being employed in a specific industry or by a nonprofit organization. That means this option might not help you during unemployment. But it’s worth keeping in mind over the life of your student loan. You might want to bookmark our guide to student loan forgiveness.

Dealing With Late Student Loan Payments

When you’re late making a federal student loan payment, your account quickly becomes past due or “delinquent.” You’ll likely face a late fee, which is usually a percentage of the missed payment.

If you cannot make the payment, it’s important to call your loan servicer right away to make arrangements, such as deferment, forbearance, or a new repayment plan. Otherwise your account will remain delinquent, even if you continue to make subsequent payments on time.

If you are delinquent on your federal student loan for 90 days or more, your lender will report it to the three major national credit bureaus. Your credit score will take a hit, making it more difficult to qualify for good terms on loans and credit cards.

After 270 days, your loan will go into default. Defaulting on your student loan has serious consequences. First, the entire amount you owe on your loan, including interest, becomes due immediately. You won’t be able to take out any other student loans, and you’ll no longer qualify for deferment or forbearance. The government may take your tax refund and federal benefits and garnish your wages to pay off your loan.

Terms and fees for private student loans vary by lender, but the fallout from missed payments is essentially the same.

All you have to do to avoid delinquency and default is talk to your lender or loan servicer as soon as you can. The worst thing you can do is ignore the problem and hope it goes away.

Paying It Off: New Jobs, Side Hustles, and More

Although COVID led to layoffs, furloughs, and hiring freezes, many companies are now actively recruiting again. If you’re back at work but still struggling to make payments, consider ways to bring in some extra money each month.

That’s where the side hustle comes in. Many people have turned their crafting hobby into a small business on Etsy. Others are delivering groceries or pre-made meals with a service like Instacart. Check out our roundup of 9 ways to pay off student loans.

Once you’re back on your feet, refinancing student loans is one way to reduce your debt burden. It can be difficult to refinance while unemployed: Income is one of the factors lenders look at when assessing potential borrowers. But when you’re ready, refinancing private student loans, or a combo of private and federal loans, can lower monthly payments, the interest rate, or both. And that can make loans more affordable in both the short and long term.

It is important to remember that if you refinance your loans with a private lender, you forfeit all of federal benefits, including student loan forgiveness and deferment.

The Takeaway

After a job loss, student loan borrowers have options. Deferment and forbearance allow you to pause payments during times of financial hardship. Just be aware you’ll still be responsible for the interest that accrues during the payment pause. Income-driven repayment plans are another option that can lower your monthly loan bill to as little as $0. Talk to your lender as soon as you foresee a problem paying your bill. That way you can protect your credit score and reduce the stress that comes with loan delinquency or default.

^*If you become involuntarily unemployed, deferred payments may be applied for a maximum of 12 months, in aggregate, over the life of the loan. Additional terms and conditions apply; see SoFi.com/faq-upp for details.
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