SoFi Blog

In our efforts to bring you the latest updates on things that might impact your financial life, we may occasionally enter the political fray, covering candidates, bills, laws and more.
Please note: SoFi does not endorse or take official positions on any candidates and the bills they may be sponsoring or proposing. We may occasionally support legislation that we believe would be beneficial to our members, and will make sure to call it out when we do. Our reporting otherwise is for informational purposes only, and shouldn’t be construed as an endorsement.

The Trump Administration has proposed a cap on the amount that parents and graduate students would be able to borrow from the federal government to pay for higher education. The administration says their effort is an attempt to curb tuition costs and student loan debt, which reached an outstanding $1.465 trillion in late 2018. Here’s a look at what these changes might mean for parents and grad students.

Working during grad school can seem like an impossible task. While it would be nice to be able to solely focus on our studies, not working isn’t a viable option for many of us. Between work, classes, homework, studying, and other daily responsibilities, you’ll likely find your free time dwindling.

If you’re interested in attending graduate school, but the thought of adding even more to your full plate seems daunting, there are options you can explore. It may seem impossible, but with some diligence, working full time and getting your graduate degree can potentially work out for you.

Here are some key tips to help balance work and school without losing your sanity.

After weeks of unseasonably rainy weather, the worst has happened and your roof has sprung a leak. The water has already started to cause damage to the house and you’re beginning to worry about how you’re going to pay for all of the repairs.

You could use your emergency fund, but you’re worried it’s not going to be enough. If you find yourself in a situation where you need cash, a personal loan could allow you to secure the financing you need.

Unlike other loans such as a mortgage, which is used specifically to pay for a house, you can take out a personal loan for almost any reason. Want to boost your wedding budget, or finally start that home renovation? A personal loan could help you pay for your short-term projects that require financial capital.

Today, we officially announced the availability of SoFi Private Student Loans – no fees, competitive rates, flexible repayment options, and a mobile-first experience. We’ve helped over 250,000 grads, including some of you reading this very post, refinance their student debt. So, we thought it was high time to expand our offering and to bring the same trusted and easy experience to a broader audience.

The traditional student loan application process is daunting. We’ve taken everything we’ve learned making lending convenient and painless and brought those solutions to younger consumers and their parents through SoFi Private Student Loans.

If you choose the deferred repayment option, full principal and interest payments can be deferred as long as the student remains enrolled at an eligible school at least half-time. For undergraduate and graduate loans, full principal and interest payments would begin 6 months after the student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment. For health professions loans, full principal and interest payments would begin 9 months after the student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment.

Borrowers working toward their undergraduate degree have up to 60 months to complete their degree. Borrowers working toward their graduate degree (inclusive of MBA and Law) or certificate have up to 36 months to complete their degree or certificate. And borrowers enrolled in a medical program or internship have up to 48 months to complete their program before full principal and interest repayment begins. Those borrowers who have selected immediate repayment and Parent Loan borrowers will begin full principal and interest payments upon full disbursement of the loan.

To learn how different repayment options can affect your monthly payment amount and what you might pay overall for the loan, check out our repayment options and examples page.