Student Loan Costs Will Rise 18% This Summer

By Mentor Staff | Edited By Mentor Staff

Updated On November 2, 2021

Editorial Note: This content is based solely on the author's opinions and is not provided, approved, endorsed or reviewed by any financial institution or partner.

How do we make money? The products featured on this website are from our partners who compensate us. This may impact which companies we review, the products we evaluate, and where and how a product appears on a page. We receive compensation from a partner when you apply for and receive a product through Mentor. This helps us to support our website, offer free content, tools and calculators, and continue to be one of the leading sources on personal finance.

College and graduate school are about to get more expensive.

Here’s what you need to know.

Undergraduate Student Loans

Interest rates for federal undergraduate Student Loan Costs will rise from 3.76% to 4.45% – an increase of 0.69 percentage points, or 18.4% – starting July 1.

Top Picks For Private Student Loans

March 2024

Fixed APR ?APR, or Annual Percentage Rate, is the price you pay to borrow money. Fixed APR means that your interest rate will always stay the same. Even if interest rates change, your interest rate or monthly payment will not. Fixed APR includes a 0.25% discount when you enroll in autopay.
Variable APR ?APR, or Annual Percentage Rate, is the price you pay to borrow money. Variable APR means that your interest rate can fluctuate over time, which can increase or decrease your monthly student loan payment. Typically, a variable-rate loan has a lower introductory rate than a fixed-loan rate loan. Variable APR includes a 0.25% discount when you enroll in autopay.
APR
4.07% - 16.65%
5.59% - 16.69%
4.07% - 16.69%

View Details

on College Ave's website

Overview

Variable APR:
5.59% - 16.69%
Fixed APR:
4.07% - 16.65%
Loan Type:
Graduate, Undergraduate
Minimum Loan Amount:
$1,000
Loan Terms:
5, 8, 10, 15 years
Origination Fees:
No
Prepayment Fees:
No
Co-signer Option:
No

Details

  • Student loans available to graduate, bachelors and associates degrees
  • Deferment and forbearance options may be available
  • Grace period for undergraduates: 6 months
  • Grace period for graduate students: 9 months
  • Flexible student loan repayment options
4.44% - 14.70%
5.99% - 14.70%
4.44% - 14.70%

View Details

on SoFi's website

Overview

Variable APR:
5.99% - 14.70%
Fixed APR:
4.44% - 14.70%
Loan Type:
Graduate, Undergraduate
Minimum Loan Amount:
$1,000
Loan Terms:
5, 10 and 15 years
Origination Fees:
None
Prepayment Fees:
None
Co-signer Option:
Yes

Details

  • Offer college, graduate school, law school, MBA and Parent student loans
  • Flexible repayment options
  • No late fees
  • Autopay rate discount
  • Free perks such as career planning and job search assistance
4.39% - 11.34%
6.10% - 11.34%
4.39% - 11.34%

View Details

on LendKey's website

Overview

Variable APR:
6.10% - 11.34%
Fixed APR:
4.39% - 11.34%
Loan Type:
Graduate, Undergraduate
Minimum Loan Amount:
$5,000
Loan Terms:
10
Origination Fees:
No
Prepayment Fees:
No
Co-signer Option:
Yes

Details

  • Low rates from community lenders like credit unions and community banks
  • Get lower rates with a co-signer
  • Ability to pause payments for up to 18 months if you become unemployed
  • May consider your academic credentials to help you get a lower rate
  • If you repay 10% of your loan before your loan enters full repayment period, 1.0% APR is dropped from your current interest rate
4.50% - 15.49%
6.37% - 16.70%
4.50% - 16.70%

View Details

on Sallie Mae's website

Overview

Variable APR:
6.37% - 16.70%
Fixed APR:
4.50% - 15.49%
Loan Type:
Graduate, Undergraduate
Minimum Loan Amount:
$1,000
Loan Terms:
10 - 20 years
Origination Fees:
None
Prepayment Fees:
None
Co-signer Option:
Yes

Details

  • Offer student loans for undergraduates, career training, and graduate students.
  • Provide private student loans to full-time, half-time and less the half-time students.
  • Non-U.S. citizens are eligible for student loans with a qualified U.S. citizen co-signer.
  • Multiple repayment options.
  • Borrow from $1,000 up to 100% of the school-certified expenses.
4.48% - 13.29%
6.38% - 14.28%
4.48% - 14.28%

View Details

on Citizens' website

Overview

Variable APR:
6.38% - 14.28%
Fixed APR:
4.48% - 13.29%
Loan Type:
Graduate, Undergraduate
Minimum Loan Amount:
$1,000
Loan Terms:
5, 10, 15 years
Origination Fees:
None
Prepayment Fees:
None
Co-signer Option:
Yes

Details

  • Student loans for college, graduate, medical/dental, law, MBA and Parent Loans
  • Flexible repayment options
  • Multi-year approval: no need to apply annually
  • Cosigner option
  • Forbearance and deferment options
4.09% - 15.66%
6.22% - 16.08%
4.09% - 16.08%

View Details

on Ascent's website

Overview

Variable APR:
6.22% - 16.08%
Fixed APR:
4.09% - 15.66%
Loan Type:
Graduate, Undergraduate
Minimum Loan Amount:
$2,001
Loan Terms:
5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 years
Origination Fees:
No
Prepayment Fees:
No
Co-signer Option:
Yes

Details

  • Student loan repayment while in school
  • 1% cash back on student loan principal at graduation
  • Co-signer release after 12 consecutive payments
  • Financial hardship forbearance available
  • No minimum income or credit score
  • Apply with or without a co-signer

Graduate Student Loans

Graduate students will also pay more for school. The cost for a federal direct unsubsidized graduate student loan will rise from 5.31% to 6.00% – a 13% increase.

PLUS Loans

PLUS Loans, which both graduate students and parents of undergraduate students can use, will rise from 6.31% to 7.00% – a 10.9% increase.

The Financial Impact

Each year, Congress sets the fixed interest rates for federal student loans. This rate is based on the May 10 auction of U.S. Treasury notes, and applies only to federal student loans disbursed from July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018.

The changes do not apply to private student loans, which are student loans not issued by the federal government. If you have a federal student loan issued prior to July 1, 2017, these changes do not impact your student loans.

While the relative percentage increases may seem substantial, the absolute financial impact is less severe.

For example, a college student who borrows $10,000 before July 1 would owe $12,013 under a standard 10-year repayment plan and current 3.76% interest rate. Under the new 4.45% interest rate, a college student who borrows $10,000 after July 1 would owe $12,408.

The difference is only $395 over 10 years, which equates to a few extra dollars per month in interest.

According to Mentor, there are over 44 million student loan borrowers who collectively owe $1.4 trillion in student loan debt. Today, student loan debt is the second highest consumer debt category in the U.S. – second only to mortgage debt.

Let's mentor your money

Get the latest personal finance advice delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter Subscription