How to Find the Best Student Loan Companies: 6 Tips

The most important part of preparing for your education is obtaining funding for college – most of which will be through obtaining student loans. This can be a very easy process, but if you want the best loans for your finances you should really consider various student loan companies.

Most colleges have one or two loan companies that they work with routinely to get funding for potential students. Unfortunately, these companies may not offer the best service, interest rates, or terms. You should not simply take whatever your college hands you and sign away thousands of future dollars.

1. Not all student loan companies are the same. Some are easier to work with than others. Some require credit checks and others do not. It is important that you contact various student loan companies to determine the best company and loan for you.
2. Create a list of questions that you need to ask the student loan companies. Your list should contain items such as whether or not a credit check is required, what they base your loan amount on, and what their average interest rate may be. Other questions may also come to mind based on your particular situation.
3. Create a spreadsheet or simple handwritten table that you can use to record the information you get when you start gathering your information. The table should correspond with your questions and also contain space for the company name, the name of the person you spoke with, and their phone number and extension. You should also include a space for general notes about the company to help you determine who has the best customer service and other qualities important in a loan company.
4. Start contacting student loan companies. Carefully record the information you receive. You should also take notes regarding the service you receive, as well as the helpfulness of the person you speak with and the ease of the application process. All of these things are important in making your final decision.
5. When you have called several companies, you should compare the information you were given with reviews of the companies online. This is fairly easy to do by doing a search for the company. Anyone with several bad reviews should be crossed off your list.
6. Once you have completed these steps you are ready to start comparing and decide where to get your student loans. Remember that the best student loan company may not have the lowest rates. You need to consider every aspect of the loan you are trying to get to make sure that it is the right company for you.