Refinance
Rewards: 0.25% interest rate reduction with autopay
Eligibility: Must be a member of Thrivent Credit Union
Flexibility: Cosigner release available
Overall Limits: $120,000 (maximum)
Rewards: 0.25% interest rate reduction with autopay
Eligibility: Must be a member of Thrivent Credit Union
Flexibility: Cosigner release available
Overall Limits: $120,000 (maximum)
CuLearn with Thrivent Federal Credit Union is a fine student loan refinancing option, but it’s by no means excellent. Thrivent owns cuLearn, a network of credit unions that works together to connect students with lenders. This lender offers multiple repayment options including graduated repayment but there are a few major cons pertaining to borrowing limits and terms that you’ll want to be aware of.
Thrivent Financial offers 5, 10 and 15-year loan terms on refinanced student loans. Choose from immediate or graduated repayment plans on your loan. Immediate Repayment will require you to make fixed monthly payments over the course of your loan, while Graduated Repayment will require lower monthly payments for the first two years and increased monthly payments for the remaining 13 years of the loan.
Depending on the full amount of your loans, you may not be able to refinance everything you’ve borrowed with Thrivent. This credit union requires a minimum loan of $10,000 and allows you to borrow up to a maximum of $120,000. Especially if you have both undergraduate and graduate loans to refinance, this borrowing limit may be a problem. With that said, Federal Stafford, Parent PLUS, Graduate PLUS, Federal and Private Consolidation Loans, and Private loans are all eligible for refinancing.
Graduated repayment is only recommended for those who cannot afford to make higher interest payments initially, as this plan results in paying more interest over the life of the loan than on the Immediate Repayment plan. If you need help deciding what repayment plan is best for you or have any other questions about your loan, this lender has a 24/7 call center available for you to use. Should you apply with a cosigner — who may be your spouse — you can apply to release them after 24 consecutive on-time loan payments.
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