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Refinancing your student loans can help save you money and reduce the amount of time you’ll be paying back your loan. However, as an international student, your options are limited. If you’re considering refinancing your student loans as an international student, it’s important to know where you can go and how it can help you.

How Refinancing Student Loans Works

Student loan refinancing is the process of replacing your current student loans with a new one, creating one monthly instead of several. You can refinance both federal and private student loans, potentially saving you money and time as you pay off your debt.

Student loan refinancing companies like SoFi offer fixed and variable interest rates that can be lower than what you’re currently paying on your student loans.

You can also choose from various student loan repayment options and terms, allowing you to pay off your loans as quickly as your budget allows. As you can guess, the shorter your repayment period, the more you’re likely to save on interest.

As you consider your strategy for paying off your student loan debt, refinancing can be a crucial element in helping you achieve your goal.

Another word you may hear that’s close to refinancing is consolidation. With other loans, the terms are typically synonymous. But with student loans, consolidation is generally associated with the federal direct loan consolidation program, while refinancing is typically done through a private lender.


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Where to Refinance Student Loans for International Students

It’s not always easy to know where to go, and it can be frustrating to get turned down over and over again because of your international student status. Many refinancing companies require you to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to be eligible but fortunately, some companies provide more flexibility for international students. For instance, SoFi as well as MPOWER can offer loans to international students. SoFi, for example, considers U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and people who hold a J-1, H-1B, E-2, O-1, or TN visa (as of the date of this article).

If you’re a permanent resident, you’ll need to either have at least two years left until your status expires or you’ve filed an extension. And if you’re a visa holder, you’ll need to have at least two years left before your status expires, or you’ve filed for a renewal or applied for permanent residency.

That said, qualifying based on your citizenship, resident, or visa status doesn’t necessarily mean you qualify based on all criteria. Student loan refinancing lenders also typically have credit and income requirements.

This means that if you don’t have an established credit history — which is not always the case for international students — you may have a tough time getting approved on your own.

If this is your situation, it might be worth getting a student loan co-signer, such as a trusted family member or friend who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, to apply with you to help strengthen the creditworthiness of your application. This can be helpful because this person acts as backup for your application — and lenders now can also rely on the co-signer for payment. Even if you do qualify to refinance your student loans on your own, a co-signer could help you get a lower interest rate.

To help improve your chances of getting approved with more favorable terms, such as a low rate, it’s a good idea to choose a co-signer who has a stellar credit history and a solid income.

Two Things to Consider Before Refinancing Your Student Loans

Refinancing might not be the right option for everyone. Here are three things to think about before you make your decision:

You May Not Qualify for a Lower Rate

Your eligibility and interest rate are based on several factors, including your credit history and income. As such, there’s no guarantee you’ll get approved for a lower interest rate than what you’re currently paying, even with a co-signer.

Also, if you already have a relatively low interest rate with your current lender, you may have a hard time getting an even lower rate.

Fortunately, some lenders, including SoFi, allow you to check your rate before you officially apply. This is done with a soft credit check, which doesn’t impact your credit score.

You May Not Qualify for a Lower Rate

Your eligibility and interest rate are based on several factors, including your credit history and income. As such, there’s no guarantee you’ll get approved for a lower interest rate than what you’re currently paying, even with a co-signer.

Also, if you already have a relatively low interest rate with your current lender, you may have a hard time getting an even lower rate.

Fortunately, some lenders, including SoFi, allow you to check your rate before you officially apply. This is done with a soft credit check, which doesn’t impact your credit score.

Refinancing Is Just One Piece of the Puzzle

As you think through your student loan repayment strategy, keep in mind that refinancing isn’t the end of the line. Once you complete the process of refinancing your loans, it’s important to still make sure you’re paying down your debt.

For example, consider getting on a budget and looking for ways to put extra cash toward your student loan payments each month.

Also, you could go with a shorter repayment period to save even more time and money on your debt.

The Takeaway

Be sure to check your eligibility requirements when it comes to refinancing student loans as an international student with private lenders. Also, consider adding a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to strengthen your application.

Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.

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.

SOSL0923021

Federal student loan payments have resumed. Whether you’re concerned about being able to manage your monthly payments or you’d just like to save money on interest, now is a great time to consider a new repayment plan.

Here, we’ll focus on two popular ways of paying off law school debt — refinancing and consolidating — and the pros and cons of each. Keep reading to learn which one is right for your situation.

Law School Loan Refinance

Usually, the main goal of refinancing law school loans is to reduce the amount of interest you’re paying over the life of the loan. To do this, borrowers typically reduce the payment period of their loan. But that means your monthly payments may not be much lower and could be considerably higher. For this reason, refinancing works best for people working in the private sector, earning a good salary, and enjoying a sense of job security.

One drawback to refinancing federal student loans is losing access to certain federal protections: loan forgiveness programs, income-driven repayment plans, and forbearance options. That’s because when you refinance, you’re paying off one or more federal loans with a new, private loan.

That said, high earners usually don’t qualify for loan forgiveness or income-driven repayment plans. And if you’ve previously refinanced your student loans (some folks do it more than once), then losing federal protections is no longer an issue.

Still think you want to refinance law school loans? Before moving forward, decide on your financial goal (after saving on interest): either reducing the time you’re paying off the loan, or keeping your monthly payment about the same.

How to Refinance

With two of your big decisions already made — whether to refinance, and what your financial goals are — the process of refinancing itself is pretty straightforward.

1. Check Your Credit History

Lenders set interest rates based on an applicant’s credit score. Requirements vary, but many lenders like to see a credit score minimum of 670 or higher, which Equifax, one of the credit reporting agencies, considers “good.” Keep in mind the higher the score, the more likely a borrower is to get a better offer or interest rate. If your credit score is below 670, you may choose to take some time to build up your credit before proceeding.

You can request your credit report for free from AnnualCreditReport.com. You can find out your credit score for free from Experian, and through some banks and lenders.

2. Explore Income-Driven Repayment Options

If your goal is to have more manageable payments, an income-driven repaymaent plan may be a better option before turning to refinancing. There are four of them — Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Plan, Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan, and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plan — and each payment is based on 10% or 20% of your discretionary income. (SAVE is the program that promises the lowest payments, with payments dropping to 5% of discretionary income starting in July 2024.) After 20 or 25 years, depending on your plan, the remaining balance of your student loan is forgiven. (Some participants in the SAVE Plan may get their balances forgiven after as little as 10 years.)

3. Run the Numbers in a Student Loan Refinancing Calculator

An online student loan refinancing calculator can tell you what interest rate you’ll need to qualify for in order to make refinancing worth your while. It can also show you different loan term options. Generally, the longer the repayment timeline, the lower your monthly payments, but the more you’ll pay in interest over time. Shorter timelines mean higher payments and less interest paid.

4. Compare lenders

Go online to research the top lenders who offer student loan refinancing. Select a handful with strong reputations that also offer your target interest rate.

5. Prequalify to See Terms

Prequalify to see what the loan terms are. (This requires only a soft credit check, which doesn’t affect your credit score.) When comparing terms, don’t just go with the lowest interest rate. Also look for any added benefits (such as unemployment protection), cash-back bonuses, and customer service ratings.

6. Select a Lender and Apply

Once you’ve settled on a lender, gather the documents you’ll need to make a formal application. They may include W2s or pay stubs to verify your income.

Pros and Cons of Refinancing

Carefully review the pros and cons of refinancing student loans before you make a decision.

💡 Quick Tip: Ready to refinance your student loan? With SoFi’s no-fee loans, you could save thousands.

Consolidating Law School Loans

Debt consolidation involves taking multiple loans and combining them under one new loan with just one monthly payment. The main goal is to simplify your finances — not to save money in interest.

Borrowers with federal student loans may utilize a federal program called a Direct Loan Consolidation. Your new loan’s interest rate will be the weighted average of all the old student loans’ interest rates, rounded up to the nearest eighth of a percent. This means your interest rate might actually be slightly higher than the rate you were paying before consolidation on some of your student loans.

When you consolidate, you’ll also have the option to select a new repayment plan. The Standard plan (which spreads payments evenly over 10 years) will still be available, but consolidation can also be a first step toward other plans of action, like loan forgiveness or income-driven repayment.

Private student loans cannot be consolidated using the federal program.

How to Consolidate

The Direct Loan Consolidation application process is available through StudentLoans.gov and comes with no fees. Simply fill out the online application, or you can print out a paper version and mail it. It may help to gather all of your loan records, accounts, and bills as you work through the form. The process takes about 30 minutes total.

If you have a loan that will be paid off in a short amount of time, you might consider leaving it out of the consolidation. The same goes if you have already made qualifying payments toward forgiveness on certain loans.

Your first new payment will be due within two months of when your Direct Consolidation Loan is first paid out.

Pros and Cons of Consolidating

Just like refinancing, there are advantages and disadvantages of student loan consolidation.

What Are Some Solutions for Handling Law School Debt?

If you’re passionate about having a career in law and are confident in your abilities, don’t let the costs of your education deter you from pursuing a rewarding profession.

Managing law school debt might seem overwhelming, but having a strategy can help you pay off your debt.

Here are several solutions to consider:

Making Interest-Only Payments While in School

While under the federal student loan deferment program, you aren’t required to make any payments while you’re in school, paying at least the amount of interest that is accruing on your loans each month could help keep your student debt from snowballing. And if you are able to pay more than just the interest, it’s a smart idea. The faster you pay down your loans, the less they’ll generally cost you over time.

Picking a Repayment Plan That Fits Your Budget

Once you graduate and start working, you’ll likely have a few financial priorities competing with your student loan repayment. In general, it can be a smart strategy to pay down law school debt as soon as you have a steady income, but paying down your loans too aggressively could leave you without enough savings.

Building up an emergency fund can provide you with a buffer in case you have unforeseen expenses. It can also make sense to start putting a percentage of your income toward a retirement fund to take advantage of potential long-term gains. You may want to factor your savings goals into your budget and pick a student loan repayment plan that fits your cash flow.

Putting any Extra Funds Toward Your Debt

Alternately, you can make paying down debt your top priority and put any extra income you have toward your highest-interest loans. Of course, if you choose this route, you may want to make sure you have a financial safety net in place first. This law school debt repayment strategy is typically called the avalanche method.
Essentially, while making regularly scheduled payments on all your loans, with the avalanche method you’d make additional payments on your highest-interest loans first. This method helps reduce the amount of total interest you’re paying. And by paying your loans down early, you could save on interest payments over the years because the faster you pay off your student loans, the faster you can stop paying interest on your debt.

Cutting Back

Relating to the strategy above, you could try to cut back on your monthly expenses and put that extra money toward your debt payments. While sticking to a budget can be challenging, it is one tool to help you stay on track with your spending.

Can you cut back on certain expenses each month? You may have to make a few sacrifices (within reason), but you probably don’t need to cut back on everything. See what simple changes you can make to your budget to find extra money to put toward your law school debt. Paying more than the minimum monthly payment on your student loans can go a long way towards getting out of debt faster and, therefore, making fewer interest payments.

Making Your Loan Payments Cost Less

What if instead of taking that job at a top law firm, you opt to go into public defense or spend a year traveling? If you find yourself looking for a way to make your federal loan payments more manageable, income-driven repayment plans can also lower your monthly payment by capping the amount you pay based on your discretionary income and household size.

With these plans, you may pay more interest over the life of your loans. But if your monthly payments are too high, income-driven repayment plans can bring them down.

Another option that can potentially reduce the cost of monthly payments (in one way or another) is to refinance your student loans with a private lender. When you refinance, a private lender gives you one new loan to pay off your existing student loans (including your law school debt and the undergraduate debt you may still have). Your new loan will have new terms and a new (hopefully lower) interest rate.

Instead of paying on multiple student loans, you’ll just have to worry about paying off one loan. If you qualify for a lower interest rate and/or shorten your loan repayment term, you may pay less in interest over the life of the loan.

Refinancing federal student loans with a private lender means you’ll no longer be able to take advantage of the benefits that come with federal loans, like income-driven repayment plans, deferment, and forbearance.

Employer Student Loan Repayment Assistance

If you work in legal aid or the public sector, your employer may be able to help pay down your loans. The best time to discuss repayment assistance is when you’re negotiating a new position. Benefits will vary from employer to employer.

The Takeaway

Two popular ways of paying off law school debt are refinancing and consolidating. Refinancing is typically used by high earners in the private sector who aren’t eligible for loan forgiveness. The goal is to pay off loans faster while saving money on interest. Direct Loan Consolidation is a federal program targeted to average earners in government and nonprofits. The goal of consolidation is to simplify your finances by combining multiple federal loans into one — without losing federal protections.

Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.

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.

SOSL0923046

If you have a 401(k), odds are, you can withdraw money from it–but there are rules, penalties, and taxes to take into account, depending on several factors. Even so, if you’ve diligently contributed to a 401(k) fund, and watched your balance grow,, you may have found yourself wondering “When can I withdraw from my 401(k) account?”

It’s a common question, and some key things to consider include whether you’re still working or already retired, if you qualify for a hardship withdrawal, whether it makes sense to take out a 401(k) loan, or rollover your 401(k) into another account.

What Are The Rules For Withdrawing From a 401(k)?

Because 401(k) accounts are retirement savings vehicles, there are restrictions on exactly when investors can withdraw 401(k) funds. Typically, account holders can withdraw money from their 401(k) without penalties when they reach the age of 59½. If they decide to take out funds before that age, they may face penalty fees for early withdrawal.

That said, there are some circumstances in which people can take an early withdrawal from their 401(k) account before 59 ½. Each plan should have a description that clearly states if and when it allows for disbursements, hardship distributions, 401(k) loans, or the option to cash out the 401(k).


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What Age Can You Withdraw From 401(k) Without Penalty?

The rules about the penalties for 401(k) withdrawals depend on age, with younger workers generally facing higher penalties for withdrawals, especially if they’re not yet retired.

The IRS provision known as the “Rule of 55” allows account holders to withdraw from their 401(k) or 403(b) without any penalties if they’re 55 or older and leaving their job in the same calendar year.

In the case of public safety employees like firefighters and police officers, the age to withdraw penalty-free under the same provision is 50.

Under the Age of 55

When 401(k) account holders are under the age of 55 and still employed at the company that sponsors their plan, they have two options for withdrawing from their 401(k) without penalties:

1.   Taking out a 401(k) loan.

2.   Taking out a 401(k) hardship withdrawal.

If they’re no longer employed at the company, account holders can roll their funds into a new employer’s 401(k) plan or possibly an IRA.

Between Ages 55–59 1/2

The Rule of 55, as previously mentioned, means that most 401(k) plans allow for penalty-free retirements starting at age 55, with the exception of public service officials who are eligible as early as 50. Still, there are a few guidelines to consider around this particular IRS provision:

1.    Account holders who retire the year before they turn 55 are subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty tax.

2.    If account holders roll their 401(k) plans over into an IRA account, the provision no longer applies. A traditional IRA account holder cannot withdraw funds penalty-free until they are 59 ½.

3.   Once a 401(k) account holder reaches 59 ½, access to their funds depends on whether they are retired or still employed.

After Age 73

In addition to penalties for withdrawing funds too soon, you can also face penalties if you take money out of a retirement plan too late. When you turn 73, you must withdraw a certain amount, known as a “required minimum distribution (RMD),” every year, or face a penalty of up to 50% of that distribution.

Withdrawing 401(k) Funds When Already Retired

If a 401(k) plan holder is retired and still has funds in their 401(k) account, they can withdraw them penalty-free at age 59 ½. The same age rules apply to retirees who rolled their 401(k) funds into an IRA.

Withdrawing 401(k) Funds While Still Employed

If a 401(k) plan holder is still employed, they can access the funds from a 401(k) account with a previous employer once they turn 59 ½. However, they may not have access to their 401(k) funds at the company where they currently work.

401(k) Hardship Withdrawals

Under certain circumstances, 401(k) plans allow for hardship withdrawals or early distributions. If a plan allows for this, the criteria for eligibility should appear in plan documents.

Hardship distributions are typically only offered penalty-free in the case of an “immediate and heavy financial need,” and the amount disbursed is not more than what’s necessary to meet that need. The IRS has designated certain situations that can qualify for hardship distributions, including:

•  Certain medical expenses

•  Purchasing a principal residence

•  Tuition and educational expenses

•  Preventing eviction or foreclosure on a primary residence

•  Funeral costs

•  Repair expenses for damage to a principal place of residence

The terms of the plan govern the specific amounts eligible for hardship distributions. In some cases, account holders who take hardship distributions may not be able to contribute to their 401(k) account for six months.

As far as penalties go, hardship distributions may be included in the account holder’s gross income at tax time, which could affect their tax bill. And if they’re not yet 59 ½, their distribution may be subject to an additional 10% tax penalty for early withdrawal.

Taking Out a 401(k) Loan

Some retirement plans allow participants to take loans directly from their 401(k) account. If the borrower fulfills the terms of the loan and pays the money back in the agreed upon timeframe (usually within five years), they do not have to pay additional taxes on it.

That said, the IRS caps the amount someone can borrow from an eligible plan at either $50,000, or half of the amount they have saved in their 401(k)—whichever is less. Also, borrowers will likely pay an interest rate that’s one or two points higher than the prime.

IRA Rollover Bridge Loan

The IRS allows for short-term tax and penalty-free rollover loans, assuming you follow a 60-day rule. In short, the 60-day rollover rule requires that all funds withdrawn from a retirement account be deposited into a new retirement account within 60 days of their distribution, so, within that 60-day window, you can use the money as a bridge loan.

401(k) Withdrawals vs Loans

While most financial professionals would likely tell you that it’s wise to keep your retirement funds where they are for as long as possible, withdrawals and loans are possible. If you do find yourself looking at either withdrawing or borrowing money from your retirement accounts, it may be best to use the loan option as you won’t get dinged on taxes–and assuming that you can pay the money back within the given time frame.

But again, this is likely a decision that should be made with the help of a financial professional.

Cashing Out a 401(k)

Cashing out an old 401(k) occurs when a participant liquidates their account. While it might sound appealing, particularly if a plan holder needs money right now, cashing out a 401(k) can have some drawbacks. If the plan holder is younger than 59 ½, the withdrawn funds will be subject to ordinary income taxes and an additional 10% penalty tax. That means that a significant portion of their 401(k) would go directly to the IRS.

Rolling Over a 401(k)

Instead of cashing out an old 401(k), account holders may choose to roll over their 401(k) into an IRA. In many cases, this strategy allows participants to continue saving for retirement, avoid unnecessary penalty fees, and reduce their total number of retirement accounts.

The Takeaway

While it may be possible to withdraw money from a 401(k) at almost any time, there are things to consider, such as taxes and penalties. Certain factors like age, employment status and hardship eligibility determine whether you can make a withdrawal from your 401(k).

In cases where plan participants do not meet age requirements for withdrawing 401(k) funds penalty-free, they can still take out a 401(k) loan, cash out a pre-existing 401(k) plan, or rollover their 401(k) into a different retirement account. As always, though, it may be best to discuss your options with a financial professional.

Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, alternative funds, and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).

FAQ

Can you take out 401(k) funds if you only need the money short term?

It’s possible, and one way that some people “borrow” from their 401(k)s for short periods of time is by utilizing the 60-day rollover window. While you’d need to open a new retirement account, this rollover period can allow you to borrow retirement funds tax and penalty-free for a short period of time.

How long does it take to cash out a 401(k) after leaving a job?

The period of time between when you leave a job and when you can withdraw money from your 401(k) will depend on your employer and the company that administers your account, but probably won’t take longer than two weeks.

What are other alternatives to taking an early 401(k) withdrawal?

Perhaps the most obvious alternative to taking an early 401(k) withdrawal is to take out a loan from your retirement account instead, which allows savers to repay the money over time without penalty.

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