BEST OF

6 Best Student Loans Without a Co-Signer

Always opt for federal student loans before choosing a private student loan.

By Cecilia Clark 

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6 student loans that don't require a co-signer:

  1. Federal Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan

  2. Ascent Private Student Loan

  3. Funding U Private Student Loan

  4. A.M. Private Student Loan

  5. MPOWER Private Student Loan

  6. Edly Income Share Agreement

Federal student loans don’t require credit history or a co-signer. They’re also the most flexible when it’s time to repay, so use them first.

But to afford college, some students may need private student loans, which are credit-based. A small number of private lenders offer student loans without a co-signer. You’ll pay higher interest rates as a result.

Review our picks and instructions for how to shop for a student loan without a co-signer.

Best Student Loans Without a Co-Signer

Our pick for

All student loan borrowers as their first option

Federal loans are preferable to private ones because they're eligible for income-driven repayment and loan forgiveness.

Federal Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Federal Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan

Min. credit score

None

Fixed APR

4.99-6.54%

Variable APR

N/A

Variable APR

N/A

Key facts

Federal direct loans offer generous repayment flexibility and among the lowest fixed interest rates you’ll find.

Pros

  • More flexible repayment options for struggling borrowers than other lenders.

  • Subsidized loans do not collect interest while in school or during deferment.

  • Lower interest rates compared with private lenders.

Cons

  • You pay an origination fee.

Qualifications

  • No credit check or minimum income is needed to borrow.

  • Loan amounts for undergraduates: $5,500 year one, $6,500 year two, $7,500 year three and thereafter, up to a total of $31,000

  • Independent students and graduate students have higher loan limits.

  • Undergraduate interest rate fixed at 3.73%, while grad students get higher 5.28% rate

Available Term Lengths

10 to 25 years once repayment begins, depending on the repayment plan.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Students with a strong GPA

These loans require borrowers have and maintain a certain GPA to qualify.

Funding U Private Student Loan
Check rate

on Funding U's website

Funding U Private Student Loan

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Funding U Private Student Loan

Min. credit score

None

Fixed APR

7.49-12.99%

Variable APR

N/A
Check rate

on Funding U's website


Variable APR

N/A

Key facts

Best for high-achieving independent students enrolled in four-year programs who have small funding gaps.

Pros

  • You don't need a co-signer or credit history to get a loan.

  • You can see if you’ll qualify and what rate you’ll get without a hard credit check.

Cons

  • Loans aren't available in 14 states.

  • Payment required while in school and during the grace period.

Qualifications

  • Typical credit score of approved borrowers: 650.

  • Minimum income: No minimum, but borrowers must demonstrate they can pay $20 per month toward their loan.

  • Loan amounts: $3,001 up to $10,000.

Available Term Lengths

10 years

Read Full Review

A.M. Money Private Student Loan

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
A.M. Money Private Student Loan

Min. credit score

None

Fixed APR

7.53-8.85%

Variable APR

N/A

Variable APR

N/A

Key facts

Best for students who have a strong GPA and attend one of the schools A.M. Money works with. It is affiliated with Illinois, but lends to schools all over the country.

Pros

  • GPA is used to determine eligibility instead of credit or a co-signer.

  • Offers a hard-to-find, temporary income-based repayment option for up to 36 months.

  • All borrowers get the same fixed rate, benchmarked to the federal PLUS loan rates.

Cons

  • Works with a limited list of schools.

  • Charges an origination fee.

  • Does not allow for bi-weekly payments via autopay.

Qualifications

  • Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Credit and a co-signer are not required. Approval is based on GPA.

  • Minimum income: No minimum. Approval is based on GPA.

  • Loan amounts: $2,001 up to the full cost of attendance, maximum $50,000

Available Term Lengths

10 years

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Upperclassmen with no credit, income or co-signer

Future income-based: You'll be evaluated based on your future earning potential, rather than your current income or credit.

Ascent Non-Cosigned Student Loan
Check rate

on Ascent's website

Ascent Non-Cosigned Student Loan

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Ascent Non-Cosigned Student Loan

Min. credit score

Varies

Fixed APR

9.63-16.16%

Variable APR

9.39-15.76%
Check rate

on Ascent's website


Variable APR

9.39-15.76%

Key facts

Best for independent students with strong credit or upperclassmen with good grades.

Pros

  • Among the best for payment flexibility.

  • Grace period of 9 months is longer than most lenders.

Cons

  • International students are not eligible.

  • Freshmen, sophomores and those enrolled less than half-time are not eligible for future-income based loan.

Qualifications

  • Typical credit score of approved borrowers: Did not disclose.

  • Minimum income: $24,000 per year for credit-based loan. No minimum for future-income based loan.

  • Loan amounts: $2,001 to $200,000 per year with an aggregate loan limit of $200,000 for credit-based loan. $2,001 to $20,000 per year for future-income based loan.

Available Term Lengths

5, 7, 10, 12 or 15 years

Disclaimer

Ascent Student Loans are funded by Bank of Lake Mills, Member FDIC. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations; and terms and conditions may apply. For Ascent Terms and Conditions please visit: www.AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Rates are effective as of 2/1/2023 and reflect an automatic payment discount of either 0.25% (for credit-based loans) OR 1.00% (for undergraduate outcomes-based loans). Automatic Payment Discount is available if the borrower is enrolled in automatic payments from their personal checking account and the amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. For Ascent rates and repayment examples please visit: AscentFunding.com/Rates. 1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. Cosigned Credit-Based Loan student must meet certain minimum credit criteria. The minimum score required is subject to change and may depend on the credit score of your cosigner. Lowest APRs require interest-only payments, the shortest loan term, and a cosigner, and are only available to our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

International students

You must be from one of the 180 countries MPOWER works with. DACA students do not need a Social Security number.

MPOWER Private Student Loan
Check rate

on MPOWER's website

MPOWER Private Student Loan

4.0

NerdWallet rating 
MPOWER Private Student Loan

Min. credit score

N/A

Fixed APR

13.72-15.01%

Variable APR

N/A
Check rate

on MPOWER's website


Variable APR

N/A

Key facts

Best for international students without co-signers and DACA students. You’ll be evaluated based on earning potential and positive payment history on your credit report, though not on your score.

Pros

  • Offers a hard-to-find option: non-co-signed student loans for international and DACA students.

  • Borrowers are assigned a dedicated student loan advisor.

  • Borrowers can request forbearance of up to 24 months, which is longer than many lenders offer.

Cons

  • Payment required while in school and during the grace period.

  • Offers only one repayment term: 10 years.

Qualifications

  • MPOWER considers future income potential but does not factor in credit scores.

  • Loan amounts: Minimum $2,001. Maximum loan is $100,000, limited to $25,000 per academic period.

Available Term Lengths

10 years

Disclaimer

Note: Our loan does not support Canadian citizens studying in Canada. Canadian Permanent Residents and U.S. citizens are considered “international” when studying in Canada. International students, U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and DACA recipients in the U.S. or Canada. ‘International’ means you are a non-U.S. citizen or U.S. non-permanent resident studying at a university in the U.S., or you are a non-Canadian citizen or Canadian non-permanent resident studying at a university in Canada. ‘DACA’ means the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals Program initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2012. In order to qualify as a DACA Student, you must have applied for, and been granted, DACA status by USCIS. As a graduate student, you can borrow with a fixed interest rate of 12.99% (13.98% APR¹). This is the maximum rate and will not increase. However, MPOWER offers borrowers a way to qualify for a discount; a 0.25% rate discount is possible by making your loan payments through automatic withdrawal from your bank account. If you qualify for this discount, your rate will be 12.74% (13.72% APR²). ¹[International graduate student with regular interest rate] The APR is calculated using the following assumptions: A loan is approved in the amount of US$10,000 with a 5% origination fee of US$500. The student will start making payments 45 days after loan disbursement. Payments will be interest only until graduation, plus an additional 6-month grace period. The remaining months of repayment are calculated using a 120-month amortization schedule. All payments are made on-time, a forbearance is never utilized, and there is no pre-payment of any principal. At an APR of 13.98%, the monthly payment amount is US$113.66 for the first 30 months. For the next 120 months, the monthly payment amount is about $156.71. ²[International graduate student with discounted interest rate] The APRs with discounts are calculated using the following assumptions: A loan is approved in the amount of $10,000 with a 5% origination fee of US$500. The student will start making payments 45 days after loan disbursement. The borrower signs up for automatic debit immediately after the loan is disbursed and remains on it for the life of the loan, which reduces the rate by 0.25%. At an APR of 13.72%, the monthly payment is US$111.47 for the first 30 months. For the last 120 payments, the monthly amount is US$155.17. Undergraduate Students in the U.S. or Canada Note: Our loan does not support Canadian citizens studying in Canada. Canadian Permanent Residents and U.S. citizens are considered “international” when studying in Canada. International students, U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and DACA recipients in the U.S. or Canada. ‘International’ means you are a non-U.S. citizen or U.S. non-permanent resident studying at a university in the U.S., or you are a non-Canadian citizen or Canadian non-permanent resident studying at a university in Canada. ‘DACA’ means the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals Program initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2012. In order to qualify as a DACA Student, you must have applied for, and been granted, DACA status by USCIS. As an undergraduate student, you can borrow with a fixed interest rate of 13.99% (15.01% APR³). This is the maximum rate and will never increase. However, MPOWER offers borrowers a way to qualify for a discount; a 0.25% rate discount is possible by making your loan payments through automatic withdrawal from your bank account. If you qualify for this discount, your rate will be 13.74% (14.75% APR⁴). ³[International undergraduate student with regular interest rate] The APR is calculated using the following assumptions: A loan is approved in the amount of $10,000 with a 5% origination fee of $500. The student will start making payments 45 days after loan disbursement. Payments will be interest only until graduation plus an additional 6-month grace period. The remaining months of repayment are calculated using a 120-month amortization schedule. All payments are made on-time, a forbearance is never utilized, and there is no pre-payment of any principal. At an APR of 15.01%, the monthly payment amount is $122.41 for the first 30 months. For the next 120 months, the monthly payment amount is $162.97. ⁴[International undergraduate student with discounted interest rate] The APRs with discounts are calculated using the following assumptions: A loan is approved in the amount of US$10,000 with a 5% origination fee of US$500. The student will start making payments 45 days after loan disbursement. The borrower signs up for automatic debit immediately after the loan is disbursed and remains on it for the life of the loan, which reduces the rate by 0.25%. A forbearance is never utilized and there is no prepayment of any principal. At an APR of 14.75%, the monthly payment is US$120.22 for the first 30 payments. For the last 120 payments, the monthly amount is US$161.39.

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Our pick for

Income share agreements

Edly Private Student Loan

4.0

NerdWallet rating 
Edly Private Student Loan

Min. credit score

None

Fixed APR

N/A

Variable APR

N/A

Variable APR

N/A

Key facts

Stride Funding offers income share agreements to students who are at least college juniors and typically major in health care and STEM fields.

Pros

  • No credit history required.

  • Available to students without a co-signer.

  • No payment required if borrower's income is less than $30,000 per year.

Cons

  • Borrowers have to repay 2.25X the borrowed amount if they want to pay off the loan early.

  • Not available to freshmen and sophomores receiving a four-year degree.

  • Not available to borrowers in Colorado, Maine, Vermont and West Virginia.

Available Term Lengths

5 years of payments and up to 10 years with deferment periods.

Read Full Review

How to shop for a student loan without a co-signer

  1. Take out federal student loans first. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, to get access to federal loans, grants and scholarships. Federal loans should be your first stop: They offer lower interest rates and come with income-driven repayment plans and forgiveness programs.

  2. Build credit before you apply for a private student loan. While undergrads generally don’t have the credit history required to get a loan in their own names, graduate students over age 21 might. You’ll have the best shot at a private loan with competitive interest rates if your credit score is 690 or above. Strengthen it before applying for a loan by fixing errors on your credit report, paying all bills on time and using as little of your credit limit as possible.

  3. Compare loan features. When shopping for a private loan without a co-signer, compare offers to get the lowest interest rate you qualify for. Note whether the lender will postpone payments in case you have difficulty affording them, and for how long. Find out if there are origination, prepayment or late fees, and how easily you can reach the lender by phone, email or live chat if you encounter a billing or customer service issue.

  4. Opt for a fixed interest rate. Given the choice, a fixed interest rate is a safer bet than a variable interest rate. It won’t increase over time.

  5. Keep an eye on the bottom line. Use a student loan calculator to see what kind of payment you’ll face after borrowing for multiple years.

  6. Consider refinancing in the future. Once you’re out of school and have built a credit profile, you may be able to refinance private student loans to a lower interest rate. You’ll generally need solid income, a credit score of 690 or higher and a history of on-time debt payments.

Student loans that don't require a co-signer

Lender

Type of loan

Available to

Federal direct student loan

Requires no cosigner or credit history

All student loan borrowers as their first option

Ascent

Based on future income

Juniors and seniors

Ascent

Based on credit history

Borrowers with 680 or higher credit scores and adequate income

Funding U

Based on academic record and future potential

Undergraduates at eligible schools

A.M. Money

Based on GPA

Undergraduates at a limited list of schools

MPOWER

Based on earnings potential and positive payment history

International students

Prodigy Finance

Based on earnings potential

International grad students

Stride

Income share agreement

Primarily health care and STEM grad students; juniors and seniors may also qualify

Avenify

Income share agreement

Nursing students nearing graduation

STUDENT LOAN RATINGS METHODOLOGY

Our survey of more than 29 banks, credit unions and online lenders offering student loans and student loan refinancing includes the top 10 lenders by market share and top 10 lenders by online search volume, as well as lenders that serve specialty or nontraditional markets.

We consider 40 features and data points for each financial institution. Depending on the category, these include the availability of biweekly payments through autopay, minimum credit score and income requirement disclosures, availability to borrowers in all states, extended grace periods and in-house customer service.

The stars represent ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars). Ratings are rounded to the nearest half-star.

Last updated on January 5, 2023

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Best Student Loans Without a Co-Signer

Frequently asked questions