How to Write a Financial Aid Appeal Letter

If you didn’t receive as much financial aid as you expected or need to pay for your education costs, do not panic. Contrary to popular opinion, your financial aid package is not set in stone. You can send a financial aid appeal letter to your institution and have your financial aid package reconsidered. Getting approved …

Nelnet Bank Private Student Loans: 2025 Review

Nelnet Bank Snapshot Nelnet Bank offers both private student loans and student loan refinancing. Nelnet Bank’s student loan offering is available to undergraduate, graduate, MBA, law, and health professional students. It’s best if you are seeking competitive rates, a variety of repayment terms, and a flexible forbearance policy.  Fixed APR Range: 4.49% to 15.47%* Variable …

MPOWER Private Student Loans: 2025 Review

MPOWER Snapshot MPOWER is an online lender that offers non-cosigned undergraduate and graduate student loans to international, domestic, and DACA students. It is best for international students and DACA students who don’t have a credit history and can’t access a qualified cosigner.  Fixed APR Range: up to 13.74% (14.75% APR)* Variable APR Range: N/A Loan …

Prodigy Finance Private Student Loans: 2025 Review

Prodigy Finance Snapshot Prodigy Finance is an online lender that offers non-cosigned graduate student loans to international students. It is best for international students who don’t have a credit history and can’t access a qualified cosigner.  Fixed APR Range: N/A Variable APR Range: 6.7%+ Loan Amounts: $10,000 ($35,000 in specific U.S. states) to $220,000 Minimum …

College Ave Student Loan Refinancing: 2024 Review

College Ave Student Loan Refinancing Snapshot College Ave offers both private student loans and student loan refinancing with competitive rates, flexible repayment terms, and strong customer service. College Ave’s student loan refinance offering is best if you are seeking a more flexible repayment term that allows you to find a loan that matches your budget.  …

College Ave Private Student Loans: 2025 Review

College Ave Snapshot College Ave offers both private student loans and student loan refinancing with competitive rates, flexible repayment terms, and strong customer service. College Ave’s student loan offering is available for undergraduates, graduate students, professional school students, career school students, and parents of students. It’s best if you are seeking a more flexible repayment …

How College Financial Aid Really Works

The cost of college has been going up for many years, making financial aid incredibly important. In fact, to afford college, most students use a combination of financial aid. The term “financial aid,” though, is broad and can refer to many different things. So, what exactly is financial aid? And how does it really work? …

Top 30 Companies That Will Pay Off Your Student Debt

The idea of an employer giving you extra money to pay off your student loan debt may seem too good to be true. But in fact, around 17%1 of employers offer student debt assistance and another 31% plan to offer it in the future. Regardless of how much you owe, an employer throwing extra cash …

Why Didn’t I Get Financial Aid?

Financial aid can come in a variety of forms, such as scholarships, grants, and even student loans. On average, full-time undergraduate students receive roughly $14,800 of financial aid each year.1 So, if you submitted the FAFSA and didn’t receive any financial aid, it may have come as a surprise.  What are some reasons you might …

Can You Cosign a Private Student Loan with Bad Credit?

In the 2019-20 academic year, 92%1 of private, newly originated undergraduate student loans were cosigned.  Agreeing to cosign a student loan is a great option to bolster a student borrower’s chances of receiving a student loan. It can also help the borrower secure more favorable terms, such as competitive interest rates, preferable repayment options, and …

7 Things to Do If You’re Denied a Student Loan

There’s no doubt that college can get expensive, and a lot of times you may need a student loan to pay for it. But what if you’re denied a loan? Here’s what you can do.  Why You’re Getting Denied a Student Loan  There are many different reasons why your student loan applications might be getting …

Nelnet Bank Student Loan Refinancing: 2024 Review

Nelnet Bank Snapshot Nelnet Bank offers both private student loans and student loan refinancing. Nelnet Bank’s student loan refinance offering is best if you are seeking competitive rates, a flexible forbearance policy, and the ability to refinance both private and/or federal student loans, including parent PLUS Loans.  Fixed APR Range: 7.12% to 11.19%* Variable APR …

How to Consolidate Student Loans with Bad Credit

Throughout the course of your college education, you’ll probably take out many loans. And by the end of it, it may be hard to keep track of. Add in the fact that you have poor credit and not the best credit history, and it just seems too hard to manage. What can you do?  Well, …

Funding U Private Student Loans: 2025 Review

Funding U Snapshot Funding U is an online lender that focuses exclusively on undergraduate students with no cosigner. Rather than looking at your credit score or income, Funding U looks at non-traditional metrics such as your GPA and estimated future earnings to assess your creditworthiness. Funding U’s student loan is best if you are a …

Brazos Student Loan Refinancing: 2025 Review

Brazos Snapshot Brazos is a non-profit lender that offers private student loans and student loan refinancing. Since it was launched in 1975, Brazos has focused on bringing transparency and low-cost loans to Texas residents. While Brazos student loan refinancing is only available to Texas residents, the non-profit lender offers competitive rates and flexible terms to …

Best Student Loan Refinance Companies for Bad Credit

Whether you’re well-versed with student loans or know nothing about it, we all want to make the smartest, most cost-effective decision when it comes to our financial circumstances. Refinancing your student loan is a great financial decision and a feasible option for student borrowers, even if you have poor credit.  Refinancing, in simple terms, is …

How to Pay for Dental School: The Top 4 Strategies You Need to Know

Becoming a dentist has a variety of benefits, but getting there can be quite expensive. A 4-year dental school program could run you about $400,000 with all expenses included. That’s why it’s essential to understand how to best pay for dental school The return on investment with a dental degree is promising, with the average …

How to Get Federal Student Loans with Bad Credit

Bad credit can put you in a tough spot when looking for student loans. This is especially true if you are looking at private student loans. But what about federal student loans? Can I take out federal student loans with a poor credit history? How?  What is Considered a Bad Credit Score?  The FICO credit …

5 Best Private Student Loans for Bad Credit

Your credit score is like the report card of adulthood, except it’s one number based on your creditworthiness, as opposed to letter grades. As a college student, having a bad credit score isn’t optimal when it comes to securing a private student loan. However, don’t lose hope just yet. You still have a variety of options …

Scholarships for Dental School: How and Where to Apply

According to NerdWallet, dental school students graduated with an average of $304,824 in debt in 2020. Though the tuition for dental school differs between dental programs, financing dental school tuition can be a hefty and expensive challenge.  Scholarships are a great way to minimize this overall debt total. Let’s find out which scholarships are best …

How to Pay for Law School: The Top 4 Strategies You Need to Know

According to the Law School Admission Council, a law degree can cost upwards of $150,000. While there are more affordable law programs, it isn’t uncommon for law school graduates to end up in a fair amount of student debt. If you’re headed to law school any time soon, the reality of how much it costs …

Best Scholarships for Law School

Want to have a career in law without racking up overwhelming amounts of debt? You have two options if paying out of pocket isn’t possible (which is usually the case for most law school students).  1) You can either move to California, Virginia, Vermont or Washington, which are the only four states in the U.S. …

Dental School Grants: How and Where to Apply

The average debt dental students have is around $300,000. This includes debt from both undergraduate and graduate studies. While that is a scary number, you can bring it down by securing free aid like grants. Here is what you need to know about dental school grants.  Benefits of a Grant for Dental School Grants are …

Pros and Cons of Refinancing Federal Student Loans

If you have a stable income and a solid credit score, student loan refinancing can save you thousands over the life of your loan. But if you’re planning to refinance federal student loans, know that it does come with some sacrifices. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of refinancing federal student loans. …