Undergraduate student loans

Paying for college?
Apply in minutes

Finish your student loan app in 3 simple steps: 1) tell us the basics, 2) choose your loan options, and 3) sign and accept.

Fixed rates

3.49%

to 16.15% APRfootnote 1

What are fixed rates?

Fixed means your interest rate never changes.

If you want a predictable monthly payment, this is the way to go.

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Variable rates

4.54%

to 14.99% APRfootnote 1

What are variable rates?

Variable interest rates go up or down as the market changes.

This means your monthly payments may also change—they might be higher if interest rates rise and lower if they fall.

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

Benefits you won't want to miss

No origination fees
There’s no fee to process a loan or if you pay it off early.footnote 2
3 repayment options
Go for what works best for your budget.
Consider a cosigner
Students with cosigners were 5x more likely to be approved last year.footnote 3
Save money
Get a 0.25 percentage point discount with auto debit.footnote 4
100%

Up to 100% coverage

of school-certified costsfootnote 5—and you only need to apply once to get set for the whole year.

91%

Of undergrad loans were cosigned

last year.footnote 6 A cosigner can be a guardian, relative, or friend.

300,000+
Pay with Sallie Mae each year
3,000
Eligible schools to choose from
Apply in
minutes

1. Tell us some basics

 

2. Choose your loan options

 

3. Sign and accept

Let’s make sure you’re ready

You’ll need a few things to apply like address, Social Security number (if you have one), and details about your school.

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 All reviews on this page were provided by customers who completed Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys. Reviewers were not compensated by Sallie Mae for providing their review.

footnote 1. Advertised APRs for career training students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 2 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. 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. Although we do not charge you a penalty or fee if you prepay your loan, any prepayment will be applied as provided in your promissory note — first to Unpaid Fees and costs, then to Unpaid Interest, and then to Current Principal. 

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

footnote 4. The borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction benefit. This benefit 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 5. 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 6. 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 4/17/2025.

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. 

footnote Sallie Mae loans are made by Sallie Mae Bank.