Introducing a new, improved student loan
Earnest private student loans are designed for today’s students, families, and financial aid teams, with a guided application process and friendly support at every step. Enter your info to hear from our school support team.
Loans customized to your students’ life paths
No matter which stage of education your students are in, Earnest loans can help them hit campus with confidence—and more manageable debt.
Benefits of Earnest Private Student Loans
- Fast application and approval process
- 9-month grace period (3 months more than most lenders)
- No fees for origination, disbursement, prepayment, or late payment
- Skip a payment once per year (once repayment period has started)
- Expert support from our Client Happiness team
- 0.25% Auto Pay discount
- Covers up to 100% of school’s certified cost of attendance
Frequently Asked Questions by Financial Aid Professionals
Who is eligible for an Earnest loan?
Eligible students must be:
• Attending, or enrolled to attend, full-time at an eligible Title IV 4-year institution
• Residing in Washington D.C. or one of 39 states that Earnest lends in (all but AK, CT, DE, HI, IL, KY, NH, NV, OH, TX, VA)
• The age of majority in their state of residence
• A U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident or have a cosigner who is
View full eligibility details on our Eligibility page.
Which certification methods do you support?
We support the following certification methods:
- ELMNet
- Great Lakes ScholarNet
- Most school based software (SBS) with Commonline 4
Which disbursement methods do you support?
We support the following disbursement methods:
- ELM NDN
- Great Lakes CDS
- EFT to your school’s bank account
- Paper check
See how Earnest student loans stack up to other lenders
Feature comparison current as of March 5, 2019
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| Eligibility check | ||||
| No fees for origination, disbursement or late payments | ||||
| 9 mo. grace period (for eligible repayment options) | ||||
| Choice of loan terms | ||||
| Skip a payment yearly once full repayment starts |
A Dedication to Better Lending
Earnest was founded in 2013 to help grads save money by refinancing student loans. Since then Earnest has helped thousands of clients reduce the interest they pay, through innovative underwriting that rewards responsible financial habits. In 2019 Earnest expanded its lending to current students, to offer them flexible payments and personalized rates as well.
