How Can You Help Your Children With Their Student Loan Payments?
Your kids are planning ahead for college. While this is probably a very exciting moment, you should also consider what’s the right way to go about it financially.
In the academic year of 2019-20, families spent an average of $30,017 on college, according to Sallie Mae. This may be more challenging than you thought. Even kids who do work hard to earn money and get scholarships, grants, and government loans, may come up short.
Like most parents, you want your kids to reach their goals, and some goals require a college education. The question is, what’s the ideal way to fund it? One way is by co-signing on a private loan with your child.
Co-Sign a Loan
Once your child has exhausted the possibilities of scholarships, grants and federal student loans, they may turn to private student loans. Most students don’t qualify for private student or other loans at low rates on their own. Students who have just graduated from high school generally don’t have the income and credit scores lenders require. However, if you co-sign, lenders will usually be able to offer you a loan - promising that if your child doesn’t pay as promised, you will.
Pros: Co-signing can help your child get a private loan that he or she wouldn’t have qualified for alone. If the payments are made as agreed, the loan in good standing can bolster your credit score.
Cons: You must make the loan payments if your child doesn’t. If your child files for bankruptcy, the debt transfers to you. You may even have to pay if your child becomes disabled or dies, depending on the terms of the contract.
Even if your child does not default, your credit is affected by the fact that you cosigned on a loan. The credit check for loan application will create a small, temporary dip of 5 to 10 points in your score. That’s probably not a problem unless you are planning to apply for a mortgage or other credit immediately. The co-signed loan will also show as debt on your credit report, increasing your debt load and your debt-to-available-credit ratio. And if the loan goes into default, your score will suffer.
Disclaimers
† Credible Terms and Conditions:
Credible is so confident in the personal loan rates you’ll find on Credible, we’ll give you $200 if you find and close with a better rate elsewhere. See full terms and conditions.
Splash Financial Disclaimer:
*Terms and Conditions apply. Splash reserves the right to modify or discontinue products and benefits at any time without notice. Products may not be available in all states. Rates and terms are subject to change at any point prior to application submission. The information you provide is an inquiry to determine whether Splash’s lending partners can make you a loan offer. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or other eligible status and meet lender underwriting requirements. Lowest rates are reserved for the highest qualified borrowers and may require an autopay discount of 0.25%. Splash does not guarantee that you will receive any loan offers or that your loan application will be approved. If approved, your actual rate will be within a range of rates and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, creditworthiness, income and other factors. This information is current as of September 22, 2025. You should review the benefits of your federal student loan; it may offer specific benefits that a private refinance/consolidation loan may not offer. If you work in the public sector, are in the military or taking advantage of a federal department of relief program, such as income-based repayment or public service forgiveness, you may not want to refinance, as these benefits do not transfer to private refinance/consolidation loans.
Fixed APR: Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the cost of credit calculating the interest rate, loan amount, repayment term and the timing of payments. Fixed rate options range from 4.25% (with autopay) to 10.24% (without autopay) and will vary based on application terms and level of degree.
Variable APR: Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the cost of credit calculating the interest rate, loan amount, repayment term and the timing of payments. Variable rate options range from 4.86% to 10.74% (without autopay) and will vary based on application terms and level of degree. Variable APRs and amounts subject to increase or decrease.
**Repayment examples are for illustrative purposes only. Loans feature repayment terms of 5 to 20 years. For example, if you receive a $10,000 loan with a 15-year repayment term and an 8.50% APR, you would have a required monthly payment of $98.47. Late payments or subsequent charges and fees may increase the cost of your loan.
See additional disclaimers at: https://www.splashfinancial.com/disclaimers/Splash Financial, Inc. (NMLS #1630038), licensed by the DFPI under California Financing Law, license # 60DBO-102545
SoFi Student Loan Refinance Disclaimer:
Fixed rates range from 4.24% APR to 9.99% APR with 0.25% autopay discount and 0.125% SoFi Plus discount. Variable rates range from 6.49% APR to 10.49% APR with 0.25% autopay discount and 0.125% SoFi Plus discount. Unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law, Variable Interest rates will never exceed 13.95% (the maximum rate for these loans). SoFi rate ranges are current as of 3/18/26 and are subject to change at any time. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on the term you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, presence of a co-signer and a variety of other factors. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For the SoFi variable-rate product, the variable interest rate for a given month is derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001). APRs for variable-rate loans may increase after origination if the SOFR index increases. You may pay more interest over the life of the loan if you refinance with an extended term.
Autopay Discount: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly payments as outlined in your loan agreement by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. This benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. When the autopay interest rate deduction is added or removed, the next time the loan is re-amortized (quarterly for fixed rate loans; monthly for variable rate loans),the principal balance of your loan will be spread over the remaining loan term, and your monthly payment amount will change. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment, grace period, or forbearance. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.
SoFi Plus Discount: To be eligible to receive an additional (0.125%) interest rate reduction on your Student Loan Refinancing (your "Loan") for enrolling in SoFi Plus, you must enroll in SoFi Plus within 30 days of Loan funding, either by receiving an Eligible Direct Deposit to your SoFi Checking and Savings account, or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. Once eligible, you will receive this discount during periods in which you have received Eligible Direct Deposit to your SoFi Checking and Savings Account, or during periods in which SoFi successfully receives payment of the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. This discount lowers your interest rate but does not change the amount of your regular monthly payment. This discount will be removed during periods in which SoFi determines you have turned off Eligible Direct Deposit to your Checking and Savings account or in which you have not paid the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this interest rate reduction offer for unenrolled participants at any time without notice. You are not required to enroll in Eligible Direct Deposit or to pay the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee to be eligible for Loan approval.
Eligible Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Eligible Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-Day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Although we do our best to recognize all Eligible Direct Deposits, a small number of employers, payroll providers, benefits providers, or government agencies do not designate payments as direct deposit. To ensure you’re receiving the Student Loan Refinance discount, we encourage you to check your SoFi Plus status in the Membership & Rewards Center the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit arrives. If your SoFi Plus status is not reflected in the Membership & Rewards Center, contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. As long as SoFi Bank can validate those details, you will start receiving the Student Loan Refinance discount from the date you contact SoFi for the rest of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period. You will also be eligible for the Student Loan Refinance discount on future Eligible Direct Deposits, as long as SoFi Bank can validate them. Deposits that are not from an employer, payroll or benefits provider, or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Eligible Direct Deposit activity. SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Eligible Direct Deposit activity to determine eligibility and may require additional documentation to complete this verification. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. SoFi Plus member benefits will be lost during periods in which the customer has turned off Eligible Direct Deposit into their account. If you are a joint account holder of a SoFi Checking and Savings account and either you or your joint account holder receives Eligible Direct Deposit into your SoFi Checking and Savings account, then you will be eligible for all SoFi Plus benefits, including on accounts you hold in your own name.
Terms and conditions apply. SoFi Refinance Student Loans are private loans. When you refinance federal loans with a SoFi loan, YOU FOREFEIT YOUR EILIGIBILITY FOR ALL FEDERAL LOAN BENEFITS, including all flexible federal repayment and forgiveness options that are or may become available to federal student loan borrowers including, but not limited to: Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, extended repayment plans, PAYE or SAVE. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Learn more at SoFi.com/eligiblity. SoFi Refinance Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).
*Earnest Disclaimer:
Earnest allows you to refinance incomplete bachelor's or associate's degrees if:
- Your last attending date was over 6 years ago
- Your credit score is 700+
- The school you attended was not a for-profit school
1. Interest Rate Disclosure: Actual rate will vary based on your financial profile. Fixed annual percentage rates (APR) range from 4.40% APR to 10.24% APR (4.15% – 9.99% with .25% auto pay discount). Variable annual percentage rates (APR) range from 6.13% APR to 10.24% APR (5.88% – 9.99% with .25% auto pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan refinance loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once a month, but there is no limit on the amount that the rate could increase at one time. Please note, we are not able to offer variable rate loans in AK, IL, MN, MS, NH, OH, TN, and TX. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and requires selection of our shortest term offered and enrollment in our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. Enrolling in autopay is not required as a condition for approval.
2. AutoPay Discount Disclosure: You can take advantage of the Auto Pay interest rate reduction by setting up and maintaining active and automatic ACH withdrawal of your loan payment from a checking or savings account. The interest rate reduction for Auto Pay will be available only while your loan is enrolled in Auto Pay. Interest rate incentives for utilizing Auto Pay may not be combined with certain private student loan repayment programs that also offer an interest rate reduction. For multi-party loans, only one party may enroll in Auto Pay.
Lender Identification Footnote: Earnest Loans are made by Earnest Operations LLC. Earnest Operations LLC, NMLS #1204917. 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 340, Oakland, CA 94612. California Financing Law License 6054788. Visit www.earnest.com/licenses for a full list of licensed states. For California residents: Loans will be arranged or made pursuant to a California Financing Law License.
Earnest student refinance loans are serviced by Earnest Operations LLC with support from Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri (MOHELA) (NMLS# 1442770). Earnest LLC and its subsidiaries, including Earnest Operations LLC, are not sponsored by agencies of the United States of America.
© 2026 Earnest LLC. All rights reserved.
NaviRefi Disclaimer:
You can choose between fixed and variable rates. Fixed interest rates are 5.21% - 9.99% APR (4.96% - 9.74% APR with Auto Pay discount). Starting variable interest rates are 5.97% - 9.99% APR (5.72% - 9.74% APR with Auto Pay discount). Variable rates are based on an index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus a margin. Variable rates are reset monthly based on the fluctuation of the index. We do not currently offer variable rate loans in AK, CO, CT, HI, IL, KY, MA, MN, MS, NH, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, and VA.
Loan cost examples: These examples provide estimates based on payments beginning immediately upon loan disbursement. Variable APR: A $10,000 loan with a 20-year term (240 monthly payments of $85) and a 8.24% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $20,434. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed APR: A $10,000 loan with a 20-year term (240 monthly payments of $85) and a 8.24% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $20,434. Your actual repayment terms may vary.
Nelnet Disclaimer:
Lowest rates listed include an interest rate reduction for eligible applications, enrollment in auto debit, and are available only to the most creditworthy applicants. Advertised variable rates reflect the starting range of rates and may increase over the life of the loan.
Fixed interest rates range from 6.35% APR (with auto debit discount) to 9.99% APR (without auto debit discount). Your interest rate will depend on your (and if applicable, your cosigner’s) credit qualifications. The fixed interest rate will remain the same for the life of the loan.
Variable interest rates range from 6.35% APR (with auto debit discount) to 10.42% APR (without auto debit discount). Variable rates for Nelnet Bank Refinance Loans are calculated using either (a) the One-Month SOFR; (b) the 30-day Average SOFR; or (c) the forward-looking term rate based on SOFR as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and/or The Wall Street Journal “Money Rates” table on the twenty-fifth day (or the next business day) of the immediately preceding calendar month. The variable rate may reprice and change on the first day of each month if the SOFR index changes. This may result in higher monthly payments. The current One-Month SOFR index is 3.67% as of March 9, 2026.
The lowest rate for each loan type requires automatically withdrawn (“auto debit”) payment. The lowest rate is available only to the most creditworthy applicants. Not all borrowers will receive the lowest rate. The interest rate and Annual Percentage Rate (APR) may be higher depending upon (1) the credit history of the borrower and, if applicable, the cosigner, (2) the repayment option and loan term selected, (3) the loan type selected, and (4) the highest level of education attained. If approved, applicants will be notified of the rate qualified for within the stated range.
Auto -Debit Disclosure: Interest rate reduction of .25% for automatically withdrawn payments from any designated bank account (“auto debit discount”). Auto debit discount applies when full payments (including both principal and interest) are automatically drafted from a bank account. The auto debit discount will continue to apply during periods of approved forbearance or deferment if the auto debit discount was in effect at the time of receiving the forbearance or deferment. Auto debit discount will remain on the account unless (1) the automatic deduction of payments is cancelled or (2) there are three consecutive automatic deductions returned for insufficient funds at any time during the term of the loan.
Statement: Offer of credit is subject to credit approval.
*Laurel Road Disclaimer:
Terms and Conditions Apply. Rates as of 01/09/2025. Rates subject to change and all products subject to credit approval.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Please note that if you refinance qualifying federal student loans with Laurel Road, you may no longer be eligible for certain federal benefits or programs and waive your right to future benefits or programs offered on those loans. Examples of benefits or programs you may not receive include, but are not limited to, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-driven Repayment plans, forbearance, or loan forgiveness. Please carefully consider your options when refinancing federal student loans and consult StudentAid.gov for the most current information.
Citizens Disclaimer:
1. Student Loan Rate Disclosure: Variable interest rates range from 5.49% - 10.46% (5.49% - 10.46% APR). Fixed interest rates range from 5.44% - 10.15% (5.44% - 10.15% APR).
2. Get My Rate: Selecting “Get My Rate” only requires a “soft credit pull” which does not affect your credit score. Submitting a full application will result in an inquiry on your credit report.
3. Citizens Undergraduate Booked Loans from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024 were 4 times more likely to be approved with a qualified cosigner.
4. Multi-Year Approval: Funds available for future use are subject to a soft credit inquiry at time of your next request to verify continued eligibility. After we make the initial Loan to you, you must continue to meet eligibility criteria to obtain additional funds under the Multi-Year Approval feature.
Terms and conditions are outlined in the promissory note. Multi-Year Approval borrowers have a 99% approval rate on future requests for additional funds. The additional funds approval rate is based on the percentage of approved Multi-Year borrowers from Citizens between October 1, 2023 and October 1, 2024. The approval rate represents only borrowers who had previously accepted the Multi-Year Approval offer. Please Note: International students are not eligible for Multi-Year Approval.
Get My Rate: Selecting “Get My Rate” only requires a "soft credit pull" which does not affect your credit score. Submitting a full application will result in an inquiry on your credit report.
THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY PAYMENT OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS OFFER.
