How to Get a Student Loan for Your MBA
Getting your MBA is a huge life step. Before you take it, though, you’ll have to figure out a way to pay for your degree. Given student loans are the likely choice for those who can’t pay out of pocket, here’s how to get a student loan for your MBA.
Learn the Differences Between Federal and Private MBA Loans
When looking at financing your MBA, it’s essential to know the differences between federal and private loans. There are a few crucial distinctions between federal and private loans; missing them could lead you to end up with the wrong lender.
The most obvious variance is you’re dealing with the government with one and a private institution with the other. There are pros and cons to each type of loan depending on your situation.
There are two types of federal loans that might help you finance your MBA: direct unsubsidized loans for graduates and Grad PLUS loans. Generally speaking, direct unsubsidized loans are going to be a better option, as they come with lower interest rates and origination fees. But Grad PLUS loans are sometimes necessary if you need more financial aid to pay for your MBA.
Those who received student loans from the federal government for undergraduate studies will immediately realize interest rates are higher for graduate loans. This means you might want to do some shopping around with private loans to see if you can get a better deal, especially if you otherwise might need to utilize a more expensive Grad PLUS loan.
Why Your Credit Matters
When dealing with a private lender, your credit score is going to need to meet certain requirements in order for you to qualify for a loan. Every organization works a little differently, but private lenders are typically aiming to make a profit. This means they have to do a careful job of assessing risk to determine the likelihood of being able to have a positive return on their investment in your education.
Those with better credit scores will likely be able to nab a deal from a private lender that at least beats the federal Grad PLUS terms. The currently carry a 6.284% interest rate and a 4% origination fee. You can almost certainly find better terms than this with a private lender, as long as you no negative marks on your credit report.
Those who think they’ll qualify for a better deal with a private lender for their MBA student loans should consider joining Juno. They take bids from a huge pool of lenders and offer members the best deal. This means lower interest rates and no origination fees. Juno even guarantees you won’t find a better private student loan deal and will match it if you do.
To access this deal through Juno, you’ll need to have a credit score of at least 650. As with the vast majority of private MBA loans, you’re going to want to have good credit to be able to get these better deals.
Don’t Do Bad Business Before Even Starting School
You’re getting an MBA to become a more astute business leader. Don’t make fundamental financial mistakes when getting your education. Understand how different loan options will affect your future. You’ll want to see how much each loan will have you paying back over time, but this isn’t the only consideration.
Loans either come with a fixed or variable interest rate. Fixed rates don’t change. Variable interest rates can go up or down over time based on market conditions. Make sure you see the range of what you can end up paying if you end up going with a variable rate loan, as it can be a very large gap between the top and bottom ends.
Getting your MBA can change your life for the better. But figuring out how to finance it is a necessary prerequisite. Knowing your options and what to look for in a loan is the most important part of how to get a student loan for you MBA.
