College Ave Review: Student Loan Refinancing and Private Student Loans

College Ave is a lender that offers private student loans for undergraduates, graduate students and parents. It also allows borrowers to refinance existing loans to take advantage of lower interest rates or extend their loan terms. 

With low interest rates and multiple repayment options, College Ave loans are best for borrowers looking for flexibility and the ability to customize their loan terms. None of its loans charge origination fees or prepayment penalties, so College Ave also could help you save money. 

If you’re thinking of applying for a loan, it’s a good idea to research the lender and your borrowing options so you can be sure you’re getting the best deal possible. 

College Ave Student Loans: Pros and Cons

Pros 

• You can borrow up to the total cost of attendance: With federal loans for graduate students, there are limits on how much you can borrow each year and over your lifetime. In contrast, College Ave allows you to borrow up to the total cost of attendance. 
• Multiple repayment options: College Ave has four repayment options to choose from. You can defer payments until six months after you graduate, make interest-only payments, pay a flat amount, or pay toward the principal and interest. 
• Competitive interest rates: College Ave offers both variable and fixed interest rates. For borrowers with good credit, the rates are competitive and may be lower than you’d get with a federal student loan. 

Cons

• Most international students are ineligible for loans: While College Ave will issue loans to international students, borrowers must have a Social Security number and a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to qualify. Otherwise, they are ineligible for a loan. 
• Unclear borrower requirements: College Ave doesn’t list its minimum credit score or income requirements, making it difficult to find out if you’d need a co-signer to qualify for a loan. 
• Caps on refinancing amounts apply: College Ave does restrict how much of your student loan debt you can refinance. The minimum is $5,000, and the maximum is $300,000 for medical, dental, pharmacy or veterinary degrees ($150,000 for all other degrees). That limit is relatively low, so you may not be able to refinance all of your loans. 

College Ave Review: Private Student Loans

College Ave has the following private student loan options. 

Undergraduate Loans

College Ave allows undergrads to borrow up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance, including the cost of textbooks, housing and other expenses. You can select one of these four repayment options: 

• Full interest and principal payment: This payment plan will give you the highest in-school monthly payment, but you’ll pay less over the life of the loan. You start making payments toward the interest and principal as soon as the loan is disbursed. 
• Interest-only payment: With this plan, you make payments against the interest charges each month while you’re in school. 
• Flat payment: The flat payment plan will give you a lower monthly payment while you’re in school than the previous two plans since you’ll pay just $25 per month. However, more interest will accrue, increasing your overall cost. 
• Deferred payment: If you don’t want to worry about payments while you’re in college, you can defer your payments until six months after you graduate. 

Undergraduate student loans can have variable or fixed interest rates, and repayment terms range from five to 15 years. 

Graduate Loans

College Ave’s graduate loans are for students pursuing a master’s degree or attending law, medical, dental or veterinary school. You can borrow up to the total cost of attendance, and graduate loans have the same four repayment options as undergraduate loans. 

The lender’s graduate student loans can have fixed or variable interest rates, and terms range from five to 15 years. 

Parent Loans

As a parent, you can use College Ave student loans to borrow on behalf of your child — potentially at lower rates than you’d get with federal Parent PLUS Loans. You can borrow up to the total cost of attendance, and loan terms range from five to 15 years. As the parent, you can opt to have up to $2,500 of the loan amount sent directly to you so you have more control over your child’s budget for housing or other expenses. 

Unlike College Ave’s other loans, its parent student loans have just three repayment options: 

• Interest-only payment: While your child is in school, pay just the interest charges each month. 
• Interest-plus payment: As long as the amount you pay covers the interest charges each month, you can pick your own payment while your child is in school. 
• Full interest and principal payment: With this option, you make full interest and principal payments while your child is in college. 

College Ave Student Loan Refinancing 

Along with private student loans, College Ave offers competitive rates for student loan refinancing for undergraduate and graduate borrowers. Rates can be fixed or variable, and loan terms can be as long as 20 years. 

To qualify, you must have at least $5,000 in existing loans to refinance. The maximum amount you can refinance with College Ave is $300,000 if you have a doctorate from medical, dental or veterinary school. Otherwise, the maximum for all other degrees and majors is $150,000. 

Choosing a Lender

College Ave student loans may be a useful financing option for you, but the lender may not be the best option for everyone. Depending on your credit, income, and other factors, you may not be eligible for the lender’s lowest rates. 

If you want the best deal possible, consider joining Juno. We use our bargaining power to negotiate the lowest rates on undergraduate, graduate and parent loans as well as refinance loans, and Juno members qualify for exclusive discounts and added benefits.