How much do you need?
An AbeSM student loan is a private student loan, also called a gap loan. Why? Because private student loans can fill the gap between all of your other college financing resources and the total cost of going to school.
To figure out how much you need, add up all your other college financing amounts from federal student and parent loans, scholarships, grants, school financial aid packages, and college savings plans. Subtract the total from your overall annual cost of tuition, room and board, supplies, and expenses — that’s how much you need from Abe to fill the gap.
Preparing to Apply
With Abe, it’s all about preparing you with information. Here’s what you will need to have on hand before you start the application process:
- Your (and cosigner’s if using) date of birth and SSN
- Mailing, email addresses, and phone numbers
- School name, grade level, expected graduation date
- Loan amount
- Income of cosigner (or student if applying alone)4
If you get into the application and realize you’re missing information, simply save what you’ve done and come back to complete the form.
If you’re an international student or DACA recipient, you must apply with a cosigner who is either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien.
Eligibility
As long as you meet the following criteria, you are eligible to apply for an Abe loan:
- Enrolled or enrolling in a degree-granting program at an eligible institution5
- Reach legal age of majority in your state or be at least 17 years of age at the time of application
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, or an Eligible Non-Citizen (DACA recipient) applying with an eligible cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, or an international student applying with an eligible cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien
- Remember, having a cosigner (parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, guardian, or mentor) will improve your approval chances
Rate Discounts
Abe offers two ways to earn rate discounts during the life of your loan.
Auto Pay
Sign up for auto pay and automatically get a 0.25% discount on your rate.6
Good Payment Behavior
We’ll reduce your rate by 0.05% for every 6 months of consecutive, on-time principal and interest payments — for a maximum reduction of 0.25%.7 This helps you reduce the cost of your loan earlier, which means you can save more over the life of the loan. Other loan providers require you to wait longer until you’ve made more consecutive, on-time payments.
Qualifying Expenses
You can use your Abe loan to cover up to 100% of college costs.8 Here is a list of qualifying expenses:
- Tuition and fees
- Room and board
- Books and supplies
- Transportation
- Personal expenses
Don’t forget to enter the Paying For College Scholarship Sweepstakes.9 A $1,500 scholarship is awarded every month. Use it for your college expenses.
In-School Payments
- Immediate: Full payments lower the cost of the loan the most
- Interest Only: Interest only payments reduce the long-term cost
- Flat: Low, flat payments steadily chip away at your balance
Loan Amounts8
Abe lets you borrow as little as $1,000 or up to $99,999 per loan.
As long as your total amount of all student loans doesn’t exceed $225,000, you’re good.
Advanced degrees often require more funding. That’s why Abe offers an increased aggregate loan limit of $350,000 for applicants enrolled in JD, MD, DVM, MBA or DDS programs.
