Graduate-School Loans Archives

Laurel Road offers a few different payment options while in school. Full deferment: You can defer your interest payments while enrolled in school, in addition to the six-month grace period following graduation or termination of enrollment. Afterward, unpaid accrued interest is added to your loan balance and you will begin making full principal and interest payments. *Flat $50 payments: You can make monthly payments of $50 beginning approximately one month after the final loan disbursement date up until completion of the six-month grace period. Afterward, unpaid accrued interest is added to your loan balance and you will begin making full principal and interest payments. *Interest-only payment: You can choose to pay only the interest each month while you’re in the deferment period. This is a great way to make a dent in your interest while in school, without having to make the full repayment. Payments begin 1 month after each final loan disbursement date up until completion of the six-month grace period. Afterward, you will begin making full principal and interest payments. *Immediate Repayment payment: You can pay the full principal and interest payment every month while you’re in school. This plan is for students who want to begin paying down their student loans while enrolled in school. *When selecting a flat, interest-only, or an immediate repayment option, payment is required only after the final disbursement for loans with multiple disbursements. Interest will accrue between disbursements and will be added to the principal amount of your loan at the beginning of the full repayment period. For more information, review your final closing documents for a detailed overview of your repayment terms.

Based on current Federal rates and offerings, Laurel Road will not be offering Graduate Loans for the upcoming 2022-2023 academic year. For information on alternative financing options, please contact your school’s financial aid office for resources and information regarding scholarships, grants, and federal student aid. Most schools will likely have a list of private lender options for students in need of a private loan option.

If you continue with an application after checking rates, we will ask you to authorize a hard credit inquiry, which may affect your credit score.

For most of our loans, you will only need to provide a photo ID. We do require a school certification but we will request that from your school after you consent to a hard credit pull. If you have a co-signer, it may be necessary for the co-signer to provide proof of income.

Both standard and partial payments are applied first toward any outstanding late fees, next to outstanding accrued interest, and then to the principal balance. Payments less than the required monthly amount may cause your account to become delinquent. We may report information about your account, late payments, missed payments, or loan defaults to consumer reporting agencies.

Yes. If you choose to prepay the loan or pay more than the minimum monthly payment amount, you will not incur any penalty for doing so. Additional payments are applied to your principal balance after all outstanding interest is satisfied.

Yes. There are several payment options that you can choose from, including in-school deferment. Each deferment option includes a six-month grace period following graduation or termination of enrollment. Any interest accrued during any period of deferment or grace will be added to the principal balance at the beginning of the full repayment period.

There will be a six (6) month grace period which begins at the end of your in-school period, except for borrowers who choose Immediate Repayment. The grace period is triggered by the student either a) dropping below half-time attendance, b) withdrawing from the eligible institution, or c) graduating. The Repayment Term will begin within thirty (30) days of the end of the grace period. Any interest accrued during any period of deferment or grace will be added to the principal balance at the beginning of the full repayment period.

If the loan adjustment amount is lower than your initial amount please reach out to Laurel Road Member Services for assistance. If your adjustment amount is higher than your initial amount you must reapply.

Because Laurel Road is providing a private loan, we do not require FAFSA, an application for a federal loan.

While in some instances Laurel Road may provide more competitive rates and flexible terms and repayment options, it does not offer Income-Based Repayment and Loan Forgiveness options that may be available through federal student loans. Be sure to explore all options available to you including grants, scholarships, and federal loans. For more information about federal student loan options visit StudentAid.gov

You may not need a cosigner, but if you do not meet our credit criteria, a cosigner may improve your chances of being approved.

Laurel Road Graduate Loans are available to individuals attending medical or dental schools, individuals pursuing a masters or doctorate degree in nursing, and individuals pursuing a degree to become a physician assistant. Students that have accepted an offer to enroll at least half-time or are currently enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school program, are a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident with a valid I-551 card (a conditional I-551 card will not be accepted) are eligible to apply for a graduate school loan with Laurel Road. Not all degrees are eligible at all schools.

If you choose to make in school payments (e.g., flat payments, interest only, immediate repayment) then your first payment will be due about one month after your final disbursement (i.e., the last semester covered by your loan). If you select either the flat or interest only payment options your first payment of both principal and interest will be due about a month after your grace period ends. If you choose to defer payments while in school, then your first payment will be due about a month after your grace period ends. For more information, you should review your final closing documents for a detailed overview of your repayment terms.

You can send our Member Services team a message by emailing us at [email protected] or by using the live chat function on our website. To speak directly with a Member Services representative, you can call us at 1-833-427-2265. Members using a TDD/TTY device, please use 1-800-539-8336. If your Laurel Road graduate loan has been disbursed, you should contact our loan servicing partner MOHELA at (877) 292-6845 (TTY: Dial 711) Monday – Thursday, 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM CT and Friday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT.

If you are a member who requires financial assistance, please contact our servicing partner MOHELA at 1-877-292-6845 (TTY: Dial 711) to discuss Laurel Road economic hardship forbearance options that may be available to you, as you may be eligible for full or partial forbearance for a period. All requests for forbearance are subject to review, including acceptable documentation of the nature and expected duration of the economic hardship. Please contact us directly to discuss your individual options. Please note: interest will continue to accrue in forbearance and any unpaid accrued interest will be capitalized and added to the remaining principal of the loan at the end of the forbearance period.

The AutoPay/EFT Discount is a 0.25% interest rate discount for making recurring monthly payments via electronic fund transfer (EFT) from a bank account. When applied your rate will be decreased by 0.25%. If, however, you stop making automatic payments via EFT, then your rate will increase by 0.25%. The 0.25% AutoPay/EFT Discount will not reduce the monthly payment; instead, the discount is applied to the principal to help pay the loan down faster. Rates advertised on this site typically include the 0.25% AutoPay/EFT Discount. However, if you stop making automatic payments or if Laurel Road cancels your automatic payments due to returned payment, delinquency, or forbearance, or otherwise, then your rates will go back to their regular levels. Discount not available during periods of deferment when no payment is required. In your welcome letter, you will receive instructions on how to set up automatic payments.

It’s pretty simple – the entire application is completed online. You will generally receive rates shortly after you complete your application. Fill out a short application with basic information about you, your loan, education, and cosigner if relevant. After you authorize a hard credit inquiry and have provided any supporting information requested, we will request cost of attendance information from your school, review your application, and we will provide you with a decision. If you are conditionally approved, you will be able to select your loan type and term, and accept and e-sign all necessary disclosures and your promissory note in the Laurel Road dashboard. The timing of your first payment to Laurel Road is dependent on the loan type you choose.

Once you are approved, accept the terms of the loans, and your school provides certification, you can execute your final documents and all funds will be sent directly to your school.

No, we do not have application fees, origination fees, or disbursement fees, nor do we have prepayment penalties.

The minimum loan size that you can borrow with Laurel Road is $5,000. The maximum loan size is the total Cost of Attendance (COA) with certification of enrollment, degree, and graduation year from your school.

If you have questions about the in-school certification or funding process, please reach out to [email protected]. We currently certify and disburse all graduate loans through ELM.