Best Places to Refinance Student Loans Without a Degree in 2026
If you have student loans but didn’t earn a degree, you can still refinance your student loans.There are fewer options available, however.Many private lenders require borrowers to have a degree to qualify for refinancing.But you might have a shot at refinancing your loans at a lower interest rate without a degree as long as you meet other eligibility requirements, like having a good credit history and meeting a maximum debt-to-income ratio.
Depending on the size of your student loan balance, refinancing could cut thousands of dollars off of your overall student debt.Whether you have private student loans or feel it makes sense to refinance your federal loans, you have options as a non-graduate.Here’s a look at where you can refinance student loans without a degree.6 Best places to refinance student loans without a degree Federal loans are eligible for student loan consolidation at any time.
But to qualify for a new loan from a private refinancing lender, a college degree will typically be required.Understand that you may not necessarily need a bachelor's degree to qualify for refinancing.Graduates of associate degree programs may be eligible to apply for a student loan refinance with certain lenders (e.g., SoFi® and Earnest).And a handful of lenders still refinance student loans for people without a degree whatsoever.
However, you might be looking at higher fixed-rate and variable-rate loan options for refinancing.If you don’t have a college degree, check out the list below to find a lender that’s right for you.Lenders are listed alphabetically.1.
Advantage Education Loan Another lender that offers refinancing to people without a degree is Advantage Education Loan.Terms range from 10 to 20 years.A minimum of $7,500 in loans is required to refinance.Borrowers must also be a U.S.
citizen or non-citizen with proof of residency card.Borrowers may require a cosigner if they don’t meet credit requirements or want to obtain a lower interest rate.Cosigner release is available after 12 consecutive months of on-time, regularly-scheduled payments (or an equivalent lump sum payment).And borrowers can reduce their interest by 0.25% by signing up for autopay.
2.Citizens One refinancing option for people without a degree is Citizens.To be eligible, you must make at least 12 qualifying monthly payments after leaving school.You need a minimum of $10,000 in student loans to refinance through Citizens.
Citizens offers flexible loan terms ranging from 5 to 20 years.If you need a cosigner to qualify, you can apply for a cosigner release once you've entered full principal and interest repayment.However, you'll need to meet credit and eligibility guidelines on your own.Plus, Student Loan Planner® borrowers can get up to a $1,750 cashback bonus ($1,000 will be paid directly by Student Loan Planner®) by using our Citizens link that utilizes the Credible platform.
Apply with Citizens or read our full Citizens review.3.Earnest Earnest allows for refinancing without a degree, but you must meet other eligibility requirements including: Your last date of attendance was over six years ago.Have a FICO score of 700 or higher.
The school you attended wasn't a for-profit school.Refinancing minimums with Earnest start out at $5,000.But residents of California ($10,000) and New Mexico ($10,001) have different minimums.Additionally, residents of Kentucky who refinance $15,000 or less are limited to a maximum 10-year repayment term.
Apply with Earnest and receive up to $1,500 cashback for refinances of $200,000 or more ($1,000 will be paid directly by Student Loan Planner®).Varying bonuses are available for refinances $50,000 to $199,999.You can also read our Earnest review.4.
EDvestinU EDvestinU has refinancing options for people without a college degree.The minimum amount that can be refinanced is $7,500, and the maximum is $200,000. Any U.S.citizen or permanent resident over the age of 18 can apply as long as your student loans were used for attendance at a Title IV, degree-granting institution.A cosigner isn’t required with EDvestinU but may help you qualify or secure a lower rate.
Cosigner release is available after 24 consecutive on-time full payments.However, some states only require 12 months of payments to qualify.Credit score, income and other requirements also apply.5.
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) also refinances loans for people who have no degree.The minimum loan amount is $10,000, and MEFA offers terms from seven to 15 years.You must be a U.S.citizen or permanent resident to apply. The last 12 months of student loan payments must have been made in full and on time.
You do not need to be a resident of Massachusetts or have gone to school in the state to apply.6.Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) The Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) also refinances student loans without a degree.You don’t need to live or go to school in Rhode Island to qualify.
However, residents of Rhode Island and non-residents who attended a Rhode Island university may be eligible for an exclusive discount called the RI Advantage.Repayment options range from five to 15 years.Refinancing is available for loans from $1,500 to $350,000 (maximum depends on the highest degree earned).RISLA doesn’t charge any upfront fees for refinancing, and there are no prepayment penalties.
Borrowers can earn a 0.25% autopay discount.Cosigners aren’t required but can help qualify for a lower rate.Its cosigner release program is available after at least 24 months of consecutive and on-time payments (not available to residents of Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Nevada and Washington, D.C).What you need to know about student loan refinancing Can you refinance student loans without a college degree? The list above shows it’s possible.
As with any private lender, borrowers are subject to hard credit checks and other various requirements to qualify for refinancing, such as income requirements and employment verification.Typically, requirements will be tougher if you don’t have a college degree.Some of these lenders, for example, require a long, on-time payment history for people who have not completed their bachelor’s degrees or a minimum income.While refinancing is a useful student loan repayment strategy for many people, it’s not for everyone.
For example, you don't want to refinance if you might be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).Additionally, when refinancing federal student loans, you lose access to all federal benefits.This includes several important protections designed to help borrowers, such as income-driven repayment plans, loan forgiveness options, deferment and forbearance.If your student loan debt is less than 1.5 times your income and your personal finances are in order (e.g., you have a stable income and an emergency fund), refinancing could be the right strategy for you.
If your debt is higher than that, pursuing student loan forgiveness is probably a better choice.You can also search Student Loan Planner®’s refinance partners to see if you qualify for a refinance cashback bonus.
Publisher: Source link