SoFi Blog

Launching a startup always feels somewhat risky. Launching a startup when you have student loan debt to pay? That can feel downright dangerous.

Elena Lucas knows the feeling well. Despite owing what she calls “Monopoly money” worth of college and graduate school debt, Lucas turned down a secure position with a large solar company to co-found UtilityAPI, a renewable energy software company. “It was a leap of faith,” she remembers, “but I had to give it a go.”

Name: Melissa Stanton

Locale: Norfolk, VA

Alma Maters: Michigan State University and Eastern Virginia Medical School

By Day: Physician’s Assistant

By Night: Marketing, Promotions, Accounting, Retail

SoFi Member Since: 2015

SoFi Savings: ~$12,600 on a 7 Year Student Loan Refi

It’s that time of year. News has been abuzz with college acceptances—from Brittany who wrote a kickass personal statement (about Costco) to Kelly who got into all eight ivy league schools.

As the (you did it!) letters roll in, we’re sharing some stats that might help the soon-to-be-undergrads make a decision about where to go.

Name: Joe Lakier

Locale: Brooklyn, NY

Alma Maters: Wayne State University Law School (JD); University of Florida (LLM)

By Day: Manager/Fraud Investigator at EY

SoFi Member Since: 2015

Total independence isn’t easy. But for Joe Lakier, a law school grad and solo backpacking junkie, self-sufficiency has always been essential. So when he found himself strapped with six figures worth of student loan debt, Joe sought a solution to free up his finances. See how SoFi partnered up with his company to make sure he was back in control.  

Big news: We’ve now funded over $1 billion in student loan refinancing to borrowers through our corporate partners (i.e. companies like Microsoft, Workday, and more).

What’s better? We’ve made student loan assistance a benefit for our own employees. Which means we’re helping them pay down student loan debt with $200 a month.