Considering how expensive it is to pay for college, you may be discouraged from furthering your education after high school. But thanks to Student Loans, you can now take loans to support your tuition and fees with less stress.
As a college student, if your school approves your student loans, you are free to choose your own lender as part of your federal financial aid package. Bank of America can be a perfect choice here.
Officially, Bank of America started student loans and they handle most popular federal loans such as Safford Loans, PLUS (for parents), Graduate Student PLUS, and Federal Consolidation Loans. So, as a freshman, you should be able to take and refinance your loan from Bank of America.
The question now is, “Does Bank of America Still Offers Student Loans?” The next section of this article will explain whether Bank of America still gives out their loans to students.
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Does Bank of America Still Offers Student Loans?
Years back, Bank of America was one of the biggest issuers of student loans in the nation. They offer private loans, federal loans, and even student loans like the Campus Edge and the Education Maximizer Loan.
Unfortunately, the Bank of America private student loan program ended in 2008. Then the Federal Student loans were available until in 2010, the Federal Family Education Loan stopped it.
Between 2014 and 2017, the company finally sold off it’s entire $3.9 billion student loan portfolio. Currently, you can only get these loans from the U.S. Department of Education Direct Loans Program.
So, if you hope to partake in the Bank of America student loans, it is such a pity to tell you that you have to look elsewhere. The best choice is to borrow a private student loan from a bank or credit union if you have an existing relationship with that financial institution.
This article is here to serve as a resource and to provide a historical reference in case Bank of America initiates student loans in the future.
You Can Also Check Out Great Lakes Student Loans Full Review
Types of Student Loans Offered by Bank of America
It is obvious that Bank of America no longer gives student loans. But when they did, here are some types of student loans offered by Bank of America:
CampusOne Student Loan
CampusOne Student Loan is a federal loan offered by Bank of America. The federal loans are of different kinds such as the Stafford Loan, the PLUS loan, the Graduate PLUS loan and the Consolidation Loan.
Also, federal loans are linked to the government. This means that the loan is certified and is either subsidized or has a fixed rate, looking from the student’s point of view.
However, the Consolidation loan usually charges the fixed interest rate as decided by the government.
Private Student Loans
Private student loans have no federal link. It is solely autonomous. Although similar to normal bank loans, they differ in some areas.
There are different types of private student loans that Bank of America offered. And it depends on whether they are certified by the school or educational institute.
In a situation when the loan is certified by the school, Bank of America offers two types of private student loans.
First is the Bank of America Private Loan which is accessible by undergraduates and graduate students. The interesting aspect of this loan is that it charges a minimum monthly installment and offers flexible repayment schemes.
The second type of school-certified student loan offered by Bank of America is the Bank of America TERI (The Educational Resources Institute) Loan. This loan is available to all students being enrolled in a program with minimum requirements.
Granting this loans is dependent on the student’s ability to repay the loan. Also, make sure your credit score is strong if you are planning to apply for the TERI loan.
Non-Certified Loans
Bank of America also offered loans that didn’t require to be certified by the school you planned to attend. The two types of loans in this category are the CampusEdge Student Loan and the Education Maximizer Loan.
These loans are beneficial to students to pay their supplementary expenses such as books, food, accomodation. Also, both loans have easy terms and conditions.
For example, you can take a loan of $40,000 a year under the Education Maximizer Loan and have the option to defer repayment till your graduation.
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Can I Refinance my Student Loans with Bank of America?
Bank of America does not refinance student loans, but you can find many lenders who do that. However, to qualify with any refinance lender, a student must definitely need:
- A good credit score:
- Steady income: must be a debt-to-income ratio below 50%
- Meet additional requirements like graduating from college
Having a private student loan from Bank of America, you will experience a little drawback to refinancing. But if you have federal loans from bank of Ameria, you have additional options:
- Refinancing Federal Bank of America Student Loans: In this instance, you can only refinance with a private lender. Doing this will cost you federal benefits, although refinancing can make sense if your aim is to reduce your loan’s interest rate and save money in the end.
- Consolidate Federal Student loans from Bank of America: Consodilation will not lower your interest rate or save you more money, but it can certify your existing federal loans for additional repayment plans and programs. An example of such plans and programs is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Also, consolidation can extend your repayment term.
What is the Credit Score for Bank of America Student Loans?
To secure a private loan from Bank of America, you’ll typically need a score of at least 600 or a co-signer (typically a parent) with a score in that range.
However, it is difficult to ascertain the main credit score cutoff for Bank of America because private lenders keeps it as trade secret.
So, the only way to find out if you qualify is to apply. Though some lenders offers preselection, which gives you access to find out if you are eligible for a student loan without the lender doing a hard pull on your credit.
What are the Alternatives to the Bank of America Student Loans?
Students are obviously looking for another private or federal loan lenders since the Bank of America student loans no longer exist.
We advise you to go for private student loan lenders. Because private loans are the best way to pay for education expenses especially when federal loans don’t cover all your college fees.
In this case, there are many lenders to consider, so it’s important to take time and compare them all to find the best that suits your need.
Here are some good private lenders that are the best alternatives to Bank of America student loans:
College Ave
College Ave is our top-ranked lender that offers student loan to undergraduate, graduates, and parents.
Without any impact on your credit score, you can prequalify for a loan in College Ave. Upon approval, you get to select the loan term that meets your repayment needs.
However, interest rates are low for approved borrowers, and there’s a 0.25% interest rate reduction for choosing the autopay option.
Earnest
Earnest offer student loans to undergraduates and graduates.
You can check eligibility in just two minutes, without commitment or effect on your credit.
While refinancing, borrowers can decide to skip a payment once per year.
Credible
Credible is one student loan platform that allows you to compare multiple private lenders. You start by searching both undergraduate and graduates loans to find the best that fits your need.
A major benefit is you have to apply only once to multiple lenders.
CommonBond
CommonBond also offers different private student loans options. And you will enjoy low rates for qualified borrowers
There are no application fees or prepayment fees, but some of their loans do have a 2% origination fee.
Above all, CommonBond is known for its refinancing.
LendKey
LendKey is another platform like credible. While it acts as a middleman, working between lenders and credit unions, it offers private student loans to undergraduates and graduates.
Although most loans require a cosigner. LendKey has very low rates and a 0.25% rate reduction for choosing autopay.
Conclusion
Its obvious student loans are useful, especially for college students. Over the years, Bank of America has served students in providing loans. Though Bank of America does not offer student loans anymore, there are many other lenders that can be of great help.
You can get alternatives to Bank of America student loans here.
