The Bar Study Loan

 

For expenses associated with fees and living costs not covered by federal student loan programs as a student studies for the bar exam

Competitive rates

Variable rates: 6.38% APR – 16.00% APRfootnote 1

Fixed rates: 7.01% APR – 15.26% APRfootnote 1

Lowest rates shown include the auto debit discount.

No origination fee and no prepayment penaltyfootnote 2

Repayment details

Repayment begins nine months after the borrower graduates, drops below half-time enrollment, or leaves school.footnote 1

The borrower can request to make monthly interest payments for the first two or four years of repayment, followed by monthly principal and interest payments for the remainder of the term, or make monthly principal and interest payments for the full repayment term.footnote 3

Special features/benefits
  • Borrow from $1,000 up to $15,000
  • Save with auto debit: There is a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction for enrolling in and making monthly payments by automatic debit.footnote 4
  • Get free access to quarterly FICO® Credit Scores, available to borrowers and cosigners.footnote 5
  • Receive death and disability loan forgiveness.footnote 6

Borrowers may apply to release their cosigner from the loan after they graduate, make 12 on-time principal and interest payments, and meet certain credit requirements.footnote 7 Releasing the cosigner will not adversely impact the rate on the loan.

Enrollment eligibility
  • This loan is available to borrowers who are enrolled at least half-time in their final year of study at a participating ABA-accredited law school located in the U.S., or who have graduated from one within the last 12 months.
  • Borrowers should be sitting for the bar exam no later than 12 months after graduation.

Current credit and other eligibility criteria apply.

Applying is easy

It only takes about 15 minutes to apply online and get a credit result.

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 Bar Study Loans are for students who are enrolled at least half-time in their final year of study at a participating ABA-accredited law school or have graduated from one within the last 12 months. Students should be sitting for the bar exam no later than 12 months after graduation. This loan is subject to credit approval, identity verification, signed loan documents, and enrollment verification. 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., graduate from, or 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 Bar Study Loans are intended to cover expenses not included in your school's cost of attendance.

footnote 1. Advertised APRs for Bar Study Loan assume a $15,000 loan disbursed at the time of the student's graduation from school. 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 the funds are sent to you. Once principal and interest repayment begins, any Unpaid Interest will be added to Current Principal, increasing the Total Loan Cost. 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 a penalty or fee if you prepay your loan, any prepayment will be applied as outlined in your promissory note—first to Unpaid Fees and costs, then to Unpaid Interest, and then to Current Principal. 

footnote 3. Must request interest payments in writing. Choosing this option does not extend the loan term but does increase the Total Loan Cost and the monthly payment amount following the interest-only period.

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. Borrowers and cosigners with an available FICO® Score and a Sallie Mae-serviced loan with a current balance greater than $0, may receive their score quarterly after the first disbursement of their loan. The FICO® Score provided to you is the FICO® Score 8 based on TransUnion data. FICO® Scores and associated educational content are provided solely for your own non-commercial personal review, use and benefit. This benefit may change or end in the future. FICO® is a registered trademark of the Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries.

footnote 6. If a student dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled and is unable to work in any capacity, their Sallie Mae student loan may be eligible to have the remaining Current Balance waived.

footnote 7. Only the borrower may apply for cosigner release. To do so, they must first meet the age of majority in their state and provide proof of graduation (or completion of certification program), income, and U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (if their status has changed since they applied). In the last 12 months, the borrower can’t have been past due on any loans serviced by Sallie Mae for 30 or more days or enrolled in any hardship forbearances or modified repayment programs. In addition, the borrower must have paid ahead or made 12 on-time principal and interest payments on each loan requested for release. The loan can’t be past due when the cosigner release application is processed. The borrower must also demonstrate the ability to assume full responsibility of the loan(s) individually and pass a credit review when the cosigner release application is processed that demonstrates a satisfactory credit history including but not limited to no: bankruptcy, foreclosure, student loan(s) in default or 90-day delinquencies in the last 24 months. Requirements are subject to change. 

footnote SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE.

footnote Information advertised valid as of 05/26/2026.

footnote Sallie Mae loans are made by Sallie Mae Bank. 

footnote The Sallie Mae partner referenced is not the creditor for these loans and is compensated by Sallie Mae for the referral of loan customers.