Private Student Loans for International Students

• US Co-Signer. International student loans usually require a US citizen or permanent resident (Green card holder) as a cosigner. If a cosigner is required the loan is credit-based, meaning the cosigner must have good credit history, good employment history (or other income history if the cosigner does not work), and must have lived in the US for the past two years. If you're not able to find a family member, friend or other US citizen or permanent resident to cosign for you then you may want to consider a no-cosigner loan, which is available at certain colleges and universities in the US and Canada.
• Funds Paid Directly to Your School. Private international student loans disburse (pay out) the funds directly to the school so that they can “certify” the loan. This means that the school’s financial aid office signs off on the amount distributed, ensuring that the student is given up to the total cost of their education minus any other financial aid received. Once this has been certified, the school will then release the remaining funds directly to student. Pay your tuition, room and board, health insurance and books first - anything extra is a luxury!
• Repayment. Repayment of an international student loan will vary depending on the loan you select. The repayment period typically ranges from 10-25 years; the standard rule of thumb is the larger the loan, the longer the repayment period. Some loans allow you to defer payments until 6 months after graduation, others allow students to only pay interest while in school (and defer the principal), and other loans begin repayment of both the interest and principal immediately once the loan has been paid out. It is important to consider the options and your ability to pay back student loans when reviewing the lender terms and conditions. You may also be eligible for hardship extensions if you run into unexpected circumstances that prevent you from being able to repay the loan for a short period of time.
• Proof of Finances. One useful feature of international student loans is that you may be able to use the loan approval in order to satisfy the school and visa requirement of showing one year's financial resources. While it’s not easy and it’s up to the school and consular officer if they'll accept a loan approval as proper funds, this may be a helpful way to show proof of funds if you need additional financial assistance. You can apply for the loan without the proof of enrolment from your school, and receive conditional approval. Then you can provide your school with this pre-approval from the lender, and the school will see that you will have the necessary funds. Typically, a financial aid officer or international student advisor at a US school is quite familiar with this process and will be able to help you.
• Interest Rates. Interest rates are variable, based on the LIBOR or Prime - depending on your loan - plus a margin. Depending on the loan, the lender will clarify which index the loan uses and there will be an additional margin based on the borrower’s criteria, including the credit history of your co-signer, if required, and the repayment plan you select. The better your co-signer, the better your rate! LIBOR and Prime Rates are constantly fluctuating, up or down, so the interest rate will changed based on this index.
• Online Application. You can apply right online, and receive initial approval in just a few short weeks. Then, you will need to sign the promissory note, and provide proof of enrolment and immigration status to receive your funds.
• No Application Fees. There are no application fees to apply for an international student loan. There may be an origination fee or other fees applied by the lender if you actually receive the loan, but that amount is rolled into the loan amount and does not have to be paid out of pocket.

For more information on international student loans, visit: /international-student-loans