EDvestinU Student Loans, offered by the New Hampshire Higher Education Loan Corporation (NHHELCO), provide a pathway for students to fund their education and realize their academic aspirations. In this article, we will conduct a comprehensive review of EDvestinU Student Loans, exploring their features, benefits, application process, and how they contribute to making education more accessible.
EDvestinU Student Loans are designed to offer students and families a range of borrowing options to fund their educational pursuits. With a focus on providing competitive interest rates and flexible repayment terms, EDvestinU aims to empower students to invest in their education and future success.
Key Features and Benefits
EDvestinU Student Loans come with a variety of features and benefits tailored to borrowers’ needs:
- Competitive Interest Rates: EDvestinU offers competitive interest rates, helping borrowers save money over the life of the loan.
- Flexible Repayment Plans: Borrowers can choose from various repayment plans, allowing them to select the one that best suits their financial situation and goals.
- Cosigner Release Option: After meeting specific criteria, borrowers may have the option to release their cosigner from the loan, providing greater financial independence.
- Grace Period and Deferment: EDvestinU offers a grace period of six months after graduation before repayment begins. Additionally, there are deferment options for borrowers facing economic hardship.
- No Origination Fees: EDvestinU Student Loans do not charge origination fees, reducing the upfront costs for borrowers.
Read: Student Loan Calculator
Application Process and Eligibility
Applying for EDvestinU Student Loans involves a straightforward process:
- Submit Application: Begin by completing an online application, providing essential personal, academic, and financial information.
- Choose Your Loan: Review the loan options offered by EDvestinU, including interest rates, repayment plans, and terms. Select the loan that aligns with your needs.
- Gather Documentation: Prepare any required documentation, such as proof of enrollment, income, and credit history.
- Loan Approval: EDvestinU will review your application and documentation. Once approved, you’ll receive the final terms of the loan.
- Loan Disbursement: Once the loan is finalized, the funds will be disbursed to your educational institution to cover tuition and other qualified expenses.
Considerations and Responsible Borrowing
As with any financial decision, responsible borrowing is essential:
- Understand Loan Terms: Thoroughly review and understand the terms, interest rates, and repayment options associated with the loan you choose.
- Explore All Options: Before committing to an EDvestinU loan, explore other financial aid avenues, including scholarships, grants, and federal loans.
- Budget for Repayment: Plan for loan repayment post-graduation and ensure that monthly payments align with your budget.
Pros and cons of NaviRefi student loans
NaviRefi may not be the right choice for everyone. Below are some of its most significant benefits and drawbacks.
PROS
- Flexible repayment options: Borrowers who are struggling to afford payments have several repayment options.
- No fees: Borrowers won’t have to worry about origination fees, prepayment penalties or late fees.
- Low interest rates: NaviRefi offers competitive rates that can make borrowing less expensive compared to other lenders.
CONS
- By invite only: You can apply for a NaviRefi loan only if at least one of your student loans is already serviced through Navient.
- Hard credit inquiry: When you apply, the lender performs a hard credit pull to provide you an interest rate quote. Other lenders offer prequalification, which involves a soft inquiry and won’t impact your credit.
- Potential problems with the servicer: NaviRefi loans are serviced by Navient, which has faced multiple lawsuits in the past alleging that the company harmed borrowers.
Check Low Student Loan Rates
Interest Rates And Terms
NaviRefi loans come with competitive interest rates that can make borrowing cheaper. As with most lenders, setting up automatic payments with your bank account can help you score a 0.25 percent interest rate discount.
If you qualify for a lower rate than what you have now — and you aren’t increasing the loan term — you could save money in the long run. Your APR will be based on factors such as your credit history and the length of your loan term. Here are the rates you can expect, including the autopay discount:
| Loan product | Variable rate | Fixed rate |
|---|---|---|
| Student loan refinancing | 3.99% to 7.70% | 4.49% to 9.18% |
Student Loans Offered by EDvestinU
Private Student Loans
Most lenders offer several flavors of private student loans: undergraduate loans, graduate loans, and loans for specialty education like medical or law school. That’s not the case with EDvestinU, however: It offers a one-size-fits-all private student loan for all of these uses. The only thing that varies is whether you’re a N.H. resident attending an in-state school or not.
| Terms for Private Student Loans | |
|---|---|
| Variable APR | 7.880%–10.817% (7.120%–10.167% for N.H. residents attending school in-state) |
| Fixed APR | 6.250%–9.935% (5.000%–9.197% for N.H. residents attending school in-state) |
| Loan Amounts | $1,000–$200,000 |
| Loan Terms | 7–15 years for private student loans |
Student Loan Refinances
You can refinance any and all student loans in your name up to the maximum limit. You can’t, however, refinance any of your spouse’s loans, or loans that your parents took out to pay for your education. If they want to refinance those loans, they’ll need to do it on their own. Unfortunately, the benefits for N.H. residents disappear for refinance loans—everyone who qualifies gets the same terms regardless of where they live.
| Terms for Student Loan Refinance | |
|---|---|
| Variable APR | 7.800%–9.550% |
| Fixed APR | 6.000%–9.370% |
| Loan Amounts | $7,500–$200,000 |
| Loan Terms | 5–20 years |
Loan Eligibility and Approval
EDvestinU has somewhat stricter qualification requirements for both its private student loans and student loan refinances. Here are the main loan requirements for both programs:
- Minimum credit score: Not disclosed
- Minimum annual gross income: $30,000 ($50,000 per year if you’re refinancing more than $100,000 in student loans)
- Available to residents of: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin
- Available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents: DACA recipients are not eligible. International students who have an eligible co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident are accepted.
- School requirements: Available for education at U.S.-based Title IV schools. If you’re in school, you must be attending on at least a half-time basis.8
Check: Credible Student Loans Reviews
Are Co-Signers Required?
No. However, if you’re still in school, you’ll have a tough time meeting the credit and income requirements on your own, so most students will still need an eligible co-signer. In addition, international students are only eligible if they’re studying at a U.S.-based school and have a co-signer who meets the loan requirements.
You can eventually apply for “co-signer release”—i.e., to remove them from the loan—on EDvestinU private student loans once you meet these requirements on your own:
- FICO score over 749
- No bankruptcies within the last 10 years
- Gross income of at least $30,000 per year
- No student loan defaults on your credit reports
- 36 on-time payments with your EDvestinU student loan
- No foreclosures, wage garnishments, unpaid tax liens, etc. having an open balance exceeding $100 within the last seven years
If you’re trying to remove your cosigner from a refinanced student loan, the requirements from above mostly still stand, but there are a few differences:
- FICO score over 699
- Debt-to-income ratio under 43%
- Gross income of at least $50,000 per year if your loan balance is over $100,00010
Is Loan Pre-Qualification Available?
Yes. This allows you to see the rate you’re likely to be approved for before you apply without having to deal with a hit to your credit score. You can check your rate on EDvestinU’s website.
Length of Time for Loan Approval and Disbursement
If you’re applying for a private student loan while you’re still in school, you can expect it to take between 7 and 10 business days for EDvestinU to get all of your information and issue a loan decision.11 If you’re approved, EDvestinU will reach out to your school’s financial aid office after you’ve signed the loan agreement and coordinate where and when to send the funds.
If you’re applying for a student loan refinance, EDvestinU is a bit more non-commital, only saying that it’ll vary depending on your specific situation, such as how many loans you’re refinancing.
Loan Fees and Repayment Options
Loan Fees
EDvestinU’s student loans are relatively light on fees. There’s no origination fee, forbearance fee, or deferment fee. If you pay late, however, you’ll be charged a late fee based on your monthly payment amount.
Loan Discounts
Aside from the special pricing available for N.H. residents, there’s only one other option for a discount: a 0.50% interest rate reduction if you sign up for autopay.1
Repayment Options
Depending on where you’re at in your college and financial journey, you’ll have a few options for how to pay off your loans:
- In-school repayment: If you have the income, you can also opt to make interest-only payments or even full payments while you’re still in school. This prevents interest from piling up or even allows you to get a jump start on repayment. Your first payment will be due 30 to 45 days after the last loan disbursement is made.12
- Deferred repayment: With this option you won’t make any payments while in school and usually for a given amount of months after graduating. However, interest will accrue during the time you’re not making payments.
Check also: Brazos Student Loans Review
Rewards
EDvestinU doesn’t have a rewards program.
Loan Forbearance and Discharge Options
If you run into financial problems and you’re not able to make your payments, you can apply for forbearance. If granted, you won’t need to make a payment for a specified amount of time, but interest will still continue to accrue.
Many lenders will discharge your student loan if you become permanently disabled or you die. EDvestinU doesn’t offer a disability discharge, but in the unfortunate event you pass away, it will discharge your loans. This is true even if you have a co-signer, which is a nice touch that protects them from suddenly being burdened with your student loan.
Is Student Loan Refinancing Available?
Yes, EDvestinU’s main business also offers student loan refinancing for those looking to swap out their old loan with a new one. You can refinance as many student loans together as you want, from as many sources as you want (private or federal), up to a combined maximum of $200,000.13
That’s enough for most people, but it might not be enough for everyone, especially if you got a costly professional degree. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, for example, more than half of medical school graduates in 2021 came out with a combined total of over $200,000 in student loan debt—more than what EDvestinU will allow you to refinance.14
There are a few other nice touches that make EDvestinU’s refinancing program special. If you’re a parent who took out student loans for your child’s education, you can refinance them with EDvestinU. In addition, you can still refinance with EDvestinU even if you didn’t complete your education and had to drop out, as long as you meet the regular requirements.
Applying for an EDvestinU Student Loan
If you’ve exhausted your other college financing options or you’re looking to refinance loans you already have, applying for a loan through EDvestinU is a relatively easy process. You can get pre-qualified and get a quote in just a few minutes. If you’d like to continue the application process, you’ll need to have the following information on hand for you and your co-signer (if you’ll be applying with one):
- School name and branch
- Estimated loan amount
- Social Security card
- Government-issued ID
- Employment information and proof of income (recent pay stubs and tax returns, etc.)
- Name, address, and phone number of two personal references who don’t live with you
If you’re looking to refinance your loans, you’ll need this information:
- Employer and income information
- Name of your current lender and loan servicer
- Your account number
- Total number of loans
- Interest rate
- A 30-day payoff amount
- Two personal references
Alternative Choices
| EDvestinU | Sallie Mae | Juno | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan Types Offered | Undergraduate; graduate | Undergraduate; graduate; professional; training; technical | Undergraduate; graduate |
| Undergraduate Fixed APR | 6.250%–9.935% (5.000%–9.197% for N.H. residents attending school in-state) | 4.50%–15.49% | Doesn’t advertise. Has rate match guarantee |
| Undergraduate Variable APR | 7.880%–10.817% (7.130%–10.176% for N.H. residents attending school in-state) | 6.12%–16.45% | Doesn’t advertise. Has rate match guarantee |
| Origination/Administrative Fee | None | None | None |
| Repayment Options | Defer until after school; Full payments while in school; Interest-only while in school | Defer until after school; Interest only while in school; Low fixed payment while in school | A range of options that will include deferment and in-school payment options |
| Refinancing Available | Yes | No | Yes |
Customer Service
If you’re not yet an EDvestinU customer or you’re still going through the application process, you can reach customer support using the following information:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (855) 887-5430
- Mail: 4 Barrell Court, Concord, NH 03301
- In person: At Concord office
- Hours: Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time
After your loan is disbursed, EDvestinU will hand off the customer service to its partner company, Granite State Management & Resources (GSM&R). In addition to messaging GSM&R through your online account portal, you can reach them using the following details:
- Mail: P.O. Box 2097, Concord, NH 03302-2097
- Phone: (800) 719-0708
- In person: 4 Barrell Court, Concord, NH 03301
- Hours: Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET (for in-person visits). Phone lines are open longer, however: Monday–Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
Over the years, people have filed 38 complaints about their student loans taken out through EDvestinU.4 That’s a lot, but far fewer than some other student loan companies like Nelnet, with around 4,900 complaints.
See also: Student Loan Refinance
Conclusion
EDvestinU Student Loans serve as a valuable tool for students seeking to invest in their education and future prospects. With competitive interest rates, personalized repayment options, and a commitment to borrowers’ financial well-being, EDvestinU supports students in their journey toward academic achievement.
As you explore financing options, take the time to carefully review the loan terms, compare them with other available options, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and financial stability. EDvestinU’s role in education emphasizes the positive impact of accessible and tailored financial solutions.