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 term that allows you to find a loan that matches your budget.
Pros
Strong customer experience- Competitive interest rates
- Offers flexible repayment plans to match monthly payments to your budget
- Choose your loan term
- Allows a six-month grace period on undergraduate loans
- Available to international, community college, and part-time students
Cons
Strict cosigner release policy- Unclear forbearance policy
Best Features of College Ave Student Loans
Strong customer experience
From loan application to loan disbursement and beyond, College Ave’s borrowing experience is done entirely online. The lender also offers excellent customer service that is available through email, chat, and phone. If you’re comfortable with an entirely virtual experience, College Ave’s seamless online borrowing process is a huge benefit.
Competitive interest rates and zero fees for qualified borrowers
When looking for a student loan, finding a low interest rate is typically a top priority. If you qualify for a College Ave student loan, you’ll have access to some of the best rates in the industry. College Ave’s variable and fixed interest rates are typically lower than competing student lenders. In addition, you won’t have to pay origination fees, application fees, prepayment penalties, late fees, or insufficient funds fees.
Offers flexible repayment plans to match monthly payments to your budget
While still in school, College Ave offers you four repayment options for your student loans, with terms ranging from 5, 8, 10, or 15 years for undergraduate loans, and up to 20 years on some graduate loans. If possible, it’s beneficial to make in-school loan payments in order to reduce the amount of interest you pay over time.
Repayment Option
Terms
Pros
Cons
Immediate Repayment
Make full payments as soon as the loan is disbursed, while you’re still in school.
You will minimize the interest you pay, resulting in the greatest savings. Because you’re paying down both interest and principal while you’re still in school, you’ll already have made a good start on repaying your loan by the time you graduate.
For many students, it’s not realistic to make full monthly payments while still enrolled in college.
Interest-Only Repayment
Pay only interest while you’re in school
Your monthly payments will be more manageable, and your loan balance won’t grow while you’re in school.
You won’t make any progress paying down your loan balance while you’re a student. But at least you won’t owe more than you borrowed when it’s time to start making full payments.
Partial Repayment
Pay $25 per month while you’re in school to reduce accrued interest.
You can keep your loan balance in check, and reduce the total amount repaid.
You’ll still owe more than you borrowed when you graduate, but your loan balance won’t grow as quickly.
Deferred Repayment
Don’t make any payments while you’re in school. Begin repayment after your grace period ends.
You won’t have to make payments while you’re in school
You will likely pay the highest overall cost since unpaid interest will be added to your principal amount at the end of your grace period.
Note: Parents borrowing on behalf of students are limited to interest only and immediate repayment options.
You can choose your loan term
College Ave prides itself on allowing you to choose from a wide range of loan terms (5, 8, 10, or 15 years on undergraduate loans; up to 20 years on some graduate loans) to make repayment as easy as possible. If you are looking for a lender that offers flexibility to match your monthly payments to your budget, College Ave is an excellent option for you.
Allows a six-month grace period
After you are no longer in school at least half-time – because you’ve graduated, left school, or dropped below half-time enrollment – you have a grace period before you begin making full principal and interest monthly payments. The grace period is six months for College Ave undergraduate loans.
Available to international, community college, and part-time students
Beyond offering loans to undergraduate, graduate, professional, and career school students, and parents of students, College Ave also offers student loans to international, community college, and part-time students.
International students: As long as you have a Social Security number and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosigner, you’re eligible to apply for a student loan through College Ave. (If you don’t have a Social Security number and/or a cosigner, consider MPOWER or Prodigy Finance, which do not require a cosigner on student loans for international students.)
Community college students: Unlike some other private lenders, College Ave offers student loans to borrowers pursuing a career program.
Part-time students: While most private lenders require borrowers to be enrolled at least half-time, College Ave makes its loans available to part-time students seeking a degree at eligible schools.
The latest rates from Sparrow’s partners
If you want to skip pre-qualification and apply directly with a lender, you can do so by clicking Apply below.
Drawbacks of College Ave Student Loans
Strict cosigner release policy
According to College Ave, 93% of all student loans are cosigned. This means that the cosigner (often a parent) will be responsible for repaying the loan in the event that you cannot. Given the prevalence of cosigned loans, it would be nice to see College Ave offer more flexibility with cosigner release (i.e. taking the cosigner’s name off the loan and removing the cosigner’s responsibility to pay). As of now, College Ave has a strict cosigner release policy that is only available for borrowers who meet the following criteria:
- The borrower must be a U.S. citizen
- More than half of the repayment period has elapsed
- The most recent 24 consecutive payments were made on-time
- The borrower has earned income for the previous two years that is more than twice the outstanding balance
- The borrower’s credit report shows no late payments on any other obligations for the past 24 months
This means that for a standard 10-year repayment term, the borrower would need to make at least 5 years of payments before the cosigner is released — this is a longer term than other lenders require to release a cosigner. Given that many borrowers benefit by including a cosigner on their loan, it’s important that you and your cosigner are well-aware of College Ave’s strict cosigner release policy.
Unclear forbearance policy
While College Ave does offer up to 12 months of forbearance (a pause on your repayment due to financial hardship, unemployment, or a disability), it is unclear who qualifies and under what circumstances. Although many borrowers don’t end up needing forbearance, it can be a helpful safety net if you were to fall into financial hardship.
If you find yourself in need of forbearance, call College Ave’s loan servicer, University Accounting Services (UAS), to check your eligibility. UAS awards this forbearance on a case-by-case basis, unlike other lenders with more definitive and transparent practices.
College Ave Eligibility Criteria, Repayment Options & More
Fees and Terms
Loan Terms
5, 8, 10, or 15 years for undergraduate loans; up to 20 years on some graduate loans*
Loan Amounts
$1,000 up to cost of attendance
Application or Origination Fee
No
Prepayment Penalty
No
Late Fees
Yes (If payment is not made within 15 days of the due date, the late fee is either 5% of the unpaid amount of the monthly payment or $25.)
Eligibility Requirements (Financial)
Minimum Credit Score
Mid 600s
Minimum Income
Did not disclose.
Typical Credit Score of Approved Borrowers or Cosigners
Mid 700s
Typical Income of Approved Borrower
About $65,000 per year.
Typical Income of Approved Cosigner
About $120,000 per year.
Maximum Debt-to-Income Ratio
Can be up to 80% in some cases, but depends on credit characteristics.
Ability to qualify if you’ve filed for bankruptcy
No
Eligibility Requirements (Personal)
Citizenship
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. International students are eligible if applying with a cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. DACA borrowers are eligible with a valid social security number.
Location
Available to borrowers in all 50 states.
Must be enrolled half-time or more
No
School requirements
Borrowers must be enrolled in a degree-granting program at an eligible school.
Percentage of borrowers who have a cosigner
Did not disclose.
Repayment Options
Immediate Repayment
Make full payments as soon as the loan is disbursed, while you’re in school.
Interest-only Repayment
Only pay interest while you’re in school.
Partial Repayment
Pay $25 a month during school.
Deferred Repayment
Wait to make payments until you’re out of school.
Grace period
6 months for undergraduates, 9 months for graduate students.
Grace period extension
Yes, up to 6 additional months.
In-school Deferment
Yes.
Military Deferment
Yes.
Forbearance
Up to 18 months available, in 3 or 6-month increments.
Natural disaster forbearance
Borrowers can postpone payments if they’re involved in a natural disaster, as determined by FEMA.
Cosigner Release
Yes (requires timely repayments of at least half of the loan term).
Death or Disability Discharge
Yes, if the borrower dies or suffers a permanent disability.
Loan discharge if cosigner dies or becomes disabled
No.
Autopay
Allows for surplus payments via autopay: Yes.
Allows for biweekly payments via autopay: Yes.
Customer Service
Loan Servicer
University Accounting Services (UAS).
In-house Customer Service Team
Yes (call center staffed by a third-party company).
Process for Escalating Concerns
Yes.
Borrowers get assigned a personal customer service representative
No.
Average time from application to approval
3 minutes.
Student loan rates from our partners
Ascent
Ascent’s undergraduate and graduate student loans are funded by Bank of Lake Mills, or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations; and terms and conditions may apply. For Ascent Terms and Conditions please visit: www.AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Rates are effective as of 11/1/2024 and reflect an automatic payment discount of either 0.25% (for credit-based loans) OR 1.00% (for undergraduate outcomes-based loans). Automatic Payment Discount is available if the borrower is enrolled in automatic payments from their personal checking account and the amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. For Ascent rates and repayment examples please visit: AscentFunding.com/Rates. 1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. Cosigned Credit-Based Loan student must meet certain minimum credit criteria. The minimum score required is subject to change and may depend on the credit score of your cosigner. Lowest rates require full
principal and interest payments, the shortest loan term, a cosigner, and are only available for our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores. Actual APR offered may be higher or lower than the repayment examples above, based on the amount of time you spend in school and any grace period you have before repayment begins.
Ascent’s undergraduate and graduate student loans are funded by Bank of Lake Mills, or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations; and terms and conditions may apply. For Ascent Terms and Conditions please visit: www.AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Rates are effective as of 11/1/2024 and reflect an automatic payment discount of either 0.25% (for credit-based loans) OR 1.00% (for undergraduate outcomes-based loans). Automatic Payment Discount is available if the borrower is enrolled in automatic payments from their personal checking account and the amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. For Ascent rates and repayment examples please visit: AscentFunding.com/Rates. 1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. Cosigned Credit-Based Loan student must meet certain minimum credit criteria. The minimum score required is subject to change and may depend on the credit score of your cosigner. Lowest rates require full
principal and interest payments, the shortest loan term, a cosigner, and are only available for our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores. Actual APR offered may be higher or lower than the repayment examples above, based on the amount of time you spend in school and any grace period you have before repayment begins.
LendKey
1 – Terms and Conditions Apply
Loan products, terms, and benefits may be modified or discontinued by participating lenders at any time without notice. Rates displayed are reserved for the most creditworthy consumers who enroll to make automatic monthly payments. Your initial rate will be determined after a review of your application and credit profile. Variable rates may increase after consummation. You must be either a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident in an eligible state and from an eligible school, and meet the lender’s credit and income requirements to qualify for a loan. Certain membership requirements (including the opening of a share account, a minimum share account deposit, and the payment of any applicable association fees in connection with membership) may apply in the event that an applicant wishes to apply with, and accept a loan offered from, a credit union lender. If you are not a member of the credit union lender, you may apply and become a member during the loan application process if you meet the lender’s eligibility criteria. Applying with a creditworthy cosigner may result in a better chance of loan approval and/or lower interest rate. Loans for exam preparation classes, including, but not limited to, loans for LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE preparation, are not available via LendKey.com.
2 – Cosigner Release
Some lenders participating on LendKey.com may offer the benefit of cosigner release. Cosigner release is subject to lender approval. In order to qualify, the borrower, alone, must meet the following requirements: (1) Make the required number of consecutive, on-time full principal and interest payments as indicated in the borrower’s credit agreement during the repayment period (excluding interest-only payments) immediately prior to the request. Any period of forbearance will reset the repayment clock; (2) The account cannot be in delinquent status; (3) The borrower must provide proof of income indicating that he/she meets the income requirements and pass a credit review demonstrating that he/she has a satisfactory credit history and the ability to assume full responsibility of loan repayment; (4) No bankruptcies or foreclosures in the last sixty months; and (5) No loan defaults.
3 – Autopay Rate Reduction
Subject to floor rate and may require the automatic payments be made from a checking or savings account with the lender. The rate reduction will be removed and the rate will be increased by 0.25% upon any cancellation or failed collection attempt of the automatic payment and will be suspended during any period of deferment or forbearance. As a result, during the forbearance or suspension period, and/or if the automatic payment is canceled, any increase will take the form of higher payments.
4 – AutoPay Discount & Lowest Interest Rate
Subject to floor rate and may require the automatic payments be made from a checking or savings account with the lender. The rate reduction will be removed and the rate will be increased by 0.25% upon any cancellation or failed collection attempt of the automatic payment and will be suspended during any period of deferment or forbearance. As a result, during the forbearance or suspension period, and/or if the automatic payment is canceled, any increase will take the form of higher payments. The lowest advertised APR is only available for loan terms of 10 years and is reserved for the highest qualified applicants, taking into consideration the applicant’s credit and other factors.
1 – Terms and Conditions Apply
Loan products, terms, and benefits may be modified or discontinued by participating lenders at any time without notice. Rates displayed are reserved for the most creditworthy consumers who enroll to make automatic monthly payments. Your initial rate will be determined after a review of your application and credit profile. Variable rates may increase after consummation. You must be either a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident in an eligible state and from an eligible school, and meet the lender’s credit and income requirements to qualify for a loan. Certain membership requirements (including the opening of a share account, a minimum share account deposit, and the payment of any applicable association fees in connection with membership) may apply in the event that an applicant wishes to apply with, and accept a loan offered from, a credit union lender. If you are not a member of the credit union lender, you may apply and become a member during the loan application process if you meet the lender’s eligibility criteria. Applying with a creditworthy cosigner may result in a better chance of loan approval and/or lower interest rate. Loans for exam preparation classes, including, but not limited to, loans for LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE preparation, are not available via LendKey.com.
2 – Cosigner Release
Some lenders participating on LendKey.com may offer the benefit of cosigner release. Cosigner release is subject to lender approval. In order to qualify, the borrower, alone, must meet the following requirements: (1) Make the required number of consecutive, on-time full principal and interest payments as indicated in the borrower’s credit agreement during the repayment period (excluding interest-only payments) immediately prior to the request. Any period of forbearance will reset the repayment clock; (2) The account cannot be in delinquent status; (3) The borrower must provide proof of income indicating that he/she meets the income requirements and pass a credit review demonstrating that he/she has a satisfactory credit history and the ability to assume full responsibility of loan repayment; (4) No bankruptcies or foreclosures in the last sixty months; and (5) No loan defaults.
3 – Autopay Rate Reduction
Subject to floor rate and may require the automatic payments be made from a checking or savings account with the lender. The rate reduction will be removed and the rate will be increased by 0.25% upon any cancellation or failed collection attempt of the automatic payment and will be suspended during any period of deferment or forbearance. As a result, during the forbearance or suspension period, and/or if the automatic payment is canceled, any increase will take the form of higher payments.
4 – AutoPay Discount & Lowest Interest Rate
Subject to floor rate and may require the automatic payments be made from a checking or savings account with the lender. The rate reduction will be removed and the rate will be increased by 0.25% upon any cancellation or failed collection attempt of the automatic payment and will be suspended during any period of deferment or forbearance. As a result, during the forbearance or suspension period, and/or if the automatic payment is canceled, any increase will take the form of higher payments. The lowest advertised APR is only available for loan terms of 10 years and is reserved for the highest qualified applicants, taking into consideration the applicant’s credit and other factors.
Earnest
Student Loan Origination (Private Student Loan) Interest Rate Disclosure:
Student Loan Origination (Private Student Loan) Interest Rate Disclosure:
College Ave
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
(1) All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation.
(2) As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000.
(3) This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.
Information advertised valid as of 11/1/2024. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
(1) All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation.
(2) As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000.
(3) This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.
Information advertised valid as of 11/1/2024. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.
College Ave FAQs
Is College Ave a legitimate lender?
Yes, College Ave is a legitimate lender that has been providing student loans since 2014. The company offers private student loans to undergraduates, graduate students, and parents, as well as student loan refinancing.
Is College Ave available in all 50 states?
Yes.
How long does it take to get a College Ave student loan?
Submitting an application through College Ave takes a few minutes. Once you’ve submitted your loan application, College Ave will instantaneously return a decision about your eligibility. If you qualify, you will receive the rate and terms of your loan.
It may take some time to actually receive your loan. College Ave estimates that the certification process takes around ten days.
Your school must approve the loan which may take between four to six weeks.
What happens if I don’t qualify for a College Ave student loan?
If you don’t qualify for a College Ave student loan, the company will inform you why. Depending on the reason, you may consider applying with a qualified cosigner or trying with a different lender. To check your rates across multiple lenders at once, try using Sparrow’s free search engine. In just two minutes, you can receive real, personalized offers from over 15 different lenders ready to help you. And best of all, it won’t impact your credit score.
Are College Ave student loans federal or private?
College Ave loans are private loans. Before you take on a private loan, we recommend that you exhaust your federal loan options.
Does applying for a loan through College Ave hurt my credit score?
College Ave offers a prequalification tool which utilizes “a soft credit check” – this does not affect your credit score – which can help you understand if your credit qualifies and what interest rates you can expect. If you choose to apply for a student loan with College Ave, the company will conduct a hard credit check to verify your information. A hard credit check may temporarily impact your credit score.