SoFi Blog

Tips and news—
for your financial moves.

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Unexpected Costs When Applying to College or Grad School

Applying to college or grad school can be a stressful experience. Between the different application requirements, test prep, and deadlines, there can be a lot to cover. And getting all of your ducks in a row can take a bit of legwork.

Before you file your applications, you’ll want to do your research on the schools and programs you are considering. When it comes to college and grad school, tuition isn’t the only thing that can get expensive. As you go through the application process, there are hidden costs and unexpected fees that can add up to a pretty penny.

Here are some of the hidden fees that pop up when you apply to college or grad school. With this information you can create a budget to prepare for the costs that may arise during the application process.

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Automated Investing (No Nav BD)






It’s easier than ever to put your

money on a mission.

We take the stress out of investing by helping you with the hard part:

goal setting, rebalancing, and diversifying your money.

Goal planning

Whether you’re saving for retirement, a down payment, or just investing for later, we’ll help you make a plan to tackle multiple goals.

Auto rebalancing

We’ll rebalance your investments, which means adjusting your stock and bond funds on a quarterly basis, so your money is always invested how you want it to be.

Diversification*

Risk is real. That’s why we’ll diversify your portfolio so that your money is allocated across different kinds of financial investments.


The right way to invest? It’s up to you.

Everyone has different goals when it comes to their life, their money, and their investment plans. Click
below to explore some common financial goals and example investment strategies to achieve them.

  • Take the trip of a lifetime

  • Buy a home

  • Pay for a wedding

  • Retire early

  • Save for kids’ education


Wedding

Buy a home

Trip of a lifetime

Retiring early

Kids’ college education




Time is your

best friend.

Compound interest is basically “interest on interest” and it’s how your money can make money. Time is the magic ingredient—which is why the earlier you start investing your money, the better. That way you can ride the ups and down of the market over time towards your goals.


We’re here

if you need it.

Investing with SoFi gets you access to member benefits like rate discounts on other SoFi products, exclusive events and experiences, as well as access to financial advisors to discuss big picture financial goals one-on-one—all at no cost.


Get started with

no minimums.

Investing for is for anyone that can afford to do it—which is why you

can start with as little as $1. Make a one-time investment today, or

set-up a recurring payment if that works better for you.

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SoFi Home Loans | Mortgages and Refinancing (BD Generic)


Exclusive $500 Cash Bonus

Purchase your
dream home:


Competitive home mortgage options.


View your rate

Viewing your rate won’t affect your credit score.9
CNBC Select Ranking Methodology.
See terms.

  • Close On Time Guarantee

    Offer backed by $10,000

  • Verified Preapproval Letter

    Make your offer stand out

  • Low down payment options

    Put as little as 3%-5% down^



  • Earn cash back

    Get up to $9,500 after you close on your home*
    Average cash back received is $1,700.


View your rate

Viewing your rate won’t affect your credit score.9
CNBC Select Ranking methodology.
See terms.



Why SoFi? Our mortgage loans
fund with benefits.



  • Verified Preapproval Letter

    Helps your offer stand out in a competitive market.



  • Industry-leading Speed

    SoFi closes mortgages faster than the industry average. And we offer an industry-leading $10,000 On-Time Close Guarantee.



  • Simple online application

    Our online application is quick and easy. Plus, we have Mortgage Loan Officers standing by—ready to guide you every step of the way.



  • Flexible term options

    Choose from 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-year fixed terms5-8 with down payment rates as low as 3% for first-time buyers.



We’re helping homeowners
get their money right.

4M+
SoFi members nationwide

$7.5B+
in funded mortgage loans

130K+
homebuyers served

2.3M+
in rewards earned

Named the Best Mortgage Lender for Saving Money by CNBC Select.***


How to get started with a SoFi Mortgage Loan.

View your personalized rate.

It only takes minutes to explore your options, and it won’t affect your credit score†—no commitment required.

Select your terms.

Choose your mortgage. We offer 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-year5-8 options to meet your financial goals.

Get support.

Dedicated Mortgage Loan Officers are standing by to guide you every step of the way.






View your rate




BTW it’s a soft inquiry, so it won’t affect your credit score.


A beginner’s guide to mortgage loans

Get to know the ins and outs of a mortgage loan before you begin the home-buying process. Our First-Time Homebuyer Guide breaks down the basics, including the different types of home loans available to you.

5 30-YEAR Payment Example: The payment for a 30-year term, loan amount $362000.00, Rate 6.125%, LTV 80% is $2200.00 for full Principal and Interest Payments with $4695.14 due at closing. The Annual Percentage Rate is 6.335%. No prepayment penalty. Payment shown does not include taxes and insurance. The actual payment amount will be greater. Interest rates and annual percentage rates (APRs) are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice.

6 20-YEAR Payment Example: The payment for a 20-year term, loan amount $362000.00, Rate 5.990%, LTV 80% is $2591.00 for full Principal and Interest Payments with $4952.16 due at closing. The Annual Percentage Rate is 6.276%. No prepayment penalty. Payment shown does not include taxes and insurance. The actual payment amount will be greater. Interest rates and annual percentage rates (APRs) are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice.

7 15-YEAR Payment Example: The payment for a 15-year term, loan amount $362000.00, Rate 5.250%, LTV 80% is $2910.00 for full Principal and Interest Payments with $5187.46 due at closing. The Annual Percentage Rate is 5.612%. No prepayment penalty. Payment shown does not include taxes and insurance. The actual payment amount will be greater. Interest rates and annual percentage rates (APRs) are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice.

8 10-YEAR Payment Example: The payment for a 10-year term, loan amount $362000.00, Rate 5.250%, LTV 80% is $3884.00 for full Principal and Interest Payments with $5364.84 due at closing. The Annual Percentage Rate is 5.778%. No prepayment penalty. Payment shown does not include taxes and insurance. The actual payment amount will be greater. Interest rates and annual percentage rates (APRs) are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice.

Personal Loan Terms

Fixed rates from 8.74% APR to 35.49% APR reflect the 0.25% autopay interest rate discount and a 0.25% direct deposit interest rate discount. SoFi rate ranges are current as of 12/15/25 and are subject to change without notice. The average of SoFi Personal Loans funded in 2022 was around $30K. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed and will depend on the term you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, and a variety of other factors.

Loan amounts range from $5,000– $100,000. The APR is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and reflects both your interest rate and an origination fee of 0%-6%, which will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive.

PERSONAL LOAN INTEREST RATES AND FEES | ELIGIBILITY AND IMPORTANT DETAILS. Annual percentage rates (APRs) shown include the 0.25% autopay discount. If approved for a loan, the rates and terms offered will depend on things like creditworthiness, the length of the loan, and other factors, and will fall within the range of rates available by applicable loan term; check out our full APR examples and terms. Remember, not all applicants will qualify for the lowest rate. Want to learn more? See our eligibility criteria at SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria. SoFi reserves the right to change interest rates at any time without notice, changes would only apply to applications begun after the effective date of the change. Fixed Rates: Fixed rates range from 8.74% APR to 35.49% APR (with autopay). The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make your scheduled monthly payments by an automatic monthly deduction (ACH) from a savings or checking account. Enrolling in autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi. Loan Terms: SoFi Personal Loans offer loans with a period of repayment between 2 and 7-year terms. Loan Fees: SoFi personal loans have no fees required; specifically, no origination fees required, no late fees, no prepayment penalties.

PERSONAL LOAN | REPAYMENT EXAMPLE. The following example depicts the APR, monthly payment and total payments during the life of a $30,000 personal loan with a 2-year repayment term, a 0.25% autopay discount, and a fixed rate between 8.74% APR to 35.49% APR. It works out to 24 monthly payments ranging from $1,356.68–$1,529.07 for a total amount of payments ranging from $32,560.37–$36,697.76. This repayment example assumes that the borrower is signed up for autopay and that all payments are made on time, with no pre-payments. Actual rates may vary based on repayment term, loan amount, creditworthiness, and other terms and conditions. SoFi does not offer variable rate personal loans. State restrictions may apply.

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Student Loan Refinance – Affiliates (ChangEd)

Refinance Student Loans

Save thousands
on your student loans.

Find My Rate

Checking your rate will not affect your credit score.

Welcome ChangEd Member

SoFi is a leading student loan refinancing provider.

$47 billion+
in refinanced student loans
12.6M
members who’ve refinanced
98%
would recommend SoFi to a friend3.

Pick the loan that works for you.

Save on your student loans by choosing between a range of rates and terms. No prepayment penalties and no hidden fees. Ever.

Fixed Rate

Rates available from 4.24% APR to 9.99% APR when you enroll in AutoPay.1

Variable Rate

Rates start from 5.99% APR to 9.99% APR when you enroll in AutoPay.1

Investing in people who
invest in themselves.

How it works:

The student loan refinancing process is fast, easy, and can be done entirely online.

New Term

APR

5-year

4.03%

7-year

4.57%

10-year

4.98%

View Payment Examples
SoFi offers a range of terms and rates—so yours are going to look different from this illustrative chart, which is just something designed to show you what the SoFi app looks like.

Get pre-approved online in just two minutes.

We’ll let you know if you’re qualified before you finish the full application.

Select your rate and term.

Choose between saving on your monthly payment or saving on total student loan interest.

Verify your info and sign.

Upload screenshots of your information, then sign your paperwork electronically.

Switch to one low-rate monthly payment.

We pay off your servicer(s) and issue you one new student loan.

Find my rate

It takes only two minutes and
won’t affect your credit score.

Common questions

Q: Who should refinance?

+

Refinancing is a great solution for working graduates who have high-interest, unsubsidized Direct Loans, Graduate PLUS loans, and/or private loans. Federal loans do carry some special benefits, for example, public service forgiveness and economic hardship programs, that may not be accessible to you after you refinance. Check out this blog post that provide more information: When to Consolidate Federal and Private Loans by Refinancing. Or, call us for a free consultation about your particular situation.

Q: Can I refinance both federal and private student loans?

+

Yes, SoFi will consolidate all qualified education loans.

Q: Am I a good candidate to refinance my student loans with SoFi?

+

SoFi aims to revolutionize financial services- ultimately improving the system for everyone. Today, we’re able to offer significant savings and flexibility to US citizens or permanent residents who have graduated from a selection of Title IV accredited university or graduate programs, are employed, has a sufficient income from other sources, or hold a job offer with a start date within 90 days, have a responsible financial history, and a strong monthly cash flow.

Q: What is the difference between consolidating and refinancing?

+

Q: What is a direct consolidation loan?

+

A Direct Consolidation Loan is a government program that allows you to combine multiple federal education loans into a single loan. The resulting interest rate is a weighted average of your prior loan rates. Refer to https://www.sofi.com/consolidate-student-loans-vs-refinance/ for more information.

Q: What’s the difference between fixed and variable rate loans?

+

See FAQs

SoFi in the news

CNN Money

“This lender offers free drinks, yoga, and matchmaking with its loans.”

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NYT

“SoFi [also] provides career counseling, wine tastings and home-buying workshops.”

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Get started
in minutes.

Speed matters. Which is why you can check loan rates or start investing online—in just minutes.

Find my rate

Read more

Home Improvement Loans (Remodelmate)

Renovate now, pay over time.

Borrow up to $100K, with no fees, to tackle your wish list with a home improvement
loan. Rates range from 8.74% APR to 35.49% APR (with AutoPay)5.

Fund Your Project

Checking your rate will
not affect your credit score.


Push button, get renovation financing. Borrow up to $100K for your remodelmate project through SoFi and get $200 when your loan is disbursed by applying through this page.*

Rates range from 8.74% APR to 35.49% APR (with AutoPay)5.

Why SoFi?

Easy Experience

No need to wait weeks for an appraisal. Get pre-qualified and receive your funds fast so you can get started right away.

No Fees

Unlike some home equity loans, there are no origination fees, no closing costs, and no costly home appraisals.

No Collateral

Without equity, it’s hard to get a HELOC on a new home. With SoFi, your home is not on the line.

Flexible Amounts

Borrow what you need—as little as $5,000 or as much as $100,000.

Fund Your Project

So Easy

Find Your Rate

Get pre-qualified online with no hidden fees and no obligation.

Select Your Loan & Apply

Choose the loan that works for you and complete your application.

Sign electronically and receive your funds

Sign your documents and funds are deposited to your account.


Get Started

Compare Rates and Terms

The following examples depict the APR, monthly payment and total payments during the life of a $30,000 personal loan. All personal loan APR rates below are shown with the Autopay Discount (0.25%)5. Your actual interest rate may be different than the rates in these examples and will be based on term of loan, your financial history and other factors. State restrictions may apply.

Payment Examples

Fixed Rate Loans

Term Origination
Fee
Rate
(APR)
No. of
Payments
Monthly
Payment
Total
Payments
2 Years None 8.74% – 35.49% 24 $1,366.97 – $1,763.32 $32,807.19 – $42,319.74
3 Years None 10.08% – 35.49% 36 $969.14 – $1,365.41 $34,889.14 – $49,154.90
4 Years None 10.93% – 35.49% 48 $774.35 – $1,178.04 $37,168.62 – $56,545.80
5 Years None 12.16% – 35.49% 60 $669.76 – $1,074.14 $40,185.69 – $64,448.26
6 Years None 13.16% – 35.49% 72 $604.76 – $1,011.27 $43,542.68 – $72,811.45
7 Years None 13.49% – 35.49% 84 $553.78 – $971.20 $46,517.72 – $81,581.10

< Back to Personal Loans

Questions? Call us for a free consultation at 855-456-7634

Fund Your Project

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