The Benefits of Refinancing Student Loans
The Benefits of Refinancing Student Loans
There are many benefits to refinancing student loans that can help you achieve a variety of goals. The most obvious benefit of refinancing is the opportunity to save money on your student loans. The other main benefits include:
Lowering Interest Rates
One of the primary benefits of student loan refinancing is the opportunity to lower your interest rate or adjust the type of interest rate you have. Private lenders offer interest rates based on a variety of lending criteria such as credit score, credit history, and income.
If you have good credit and stable income, you could qualify for a lower interest rate by refinancing your student loans. When refinancing, you also have the opportunity to choose between a fixed or variable rate loan. Learn about the difference between fixed vs variable interest rate student loan refinancing.
Consolidating Loans Into One Monthly Payment
Another benefit of refinancing is that it gives you the ability to consolidate your student loans into one simple monthly payment. Consolidating multiple student loans through a private lender like ELFI can help streamline the payment process and save borrowers money if they can reduce their interest rates or choose alternate loan terms.
While the federal government does offer student loan consolidation through the Direct Loan Consolidation program, this program rounds up your weighted average interest rate to the nearest one-eighth percent. Because of this, student loan consolidation and refinancing through a private lender can be considered more beneficial. Learn about student loan consolidation vs. refinancing.
Beyond the financial savings, refinancing is worth it for the peace of mind and simplicity of one monthly student loan payment. Going forward, you’ll have just one loan servicer and one monthly payment to remember.
Adjusting Your Loan Terms
When you refinance your student loans, you can choose a different repayment term that matches your goals. You could choose a loan term of 5, 7, 10, 15, or even 20 years. Choosing a longer repayment term may reduce your monthly payments, while a shorter repayment term may help you pay off your debt faster and save you money in interest over your loan term.
Keep in mind that shorter repayment terms are typically associated with lower interest rates and longer repayment terms are typically associated with higher interest rates. Learn how you can weigh your options by choosing the right student loan repayment terms.
Adding or Removing a Cosigner
By refinancing your student loans, you have the opportunity to remove any cosigners on your original loans, including removing parent cosigners from student loan agreements. This can be beneficial if you no longer need a cosigner on the loan. Parent PLUS Loans are also eligible for refinancing, allowing parents to relieve their burden of debt.
Conversely, if you have a limited credit history or your income is insufficient to qualify for refinancing, adding a qualified cosigner who is willing to guarantee your loan could increase your chances of qualifying to refinance. Even if you already qualify, adding a more qualified cosigner could help you earn a lower interest rate. Learn more about refinancing with a cosigner.
Getting A Quote Without Hurting Your Credit Score
Another benefit of refinancing student loans is the ability to receive an estimated rate without affecting your credit score, which eliminates the risk of prequalifying. Getting a rate quote from student loan refinancing lenders like ELFI allows you to prequalify in minutes with only a soft credit check, which does not affect your credit score. This way, you can find out how much you can save before submitting a full application and receiving a hard credit check.
Does Refinancing Student Loans Save Money?
Our student loan refinancing calculator allows you to see what you could save by refinancing your student loans with ELFI. Input your current student loan debt, monthly payment, and your interest rate or term length, and our calculator will automatically generate estimates based on the information you entered. You can see estimates for both fixed and variable rate loans, as well as term lengths of 5, 7, 10, 15, or 20 years.*
*The calculated monthly payments and savings are estimated based on the loan information you entered and the loan term you selected. Your actual payments will depend on the exact amount of your loan balance, and specific rates are subject to approval. Variable rate loans are based on the three-month LIBOR index and may change monthly. Changes in the LIBOR index may cause your monthly payment to increase. Although the interest rate will vary after you are approved, the interest rate will never exceed 9.95% APR.
Reasons to Refinance Student Loans with ELFI

Some of the Lowest
Rates Available
We believe in rewarding financially responsible borrowers by providing some of the lowest student loan refinancing rates.

Expertise That’s Second
to None
Our ELFI management team has over 30 years of expertise in student loans.

Fast and
Easy Process
Secure your personalized loan options in just a few short minutes.

Personal Loan Advisors
Our award-winning customer service team will guide you every step of the way.

Service Coast to Coast
We lend across the entire U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Testimonials above given by Education Loan Finance customers. Results may vary.
What Our Customers Are Saying
The following are official Education Loan Finance reviews left on TrustPilot from customers who have refinanced student loans with ELFI.