Sallie Mae Student Loans: 2023 Review

Name: Sallie Mae Student Loans
Item: Sallie Mae
Rating: 4.6
Author: Hanneh Bareham

Written by

Hanneh Bareham

Edited by

Hannah Smith

Updated on Jan. 1, 2023

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At a glance

4.6

Bankrate Score

Repayment Options

4.8

Affordability

4.6

Customer Experience

4.5

Sallie Mae is one of the more well-known student loan companies out there, offering private loans for undergraduates and graduates in a variety of degree programs. While it doesn’t offer student loan refinancing, its college planning tools put it a cut above competitors in terms of the borrowing experience as a whole. With scholarships, college planning calculators and educational articles, not to mention competitive rates, Sallie Mae is a good choice for new student loan borrowers looking for a well-rounded lender.

Loan amount $1,000 to total cost of attendance

APR from 5.49% - 15.83% Variable APR; 4.50% - 14.83% Fixed APR

Term lengths 10 to 15 years

This lender is best for borrowing from a well-established lender with low rates, few fees and a variety of loan options.

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Sallie Mae features

Sallie Mae’s private student loan offerings include undergraduate, MBA, medical school, medical residency, dental school, dental residency, health professions, law school, bar study and graduate school loans. It also offers career-training student loans.

Low rates, few fees and flexible repayment options make this lender worth considering. Sallie Mae can cover up to 100 percent of your school-certified costs of attendance, and you can take advantage of extra benefits — like free online tools.

Sallie Mae: in the details

Loan Amount

Cost of attendance minus aid

APR from

Undergraduate loans: 5.49% to 15.83% variable APR, 4.50% to 14.83% fixed APR (with autopay) | Graduate loans: 6.00% to 15.60% variable APR, 5.25% to 14.48% fixed APR (with autopay)

Term lengths

Undergraduate loans: 10 to 15 years

Grace period

Undergraduates can choose a repayment term between 10 and 15 years. MBA, law, health professions and general graduate school loans have a 15-year repayment term, while medical and dental school loans have a 20-year repayment term.

Repayment terms

Undergraduate: 10 to 15 years | Graduate: 15 years

Loan types

Undergraduate, graduate, MBA, medical, medical residency, dental, dental residency, health professions, law, bar study,

Cosigner required?

Pros and cons of Sallie Mae student loans

Here are a few of the positives and negatives you should be aware of before applying for a Sallie Mae student loan.

PROS

Large loan amounts: You could get 100 percent of your school-certified costs covered at an approved school or institution.
Educational resources: Sallie Mae supports students at multiple points in their educational journey, with free study help and college expense calculators available to current and prospective borrowers.
Variety of programs supported: Most lenders require you to be attending school at least half time, but Sallie Mae offers loans for students attending less than half time, students attending online or summer classes, students studying abroad and students enrolled in professional certification courses.

CONS

Unspecified forbearance: While Sallie Mae says that it will work with borrowers who are experiencing financial hardship, it doesn’t have a clear forbearance policy.
Website lacks transparency: Sallie Mae doesn’t list many eligibility requirements, like a minimum credit score, on its website.
Limited repayment terms: If you’re attending any kind of graduate school program, you’ll have only one repayment term option: 15 or 20 years, depending on the type of program. Undergraduates are limited to a term between 10 and 15 years.

Sallie Mae student loan requirements

Qualification requirements to take out a loan vary by loan type, and Sallie Mae’s website is scarce on exact requirements. In general, borrowers must have a history of borrowing money and paying it back on time; if you don’t have a lot of credit to your name, you can also apply with a creditworthy co-signer. You also must be applying for a loan from an eligible school, which you can see by starting an application.

Sallie Mae accepts applications from students attending:

Full time, half time or less than half time.
Online or on-campus classes.
Winter or summer classes.
Study abroad.
Professional certification courses.
School in a foreign country.

Non-U.S. citizens residing in and attending school in the U.S. may also qualify for a loan if they have a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Who is this loan good for?

Sallie Mae is a great option for those interested in borrowing from a well-established lender with low rates, few fees and a variety of loan options. Borrowers with more unique educational needs, like funds for an online certification course, may have more luck finding a loan with Sallie Mae than with similar lenders.

Interest rates and terms

Sallie Mae offers one discount of 0.25 percent if you enroll in autopay. The rates presented below include this discount:

Loan product	Variable rate	Fixed rate
Undergraduate student loans	5.49% to 15.83% APR	4.50% to 14.83% APR
Graduate student loans	6.00% to 15.60% APR	5.25% to 14.48% APR
MBA student loans	6.00% to 15.60% APR	5.25% to 14.48% APR
Health profession student loans	6.00% to 15.60% APR	5.25% to 14.48% APR
Law school student loans	6.00% to 15.59% APR	5.25% to 14.47% APR
Medical residency student loans	7.11% to 12.56% APR	5.93% to 10.19% APR
Bar exam student loans	7.25% to 16.86% APR	5.25% to 13.66% APR
Medical school student loans	5.99% to 15.58% APR	5.25% to 14.46% APR
Dental residency student loans	7.11% to 12.56% APR	5.93% to 10.19% APR
Dental student loans	6.00% to 15.58% APR	5.25% to 14.47% APR

Fees and penalties

There’s no origination fee or application fee with loans from Sallie Mae. It will, however, charge a late payment fee of 5 percent of the past-due amount up to $25 and a returned check fee of up to $20.

Repayment terms and grace period

Undergraduate, graduate, MBA, health professions, dental school, medical school and law school student loans offer three main repayment options:

Deferred: With the deferred option, you make no payments while in school and during the grace period after leaving school. After that period of time, you pay principal and interest.
Fixed: The fixed option requires you to pay $25 per month while you’re in school and during the grace period.
Interest: With the interest-only option, you pay only the interest on your loan while you’re in school and during the grace period. After that period, you pay interest and principal on your loan.

Undergraduate, graduate, MBA and health profession loans have a six-month grace period. Law school loans have a nine-month grace period, dental school loans have a 12-month grace period and medical school loans have a 36-month grace period.

Bar study loans have the option of deferred repayment while you’re in school at least half time and during the nine-month grace period. Medical and dental residency loans increase this grace period to three years if you remain enrolled at least half time.

Customer service

Sallie Mae gets an “A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, the highest possible grade. The rating takes into account complaint history and whether the business has appropriately responded to complaints, resolved them in a timely manner and made a good faith effort to resolve those complaints.

Sallie Mae’s customer service department is available via phone or mail. New student loan customers may call 855-756-5626 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

How to apply for a loan with Sallie Mae

Though Sallie Mae has several different loan options, the process for applying is generally the same across the board. Primary borrowers or co-signers can start the application process through the lender’s website.

Here are the main steps to apply for a loan through Sallie Mae:

Start the process on Sallie Mae’s website. After clicking “Apply for a Loan,” you’ll provide your loan purpose, school information, name, Social Security number and contact information.
Complete the loan application. Answer questions and information about the loan amount desired, employment info, financial aid info and personal contacts.
Add a co-signer if needed. You can choose to add a co-signer or apply on your own. Sallie Mae will review your credit history after you submit your application.
Finish the loan process. After you complete the application, Sallie Mae might request additional info. If approved, you’ll choose a variable or fixed interest rate option and repayment option. Co-signers will need to accept the terms and sign as well. Your eligibility will be certified with your school.

How Bankrate rates Sallie Mae

Overall Score	4.6
Repayment Options	4.8	Sallie Mae has many loan types and no maximum borrowing limit, though it does limit the choice of repayment terms.
Affordability	4.6	Sallie Mae offers competitive rates for creditworthy borrowers but does charge a late fee and a returned check fee.
Customer Experience	4.5	While it does offer a mobile app, which is rare among lenders, Sallie Mae has slightly more limited customer support hours than competitors.

Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the lender’s website for the most current information.

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