SoFi Blog

A Better Student Loan Option, With a Maximum Fixed Interest Rate of 6.49% (6.38% APR)*, Ready on a First-Come, First-Served Basis

San Francisco, Calif., – July 18, 2012 – SoFi, a next generation social finance company that harnesses the power of a school’s alumni to offer students a better deal on student loans, is now offering its unique community-based student loans for the upcoming academic year. SoFi offers qualified students a more affordable option to finance school, with fixed-rate student loans at a maximum interest rate of 6.49% (6.38% APR)*, zero origination fees, market-leading benefits and the ability to refinance into a 5.99% (5.99% APR)*** rate after graduating and signing up for automatic ach payments.

“The current student loan system is just plain broken,” said SoFi CEO Mike Cagney. “Students and their parents are having to borrow more at rates that are way too high. We’re working with alumni to create a better option for students, particularly for students who don’t qualify for subsidized loans or may need financing beyond the federal Stafford loan limits. By looking to members of the university community, rather than to the government or the big banks, we think SoFi finally gives these students a much better deal than federal loans at 7.9% or private loans that can top 10%. For a lot of borrowers, SoFi is an easy way to save a lot of money without having to sacrifice many of the appealing benefits of the federal student loan system.”

Features of new SoFi alumni-funded student loans for the 2012-13 academic year include:

— 6.49% fixed rate (6.38% APR)* if you choose to defer payments while in school.

— 6.24% fixed rate (6.24% APR)** if you choose to make payments while in school and sign up for automatic ach payments.

— Refinance into a 5.99% fixed rate (5.99% APR)*** when you graduate and sign up for auto ach payments.

— Matches most benefits of the federal loan program, including a 6 month grace period after graduation; non-standard repayment options such as income-based and extended repayment; deferment and forbearance for economic hardship and other defined circumstances; cancellation upon death or disability. Innovative program also gives borrowers the opportunity to seek loan forgiveness from participating alumni for teaching, public interest work, entrepreneurial efforts or other reasons.

— In-school education deferrals available up to 60 months.****

— Membership in an online community of SoFi students and alumni to facilitate career advice, professional networking and loan assistance.

— Easy online loan application process.

Beginning today, individuals enrolled for the 2012-13 academic year as undergraduate students or as graduate business students at participating colleges and universities can apply online at SoFi.com. While SoFi plans to expand its program to additional campuses, the program is now available at the following schools for MBAs and undergraduate students:

— Babson College

— Boston College

— Boston University

— Brigham Young University

— Brown University

— Carnegie Mellon University

— College of William & Mary

— Columbia University

— Cornell University

— Dartmouth College

— Duke University

— Emory University

— Georgetown University

— George Washington University

— Harvard University

— Lehigh University

— Massachusetts Institute of Technology

— New York University

— Northwestern University

— Purdue University

— Santa Clara University

— Stanford University

— Tufts University

— University of California, Berkeley

— University of California, Davis

— University of California, Irvine

— University of California, Los Angeles

— University of California, Riverside

— University of California, San Diego

— University of California, Santa Barbara

— University of Chicago

— University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign

— University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

— University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

— University of Notre Dame

— University of Pennsylvania

— University of Rochester

— University of Southern California

— University of Utah

— University of Virginia

— University of Wisconsin

— Vanderbilt University

— Virginia Polytechnic Institute

— Wake Forest University

— Yale University

For a limited time, students may save even more by taking advantage of SoFi’s $100/$100 summer savings referral program. The $100/$100 program saves borrowers even more on their student loans when they help expand SoFi’s social network with friends and family referrals.***** Click here for complete details of the company’s policy, which benefits both referred and referring SoFi borrowers.

About SoFi

Founded in 2011, SoFi offers community-based lending and student loan consolidation programs to MBA, graduate and undergraduate students at US universities. Deepening the relationships between student borrowers and alumni investors, SoFi is a place where social meets finance.

Please note that:

* 6.38% APR Assumes a $10,000 loan with a 22 month in-school deferment, 6 month grace period, monthly payments, no origination fee, capitalization of accrued interest upon entering repayment and a 15 year repayment term.

** 6.24% APR Assumes a $10,000 loan, borrower begins making monthly interest-only or interest and principal payments immediately with auto ach, 15 year repayment term and no origination fee. Does not include any discounts.

*** 5.99% APR requires borrower to have graduated and sign up for automatic ACH payments. Assumes a $10,000 loan, 15 year repayment term, no origination fee, and beginning monthly repayment 30 days after loan origination.

**** Direct Loans and other private loans may offer benefits not offered by SoFi. Please carefully consider all your options. Click here for information about federal loan benefits.

***** SoFi $100/$100 policy will provide $100 toward a borrowers outstanding SoFi loan for each new SoFi borrower referred. Additionally, any borrower referred by an existing SoFi borrower will also receive $100 toward his/her SoFi loan payment. Terms and conditions apply.

Terms and Conditions Apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and meet underwriting requirements. Your APR may increase or decrease based on your own circumstances. You will receive a customized APR estimate during the application process. This information is current as of July 15, 2012 and is subject to change. SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp (dba SoFi) California Finance Lender #6054612.

SoFi ReFi Program Is Now Available at 27 Schools 

In May we introduced the first phase of SoFi ReFi, our graduate loan refinancing program, to five schools: the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, MIT’s Sloan School of Business, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business and worked closely with the alumni community at these schools to get the program up and running. The first few months have gone well and we’ve had a great response from both students and alumni to the program.

Many Business School Graduates Can Save Thousands By Refinancing Existing Student Loans With SoFi ReFi

The more you learn about the student loan market, the more you realize how broken the system really is. There are horror stories about companies suing parents whose children have died before repaying their student loans. Others tell tales of loan companies being totally inflexible and demanding full payment even when a borrower has hit a temporary rough patch.