Credit-based Loans

Since private educational loans generally have higher interest rates than Federal Stafford Loans, we recommend you first consider borrowing the Stafford Loan. If you need to borrow additional funding to help cover educational costs, we advise choosing one other loan option to simplify repayment in the future. You can opt to use any lender of your choice whether or not the lender is listed here or in other University material.  Total financial aid, including federal and private loans, scholarships, stipends, etc., cannot exceed your cost of attendance (tuition, fees, and living expenses). Unlike Federal Stafford Loans, private educational loans and the Graduate PLUS Loan are credit-based. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who qualify as creditworthy may not require co-signers. International students, however, must apply with a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a U.S.-based address. Refer to Related Links to the right sidebar menu for more detailed Credit-based Loan information and applications.