Private Student Loans FAQ

We recommend you first obtain as much money as you can from scholarships and grants since you do not have to pay back these types of financial aid. Once you have maximized these options, you will know how much money you still need for school. If you need to borrow money, apply for only what you need.

Federal student loans are available through the US Department of Education, feature fixed interest rates, and offer several repayment options. Private student loans are education loans offered by banks or other lenders, are credit-based and have fixed or variable interest rates.

A certified private student loan requires the school to verify the amount you are borrowing and tells the lender when to disburse the funds. This helps ensure you borrow only what is needed. Non school-certified loans do not require the school to verify the amount you are borrowing. These loans typically have higher interest rates.

We offer the following types of private student loans to help you cover up to 100% of tuition, housing, books and more. Aggregate loan limits apply.

• Discover Undergraduate Loan
• Discover Health Professions Loan
• Discover Residency Loans
• Discover Law Loan
• Discover Bar Exam Loans
• Discover MBA Loan
• Discover Graduate Loan
• Discover Parent Loan

While you may apply on your own, most undergraduate students will need to apply with a creditworthy cosigner to meet our eligibility requirements, which include but are not limited to an established and satisfactory credit history. Even if you meet our requirements, you may still want to consider applying with a cosigner who has a stronger credit history and income to help you qualify for a lower interest rate.

Cosigners are responsible for the life of the loan.

Interest is calculated as simple daily interest. This means that each day the outstanding principal balance is multiplied by the interest rate and divided by 365 days to calculate that day's interest amount. For example, if you have a $10,000 loan and the interest rate is 7%, one day's interest will be ($10,000 x 0.07) / 365 = $1.92. For more information, read our article on interest rates.