Our rates are low.
But there’s more to it.
Opting for a fixed rate means it won’t change for the life of a loan.4 Remember, your actual rate will depend on your credit. A cosigner may help you get a better rate.
No Fees
No application fees, origination fees, late payment fees, forbearance fees, or fees to pay by debit card.
2% Grad Reward7
Upon request after graduating, reduce your principal balance by 2% of your net disbursed loan amount.
Faster Rate Reduction Than Any Competitor
Gradually reduce your rate. For every six months of on-time principal and interest payments, Abe lowers your rate by 0.05%— for a total reduction of up to 0.25%.8 Unlike other providers that require you to make years of payments first,* Abe lets you start to lower your rate (and build a good credit history) much sooner.
5, 7, 10, 15, or 20 Years2
The term, or duration, impacts both the cost of a loan and your monthly payment amount. The longer the loan, the more interest you’ll pay but the lower your monthly cost. Abe has five terms— giving you more options for weighing the length/cost of your loan against a monthly payment you’re comfortable making.
6 Payment Relief Options
Abe is there for you with six different payment relief options that let you defer payments when the unexpected happens. For example, you may need to do a medical internship or residency9 or it may take longer for you to get on your financial feet after you graduate.10, 11 You can also defer payments if you lose your job12 or suffer a serious illness.13
Early Cosigner Release14
Abe helps you repay your cosigner’s willingness to back your loan by giving them early release. After just one year of principal and interest payments, you can request to remove your cosigner and assume full responsibility for your loan.
*Comparisons based on competitors’ websites (as of 6/5/24).
How Abe stacks up.*
Zero Fees
Grace Period10,11
Repayment Options2
Repayment Terms2
Past Due Balances15
On-Time Discount8
Graduate Loans
Certificate Loans
Grad Reward7
In-School Default Protection3
Abe.
Up to 12 Months†
4
5, 7, 10, 15, & 20 Years
18 Months
Sallie Mae
6 Months
3
10 to 15 Years
12 Months
Sofi
6 Months
4
5, 7, 10, & 15 Years
12 Months
CollegeAve
6 Months
4
5, 8, 10, & 15 Years
12 Months
Earnest
9 Months
4
5, 7, 10, 12, & 15 Years
12 Months
*Comparisons based on competitors’ websites (as of 6/5/24).
†6 months grace guaranteed + possible 6 months grace extension.
Lowering your rate.
Reduce your rate by up to 0.50% for building a good payment history.
Other providers make you wait until you’re halfway through your repayment term to start lowering your rate.
Abe allows you to reduce your rate by 0.25% by electing auto pay16, even while you are enrolled in school, and up to an additional 0.25% interest rate reduction for making on-time principal and interest payments8 during the repayment term.
All higher education goals are created equal.
Undergraduate
Abe loans can be used to earn an associate, B.A., or B.S. degree at approved private and public universities and colleges.
Post-Bachelor Graduate Certificates
Post-bachelor graduate certificate students can use an Abe loan to earn specialized certificates in their field and start their careers at a higher level.
Graduate
MBA, PhD, JD, MD, DDS, MPH, you name it— Abe's graduate degree loans offer the same benefits as our undergraduate loans.
Advanced degrees often require more funding. That's why Abe has increased the aggregate loan limit23 to $350,000 for grad students enrolled in JD, MD, DVM, MBA or DDS specialty programs. This is the total allowable amount of both Federal and Private Loans combined.
Less Than Half-Time Students
Abe helps students who just need a few more credits to get over the finish line, including summer and Jan Plan courses.
We welcome the world.17
U.S. Citizens
Permanent Residents
DACA Recipients with U.S. Cosigner
International Students with U.S. Cosigner
More repayment options, more power to the individual.
Determining the right Abe loan for you means figuring out your ideal total loan cost vs. monthly payment amount.
Whether you can start repaying while in school or if you need to defer until after graduation, the rule of thumb is the shorter the loan term, the less interest you’ll pay and the lower the total cost of your loan.
Abe has five different loan terms: 5, 7, 10, 15, or 20 years.2 Use the configurator to see how adjusting the length of your loan changes the monthly payment, and then choose the shortest term with a payment amount you’re comfortable making.
In-School Payments2
- Making principal and interest payments lowers the cost of the loan the most
- Interest only payments reduce the long-term cost
- Low, flat payments steadily chip away at your balance
Deferred Payments
-
Wait until you graduate and are earning money to start repayment18
Choose from five different loan terms:
- 5, 7, 10, 15, or 20 years2
Life happens. That's okay.
Most students don't worry about borrowing money. They worry about paying it back.
What if you need more time before starting repayment? What if life throws you a curveball? Or two?
In-School Default Protection3 protects you from default.
If you elect to make interest only or partial interest payments while in-school but fall short, In-School Default Protection will save you from default by automatically switching you to a deferred payment program. Your credit won't take a hit from a default and you won't have a default affecting your ability to get future loans. Abe also features an extra year of in-school deferment18 – up to 60 months (5 years) in case it takes a little longer to get your degree.
Re-enrollment, medical internships, and residencies.
If you have to re-enroll to finish up, or if you need to do a medical internship or residency, we offer deferment options.9
Health and family first.
If you end up out of work due to illness or go on unpaid FMLA leave, Abe provides up to 12 months of medical forbearance.13
Extended payment relief.
If you have gone through a reduced payment program and still need relief to get back on your feet, you may be eligible for a term extension of 60 months (5 years), which will lower your monthly payments.19
Past Due Balances.
Falling behind and accumulating a past-due school balance can happen, particularly during financial emergencies or unexpected circumstances. If this occurs, an Abe loan can be used to cover the outstanding balance within 18 months of the academic period end date.15
The Paying For College Scholarship Sweepstakes22
Enter monthly for your chance to win a $1,500 scholarship. The award can be used for books, supplies, or whatever you may need for school. A new scholarship is awarded every month, and you can come back and enter at any time.
A Plain, Honest Guide to Private Student Loans
Abe believes that if you give people the honest, straightforward information they need to make good decisions, they will. That’s why we created the Abe Guide to Student Loans and invite you to download it here.