SoFi Student Loans: 2023 Review

SoFi features

One of SoFi’s standout features is its unemployment protection program, which aims to help you with your job search, but students can also benefit from access to tools from Evernote, Grammarly and Coursera, plus one-on-one career coaching. Unlike many other lenders, SoFi also has an app, which allows you to more easily access deals, financial planning tools and educational resources.

SoFi offers student loan refinancing, parent loans and private student loans for undergraduates and graduates. Low rates, no fees required, rate discount opportunities, a full menu of repayment options and exclusive member discounts make it worth consideration.

SoFi: in the details

SoFi student loan requirements

Eligibility requirements for a SoFi student loan vary slightly by loan type but share some common characteristics.

In order to apply for an undergraduate or graduate loan, students must:

• Be the age of majority in their state of residence or have a co-signer who is.
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Be employed or have sufficient income from other sources, or have a co-signer who does.
• Use the loan for qualified higher education expenses.
• Be enrolled at least half time in a degree-granting program at an eligible institution.
• Meet SoFi’s underwriting criteria.
• Be making satisfactory academic progress.

In order to refinance student loans, students must:

• Be the age of majority in their state.
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or visa holder.
• Reside in a state where SoFi is authorized to lend.
• Be employed, have sufficient income from somewhere else or have an offer of employment to start within the next 90 days.
• Have graduated with an associate degree or higher from a Title IV school.
• Be refinancing educational debt that originated from an eligible, accredited Title IV school.

Medical residents looking to refinance their loans must:

• Be a medical/dental resident or fellow with up to four years remaining in an approved program.
• Be the age of majority in their state.
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Have graduated with an MD, DO, DMD or DDS from an eligible Title IV accredited university or graduate program in the U.S.

Dental residents must also provide documentation with proof that they are not taking on additional tuition liabilities.

Who is this loan good for?

SoFi is a good option for borrowers interested in an online lender with low rates, no fees required and plenty of repayment options. But it’s also a good fit for those who need to refinance high-interest federal or private student loans.

SoFi also offers exclusive member benefits to its customers, including rate discounts, career coaching, financial advice, unemployment protection and a member community. If you want those types of perks, SoFi could be a good fit for you.

Interest rates and terms

SoFi offers a few discounts for its loans, including a standard 0.25 percent discount for setting up automatic payments. Current SoFi customers applying for a loan product of a different type may also be eligible for an additional rate discount of 0.125 percent, and if you use a co-signer who is already a SoFi member, you could take another 0.125 percent off of your rate.

Here are the rate ranges for each loan product at SoFi, including autopay discounts:

Fees and penalties

SoFi doesn't require borrowers to pay any fees whatsoever — no origination fees, insufficient fund fees or late fees required.

Repayment terms and grace period

SoFi’s private student loans come with repayment terms of five to 15 years. Its refinancing products have repayment terms of five to 20 years. All of its private loans have a six-month grace period, and SoFi will honor an existing six-month grace period for loans that it refinances.

Repayment options include:

• Deferred: Make no principal or interest payments until six months after leaving school.
• Interest-only: Make interest-only payments while you’re in school to reduce the overall cost of the loan.
• Partial: Pay $25 per month on your loan while in school.
• Immediate: Start making principal and interest payments as soon as you start school.

Customer service

SoFi gets an “A+” score from the Better Business Bureau. The score considers complaint history and the institution’s response to those complaints.

The customer service department is available seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT Monday through Thursday and from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Friday through Sunday.

You can contact customer service by phone at 855-456-7634.

How to apply for a loan with SoFi

The student loan application process through SoFi, whether for an undergraduate loan, graduate loan or refinancing loan, can be completed entirely online. You can apply and get a decision within minutes, according to SoFi. The full process — from completing the application to SoFi sending the money to your school — takes anywhere from four to six weeks. If you’re refinancing, the funding process takes about seven to 15 business days.

Before applying, prepare your Social Security number, proof of income, bank account information, school name, cost of attendance, student status, existing financial aid, expected graduation date, references and co-signer information.

Here’s what the process looks like when applying for a student loan from SoFi:

1. Start the process online and find out if you’re prequalified within a few minutes. The entire application can be filled out online.
2. Choose an interest rate and repayment option. You have the option of variable or fixed rates and four different repayment options.
3. If approved, sign the loan and accept. SoFi allows you to upload screenshots of your information and electronically sign paperwork.
4. SoFi sends the loan application and information to your school for certification.
5. SoFi sends money to your school within four to six weeks.

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.