Personal Loan for Education

Can I get a personal loan for education?

If you are a student or a professional looking to go back to school to further your career, you may be exploring as many finance options as possible. For a first-time student, your first move may be to complete any financial aid documents that your school or university recommends to see what kind of student aid you can qualify for in the forms of scholarships, grants, and potential work-study programs. Once you have exhausted all the "free" money that the Federal Government may or may not have for you depending on the income level of your parents, then you can explore federal subsidized and unsubsidized student loans. Federal student loans are most often with lower interest rates and more flexible repayment options than private student loans or personal loans. If you still need to cover expenses after you have maximized your federal student loans, you then can look into personal loans intended for education.

It is important to note that many lenders may not allow you to use the funds from a personal loan to pay directly for college tuition. Instead, they may offer their own private student loans for you to explore. Private student loans have far different regulations than private personal loans. If you are looking for a personal loan to cover some tuition-related expenses, you will want to find a lender who is willing to allow a personal loan to be used to pay for tuition. Otherwise, personal loans for students are typically used to cover "off-campus" expenses like rent, groceries, the purchase of a vehicle, the cost of public transportation, and possibly computers or other necessary pieces of equipment to fully participate as a student at your school or university.

If you are a professional looking to go back to school to further your career, you may want to speak with your employer first. Your employer may offer specific and special programs related to employees looking to go back to school. If the company can benefit from your education, they may even have scholarships, tuition assistance, and flexible work scheduling to accommodate your education. Aside from your employer, you can still speak with your school's financial aid office to see what kind of federal education assistance you may be eligible for based on your income. Again, you could still potentially qualify for grants and federal student loans. If you have exhausted all of those options and are still looking for some additional educational financing, you can explore a personal loan to cover some costs to ensure you stay in school. Maybe, you are looking to change from full-time to part-time at your current job and you need a personal loan to cover some of your regular expenses while you are at school and your income is less. Use a personal loan to pay for books, computers, and other school supplies. Use a personal loan to cover the cost of childcare while you are attending classes.

Most often, a personal loan can be used for anything you would like, however, some lenders may have restrictions about using a personal loan to pay to a school or university to cover tuition. Instead, use your personal loan to cover other expenses to help you while you are pursuing your educational goals.

Why should I get a personal loan to pay for my education?

There are many circumstances where a personal loan would be in your best interest to obtain to help pay for educational expenses. First, once you have exhausted your federal student loan options, a private student loan comes with higher interest rates than the federal loans. If the private student loan rates are higher than your potential personal loan rates, then it may be better to go for the cheaper personal loan. Second, some certificate or degree programs may not be eligible for traditional federal and private student loan options. A personal loan can help pay the tuition of more untraditional educational pursuits. Last, when you need money to pay for your everyday more short-term expenses or financial emergencies, a personal loan may then be ideal to cover those costs.

How much can you borrow with a personal loan for education?

Each lender has their own personal loan maximum amounts. Some lenders max out at $50,000, while many others go up to $100,000 with loan repayment periods upto 12-years. Depending on how much you can afford to borrow, and how much you need to borrow, you may want to do your research to determine which lenders can help you recieve the appropriate amount of financing for your situation.

What credit score is needed to get a personal loan for education purposes?

If you are looking for a personal loan to cover education-related expenses, that is an expense outside of normal college tuition, then you will find that a personal loan for education purposes is hardly different from any other type of personal loan. For your typical personal loan, you may want a credit score of at least 620. A credit score as high as 660 or 680 may even be required by particular lenders. That being said, some lenders specialize in personal loans for individuals with poor, little, or not credit. Those lenders may even be willing to work with someone with a credit score as low as 580. If you are a young student, you may lack the financial and credit history necessary to qualify for a personal loan. In those circumstances, it is recommended that you find a cosigner who has a good or exceptional credit score to help you qualify as well as to help you secure better rates.

How many years should a personal loan for education be?

Personal loans come in two typical categories when it comes to the length of the loan repayment period. Those categories are short-term and long-term personal loans. A short-term personal loan can be any term length of up to 5-years. Anything greater than 5-years would then be considered a long-term loan. The cap on how long a lender will allow for a term length for a personal loan depends on the lender. Some cap long-term loans at 7-years, while others may give out personal loans of up to 12-years.

Is a personal loan for education worth it?

Determining whether a personal loan for education is worth it or not depends on your individual situation. Does your degree program not qualify for traditional educational financing? Have you already exhausted all other financing options and do you still have expenses leftover? Do you need to cover the cost of a new computer or some specialized equipment to help you complete your schoolwork? There are many instances where a personal loan for educational expenses is worth it. Whether it is worth it to you, is entirely based on your situation.

Where can I get a personal loan for education online?

One of the best places to shop for personal loans for education is online. Students can access multiple personal loan offers all from the comfort of their own home. As a student, you are probably juggling work, life, and school, which can leave you with a thinly stretched schedule. At Acorn Finance you can check personal loan offers from top national lenders without impacting your credit score. Once approved, funds can be used for just about anything you need.

Why choose Acorn Finance for personal loans?

Acorn Finance is a leading platform for checking personal loan offers. Acorn Finance has top national lending partners that want to compete for your business. Using our secure platform you can check offers between $1,000 to $100,000 without impacting your credit score. Once you have reviewed offers you can select the one you see most fit and proceed with the lender of your choice.

Discover affordable personal loans for education. . . check offers today!