SoFi Blog

Tips and news—
for your financial moves.

What rate discounts do you offer?

You can get a 0.25% interest rate reduction when you sign up to make automated payments from your checking or savings account. Learn more about SoFi’s autopay discount on our repayment options and examples page.

If you are an existing SoFi Member, you could get an additional 0.125% interest reduction on your SoFi Private Student Loan.

If you have taken out a private student loan with SoFi before, we’ll give you a 0.125% discount automatically when you take out your new loan.

Find out more about SoFi’s Member Rate Discount eligibility requirements here.

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What options do I have for reducing the overall cost of my loan?

The faster you pay, the more you can save. For example, picking shorter loan terms can help you pay the loan off as quickly as possible. That can help you save on your overall interest charges, which helps reduce your total payments on your loan.

You can also get a 0.25% interest rate reduction when you sign up to make automated payments from your checking or savings account.

Learn more about SoFi’s autopay discount on our repayment options and examples page.

Repeat Borrower Discount: Members who have borrowed a private student loan from SoFi in the past qualify for a 0.125% interest rate reduction on new private student loans.**

*Existing eligible SoFi Members must either (1) be in good standing with their current and prior SoFi Home Loan, Personal Loan, Student Loan; (2)or maintain a minimum balance of $10,000 in their SoFi Invest account; (3) or have an open SoFi Money account with a minimum balance of $0; (3)and take out a new loan of a different product type than they currently have, can receive a 0.125% Interest Rate Discount on that new Personal or Student loan (home loans are not eligible for interest rate or auto pay discounts).
Existing eligible SoFi Members with a SoFi Personal Loan, Student Loan or who have a minimum balance of $50,000 in their SoFi Invest accounts at the time of application, can receive a one time $500 discount on SoFi’s $1,495 Home Loan Processing Fee on their first SoFi Home Loan. Based on regulatory requirements, the name of this fee may vary in certain states.
To be eligible for either of these discounts, member must be in good standing with their current and prior SoFi loans. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate either of these discounts at any time with or without notice. For complete terms and eligibility, please visit SoFi.com/legal#MemberRateDiscount.

**0.125% Return Borrower Rate Discount: Terms and conditions apply. Offer good for private student loan customers who have previously borrowed a private student loan from SoFi and are taking out a subsequent loan only, select a term and repayment type that is eligible for the discount, and is subject to lender approval. To receive the offer, you must: (1) complete a loan application with SoFi; (2) meet SoFi’s underwriting criteria. Once conditions are met and the loan has been disbursed, the interest rate shown in the Final Disclosure Statement will include an additional 0.125% rate discount because you have borrowed a private student loan from SoFi in the past. Offer good for existing private student loan borrowers only. Cannot be combined with other rate discounts, with the exception of the 0.25% AutoPay rate discount. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate the Rate Discount Program to unenrolled participants at any time with or without notice.

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Parent Student Loans


Parent Student Loans

Built to help you pay for
your child’s education.

SoFi student loans for parents (or sponsors) ensure you
have options. With competitive rates and zero required fees, our
parent college loans could help you pay the way for
your student’s education.


View your rate

Unlike with other lenders, viewing your rate with SoFi will NOT affect your credit score.



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Parent college loans made fast and easy.

SoFi’s parent student loans help parents (and sponsors!) pay for their student’s education without any fees or fuss. Paying for college can be confusing, but SoFi has the resources to guide you through it all.

  • All online. All easy.

    Finish your loan application 100% online in just a few minutes. Apply even faster for your next parent loan with our fast track application.

    Learn how simple it is to apply. →

  • No required fees. No fuss.

    When we say our college loans for parents have no fees, we really mean it. No origination fees, no late fees, no insufficient funds fees—zilch, zip, nada.

  • Competitive rates.

    With variable rates as low as 5.70% with autopay*, you can save more versus other private lenders.

    Find the rate that works for you. →

  • Exclusive member benefits.

    SoFi members can qualify for exclusive rate discounts.‡^ Plus get access to financial advisors, networking events, and more—all at no extra cost

  • Flexible loans.

    With multiple repayment options for parent loans, you can find the payment and rate plan that fits your budget.

    Learn how to repay your way. →

  • Use your SoFi Points to pay down your debt.

    You can redeem rewards points to pay down SoFi parent student loans. Earning rewards points is as easy as setting up bill pay, checking your credit score, and more.

    Learn how to get started. →

Parent student loan rates.

Fixed

3.87% – 16.73% APR*

with all discounts

Variable

5.70% – 16.73% APR*

with all discounts


Not sure which to choose?

Learn more.→

PRIVATE STUDENT LOANS

Earn and redeem points to pay down your SoFi student loan.

Now you can redeem your rewards points to pay down SoFi parent student loans, and earning rewards points is as easy as setting up bill pay, checking your credit score, and more. No need to pinch yourself—it really is that easy.


Learn more

For complete Member Rewards details, read our Terms of Service.

How do I apply for a parent
loan for college?

  1. 1

    Apply online in just minutes.

    Get the rate for your parent loan fast and find out if you’re pre-qualified before you even finish the full application.

  2. 2

    Select your rate and repayment option.

    Choose from fixed or variable rates. Then, select from the available repayment options.

  3. 3

    Sign and accept your loan.

    Upload screenshots of your info, sign your paperwork
    electronically, and voilà—your work is done!
    We’ll handle it from here.


View your rate

Repay your parent loan—your way.

Pick the parent loan repayment option that works for you and your budget.

Interest-only payments

Pay only interest payments while they’re in school.

• Reduces overall cost

Full immediate repayment

Make principal and interest payments as soon as the parent loan is completely disbursed.

• Lowest overall cost option


View repayment examples

Parents loans for college on
your terms.

You’ve got the choice of four different term options for parent student loans. Pick the rate and schedule
that feels right for you.

5-year

Interest: lowest, Monthly payment: highest, Time to pay off: lowest

7-year

Interest: mid low, Monthly payment: mid high, Time to pay off: mid low

10-year

Interest: mid high, Monthly payment: mid low, Time to pay off: mid high

15-year

Interest: highest, Monthly payment: lowest, Time to pay off: highest



View repayment examples



Start your application

Let’s find a loan that fits you.

Take a short quiz for a recommendation on a loan that meets your money needs now.


Parent Loan Resources

Got more questions about college loans for parents? Our online resource center covers parent loans and more with over 500 articles, budgeting tools, and guides.








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FAQs


What’s the difference between cosigning a loan for my student and taking out a parent student loan?
The key difference lies in who is taking responsibility for the loan. When you cosign, both parent and student are responsible for the loan. For a parent student loan, the parent takes full responsibility. Cosigning may help your student qualify for a lower rate and may help their chances of approval since they typically don’t have a credit history. On the other hand, a parent loan will have no impact on your student’s credit. Parent student loans also help reduce the debt burden on students.


What are the advantages of a private parent student loan versus a Parent PLUS loan?

Parent PLUS is a federal loan program with a generous deferment and forbearance availability and a less rigorous credit screen compared to most private loans. However, parents with strong credit and income may find much lower rates in the private loan market, especially after considering fees associated with Parent PLUS loans.



How much of my student’s education costs can a SoFi Private Student Loan cover?

SoFi Private Student Loans can cover up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance, which typically includes things like tuition and food, books and supplies, room and board, transportation and personal expenses. The minimum you can borrow is $1,000 (may be higher in specific states due to legal requirements—learn more here).


What information do I need to apply?

  • Social Security number or Tax Identification Number (TIN) are required from all borrowers all the time
  • Proof of income: You may be required to provide proof of income if SoFi is not able to validate it automatically. We could use something similar for gov’t id.
  • Government-issued ID
  • Student’s school information (student’s estimated graduation date and academic term)
  • Loan amount (how much you’d like to borrow)
  • Financial aid you expect to receive
  • Do you already have a private student loan with SoFi? We’ll use your past application to pre-fill as much information as possible in your new application




Does my student have to attend full-time to obtain a SoFi Private Student Loan?

No they don’t, but they must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at an eligible school and be attending classes at least half-time. Check out our full eligibility requirements to learn more.



When do my payments begin for the parent student loan?

If you choose the interest-only repayment option, your interest-only payments will begin 30-45 days after the loan is fully disbursed. Your full principal and interest payments will begin 30-45 days after the student has graduated or left school. If you choose the immediate repayment option, your full principal and interest payments will begin 30-45 days after the loan is fully disbursed.
The school determines the number of disbursements. The school may disburse the loan all at once, or they may divide the loan into multiple disbursements.


See more FAQs

Find your parent loan in minutes.


View your rate


Terms and Conditions Apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. SoFi Private Student loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, such as completion of a loan application and self-certification form, verification of application information, the student’s at least half-time enrollment in a degree program at a SoFi-participating school and, if applicable, a co-signer. In addition, borrowers must be U.S. citizens or other eligible status, be residing in the U.S., and must meet SoFi’s underwriting requirements, including verification of sufficient income to support your ability to repay. Minimum loan amount is $1,000. See SoFi.com/eligibility for more information. View payment examples. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change. This information is current as of 12/15/25 and is subject to change.

* Interest Rates: Eligibility and Important Details. Fixed rates range from 3.87% APR to 16.73% APR with all discounts. Variable rates range from 5.70% APR to 16.73% APR with all discounts. Unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law, Variable Interest rates are capped at 17.95%. SoFi rate ranges are current as of 6/1/23 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 and type of repayment option you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, presence of a co-signer (if applicable) and a variety of other factors. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Check out our eligibility criteria at https://www.sofi.com/eligibility-criteria/. 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. The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments 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. The benefit lowers your interest rate but does not change the amount of your monthly payment. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment and forbearance. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.



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Parent Student Loans Rates & Terms

Private Student Loan

Parent Rates & Terms



The following examples depict the term, APR, monthly payment amount, and total payments during the life of a $10,000 private student loan with a single disbursement. All student loan rates below are shown with the autopay discount (0.25%) and Direct Deposit discount (0.25%). SoFi does not charge application fees, origination fees, insufficient fund fees, or late fees, and there are no prepayment penalties. Enrolling in autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.

For variable rate loans, the variable interest rate is derived from the 30 day average SOFR index rate plus a margin of between 1.67% and 12.70%. The current 30 day average SOFR index rate is 4.03%. Changes in the 30 day average SOFR index rate may cause your monthly payment to increase or decrease. Interest rates for variable rate loans are capped at 17.95%, unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law.

If approved for a loan, the interest rate you receive will be within the ranges listed below, but will depend on a number of factors including: your loan term, your selected repayment type, your financial history, and other financial factors. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. If approved for a loan, to qualify for the lowest rate, you must have a responsible financial history and meet other conditions. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed below and will depend on a variety of factors, including evaluation of your credit worthiness, years of professional experience, income and other factors. State restrictions and other terms and conditions may apply.

How to read the repayment tables

For the tables below, the interest-only in-school repayment option assumes that your student remains in school for 4 years (the deferment period) before the loan term begins. The immediate repayment option assumes full payment begins 1 month after full disbursement.

SoFi reserves the right to change interest rates at any time and without notice. Such changes will only apply to applications begun after the effective date of the change. Calculations are estimates only.

Fixed Rate Loans


Repayment Type:

Immediate
Make principal and interest payments while student is in school

Term
(years)
APR Monthly payment amount
during deferment period
Monthly payment amount
during the loan term
Total of
Payments
5 3.87% – 16.73% N/A $183.58 – $247.08 $11,014.75 – $14,824.58
7 7.12% – 16.73% N/A $151.51 – $202.80 $12,727.18 – $17,035.26
10 7.17% – 16.73% N/A $116.99 – $172.09 $14,038.38 – $20,650.86
15 7.22% – 16.73% N/A $91.12 – $151.99 $16,401.11 – $27,358.37

Repayment Type:

Interest Only
Make only the interest payments while student is in school

Term
(years)
APR Monthly payment amount

during deferment period
Monthly payment amount

during the loan term
Total of
Payments
5 7.02% – 16.73% $58.50 – $139.42 $198.11 – $247.08 $14,694.38 – $21,516.58
7 7.22% – 16.73% $60.17 – $139.42 $152.00 – $202.80 $15,656.38 – $23,727.26
10 7.42% – 16.73% $61.83 – $139.42 $118.28 – $172.09 $17,162.16 – $27,342.86
15 7.72% – 16.73% $64.33 – $139.42 $93.96 – $151.99 $20,000.05 – $34,050.37

Variable Rate Loans


Repayment Type:

Immediate
Make principal and interest payments while student is in school

Term
(years)
APR Monthly payment amount

during deferment period
Monthly payment amount
during the loan term
Total of
Payments
5 5.70% – 16.73% N/A $191.94 – $247.08 $11,516.17 – $14,824.58
7 7.12% – 16.73% N/A $151.51 – $202.80 $12,727.18 – $17,035.26
10 7.17% – 16.73% N/A $116.99 – $172.09 $14,038.38 – $20,650.86
15 7.22% – 16.73% N/A $91.12 – $151.99 $16,401.11 – $27,358.37

Repayment Type:

Interest Only
Make only the interest payments while student is in school

Term
(years)
APR Monthly payment amount

during deferment period
Monthly payment amount

during the loan term
Total of
Payments
5 7.02% – 16.73% $58.50 – $139.42 $198.11 – $247.08 $14,694.38 – $21,516.58
7 7.22% – 16.73% $60.17 – $139.42 $152.00 – $202.80 $15,656.38 – $23,727.26
10 7.42% – 16.73% $61.83 – $139.42 $118.28 – $172.09 $17,162.16 – $27,342.86
15 7.72% – 16.73% $64.33 – $139.42 $93.96 – $151.99 $20,000.05 – $34,050.37

Private Student Loan variable rate loans for all terms are capped at 17.95%.

Rates in this table reflect prices as of 2025-12-15.

**Private Student Loan: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly payments by an automatic monthly deduction (ACH) from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. The discount will not reduce the monthly payment; instead, the discount is applied to the principal loan balance and is intended to help pay the loan down faster. Enrolling in autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.

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Hidden Costs of Buying a Home

You can see it now. You’re enjoying a leisurely brunch in the sun-soaked breakfast nook in your brand new home. It’s completely perfect, but just a daydream until you buy the house. Envisioning your life as a homeowner is exciting, full of promise and anticipation.

Finding your next home and discovering all the blissful possibilities of having more room, the perfect kitchen, or a new lifestyle suited exactly to your personal taste is an exciting endeavor. But such a quest may also bring with it a host of stressful challenges, not the least of which are the hidden costs of buying a home.

But fear not, you can do it. Even if you’ve never owned a home before—with a determined mindset and some thorough preparation, you can face down those hurdles associated with buying a home and make your way to the finish line. One key to achieving your goal is to do your homework.

Read more
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