Applying is fast and easy

Complete a Sallie Mae® loan application in 3 simple steps

1. Tell us the basics  2. Customize your loan  3. Sign & go

 

Competitive Undergraduate Rates

Fixed rates
2.89%
to 17.49% APRfootnote 1
Variable rates
4.37%
to 16.99% APRfootnote 1

Lowest rates shown include the auto debit discount. Only the most creditworthy applicants who choose the interest repayment option may receive the lowest rate.
Apply in minutes

Why choose Sallie Mae?

Helping 300,000+ students pay for college each year
More than half of families choose us over the competition
More than 3,000 eligible schools 

Get covered for the entire year

Cover up to 100%
of school-certified costsfootnote 2
Multiple ways
to repay
ZERO origination fees

How a cosigner can help you
get the money you need for school

Since most students had little to no credit history, last year, students were nearly 5x more likely to be approved with a cosignerfootnote 3 and 91% of new Smart Option Student Loan borrowers had cosigners.footnote 4 Cosigners are usually a parent, relative, or other responsible adult, and it may help you get a better interest rate.

 

Two students looking at computer

It's easy to get started

Follow these steps:

 

Tell us the basics
We’ll need some basic information from you (and your cosigner, if you have one) like name, address, date of birth, and school details.
Customize your loan
Once you’re approved, pick the interest rate and repayment option that work best for your budget.
Sign and go
Read and review all your loan documents. Once you sign and accept your loan, we'll take care of the rest with your school.
Apply for loan

Applying is fast and easy

Fill out some basic information and get a decision in minutes

footnote Borrow responsibly
We encourage students and families to start with savings, grants, scholarships, and federal student loans to pay for college. Evaluate all anticipated monthly loan payments, and how much the student expects to earn in the future, before considering a private student loan.

footnote Loans for Undergraduate & Career Training Students are not intended for graduate students and are subject to credit approval, identity verification, signed loan documents, and school certification. Student must attend a participating school. Student or cosigner must meet the age of majority in their state of residence. Students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must reside in the U.S., attend school in the U.S., and apply with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident). Requested loan amount must be at least $1,000.

footnote 1. Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan with a 4-year in-school period, a 6-month grace, and the longest loan term offered. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent.  Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment.

footnote 2. For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website will be subject to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. 

footnote 3. Based on a comparison of the percentage of students who were approved with a cosigner to the percentage of students who were approved without a cosigner from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.

footnote 4.  Based on the percentage of approved undergraduate loans that were cosigned from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.

footnote Information advertised valid as of 8/11/2025.

footnote Sallie Mae loans are made by Sallie Mae Bank. 

footnote SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. CHECK SALLIEMAE.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE PRODUCT INFORMATION.