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SEIU Graduate Loan Program

Cover advanced degree expenses that financial aid may not fully cover with a customized private student loan that fits your budget

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SEIU Graduate Loan Program

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OVERVIEW

Get the money you need to make postgraduate education a reality with the SEIU Graduate Loan Program

  • checkGet a special 0.25% interest rate discount only offered to SEIU members1
  • checkGet an additional 0.25% interest rate discount with auto-pay enrollment2
  • checkCover up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance3
  • checkFlexible loan terms of 5, 8, 10 or 15 years4 with multiple repayment options
  • checkPay zero origination fees, application fees or pre-payment penalties
  • checkApply and get a credit decision in just three minutes

BENEFIT DETAILS

The SEIU Graduate Loan Program offers terms that can help cover the high cost of a graduate education

 

Save on interest

With an exclusive SEIU member discount of 0.25%1 and an additional 0.25% interest rate reduction with auto-pay enrollment,2 you can save on interest over time.

All school-certified costs are covered

Cover up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance, with funds that are disbursed directly to the school to cover expenses, including lab fees and dining plans.3

You’re in control of your repayment options

Choose from loan terms of 5, 8, 10, or 15 years and pick one of 4 repayment options: immediate full principal and interest, interest only, flat pay or deferred.4

A cosigner can help

If you are thinking about applying for a private student loan, adding a cosigner may help your chances of being approved and getting a better interest rate.

How to Pay for Grad School Q&A

Federal loans, grants and financial aid packages don’t always cover all of the costs of higher education.

The SEIU Graduate Loan Program can help graduate students bridge the gap or pay for essentials so that you or a loved one can focus on learning—with less financial stress.

Learn about grad school best practices, how to pay for your Master’s degree and much more in this video.

HOW TO GET THIS

How to apply for a graduate student loan through the SEIU Graduate Loan Program

How To Apply

  1. Make sure you’re signed in to your SEIU Member Benefits account.
  2. Click on the “Get Started” button to visit the College Ave website.
  3. On the College Ave site, select “Apply Now.”
  4. Complete the required fields in the online application and receive your instant credit decision.
  5. Choose your loan terms upon approval.

FAQs

Your questions, answered

The SEIU Graduate Loan, offered in partnership with College Ave Student Loans, was designed to help you or your child pay for college expenses as easily and inexpensively as possible.2 As an SEIU member, you’ll get a 0.25% reduction on your interest rate. You can reduce your interest rate by an additional 0.25% (subject to additional terms) if you select an automatic payment method from your checking or savings account.1,2

Qualified applicants can borrow up to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance, which typically includes expenses such as tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation and personal expenses.3

You can apply for the SEIU Graduate Loan by logging in to this site and clicking on the “Get Started” button above. You’ll be directed to the College Ave Student Loans website, where you’ll be asked to enter information about yourself and your loan needs. (College Ave cannot take applications by phone because required disclosures are presented during the online application process.)

You can apply and get your credit decision within 3 minutes. As soon as you’re approved, you’ll be asked to accept your terms and e-sign your loan documents. College Ave will send the loan to the school for certification, which can take a few days or even a few weeks, although that’s less common. Once College Ave receives the certification from the school, funds will be sent according to the school’s requested timeline.

A private student loan can fund a semester, a quarter, or up to a full academic year at a time. During the application process, you’ll indicate the time period you want the loan to cover. Each loan is separate: If you take out multiple loans over the course of your graduate school education, they won’t be automatically combined.

If you have limited credit history and income, you’ll need a cosigner who has good, established credit to be eligible for a private student loan. College Ave’s free credit pre-qualification tool will tell you whether you qualify for a loan and what interest rate you can expect from us before you apply—without impacting your credit score. Pre-qualification isn’t a full review or guarantee, but it can help you decide if you want to submit a full application.

A cosigner agrees to take equal responsibility for the loan. That means that if the student borrower isn’t able to make the payments, the cosigner is legally obligated to pay the loan back. Either one of you can make the required monthly payments.

A private student loan can help you pay for college expenses if you haven’t already secured funding through scholarships, grants and federal student loans to cover them. The money is directly disbursed to your school to cover approved expenses. Your graduate school loan payments will begin 6 months after you graduate from an accredited school or if your enrollment drops below half-time. You can start making payments sooner, which can help you save on your overall interest charges.

Additional Information

1. SEIU members receive a 0.25% interest rate reduction on Graduate loans that are opened through the SEIU Member Benefits portal. The SEIU member discount will be applied to your loan account after the initial disbursement occurs.

2. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit.

3. As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive; minimum $1,000.

4. This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Deferred Repayment Option with a 10-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 8.35% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 120 monthly payments of $179.18 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $21,501.54. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.

The SEIU Private Student Loan Program – Graduate is provided by College Ave Student Loans. College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.