In a Nutshell
pros
- Rates from large network of student lenders
- Covers all types of student loans
- Scholarships search tool
cons
- Not a direct student loans provider
- Contact details required to see rates
Simple Tuition at a Glance
Loan types: Undergrad and postgrad
Loan amount: $1,000 to $500,000
Repayment terms: 5-20 years
APR from: 2.75%
Minimum credit score: No minimum credit score and can apply with cosigner
Fees (including prepayment fees): Some participating lenders drop all origination, application and prepayment fees. Most charge a late payment fee
Overview
SimpleTuition exists for one thing and one thing only: to find users student loans from its massive network of lending partners. Although this isn’t the only student loans search tool on the internet, it is the most comprehensive. SimpleTuition’s partners offer virtually every type of student loan in existence. This service covers fixed-rate and adjustable-rate loans, private and federal student loans, and refis.
With SimpleTuition, you can compare these types of private student loans:
Undergrad loans
Graduate loans
Community college loans
Part-time student loans
Non-certified loans
Loans for specific types of courses, such as nursing
Loans for specific grad certifications, such as Bar Exam and MedCap
Suitable For?
SimpleTuition is a great choice for anyone wanting to compare private student loans. Thanks to its massive network of lending partners, SimpleTuition can help anyone find the cheapest student loan for their needs.
Loan Features
As mentioned above, SimpleTuition is an online platform that lets you compare lenders. SimpleTuition works with an enormous network of student loans providers, and it would take hours to describe all the features you can find with each individual lending partner. In order to keep this simple (no pun intended!), the following is a list of features you can find on the SimpleTuition platform itself.
Student loans comparison tool, searching through SimpleTuition’s network to connect you with varying rates.
Refinance tool, designed to connect holders of student debt with refinancing options from private lenders.
Scholarship center, a valuable search tool that helps connect users with scholarship opportunities for full-time academic degrees.
Free tools and resources on managing student debt and on financial management in general.
Free guides to private financial aid, federal student aid, and grants.
The Application Process
There are 2 steps to applying for a loan using SimpleTuition. The first step involves using SimpleTuition’s search tool. The second step consists of completing the application with your chosen lender.
Each user must enter the following information to get rates from SimpleTuition’s student loans search tool:
Identify yourself as college student, grad student, or parent of student
College you’ll be attending
Loan amount
Year of graduation
Home zip code
Email address
Each lender sets its own rules on what you need in order to apply. As a general rule, lenders typically ask for the following:
Basic information, including contact and financial details
Proof of being a US citizen or permanent resident
Social Security number (so that the lender can run a soft credit check)
Information about school and degree
Information about any current employment
Financial documentation, including paychecks, and credit cards
Cosigner’s personal and financial information (if you bring a cosigner)
Eligibility Requirements
SimpleTuition works with a large network of lenders, and the eligibility requirements vary from partner to partner. Having said that, many of SimpleTuition’s lending partners have flexible eligibility requirements including no minimum credit score and the ability to bring a cosigner.
Loan Rates
The comparison service is completely free to use. Loan rates vary from lender to lender. From a scan of the participating lenders, it appears the lowest possible rate is 2.47% and the highest is 18%. Rates tend to be lower for adjustable-rate loans in year one. That’s because when you agree to take on an adjustable rate, you’re taking on the risk of a rate increase before the end of the loan. Fixed rates start higher but offer stability. Bringing a cosigner can help convince a lender to offer a lower rate.
Repayment Terms
Repayment terms vary from lender to lender, but the minimum rate is 5 years and the maximum is 20 years.
How Safe Is It?
SimpleTuition is owned and operated by LendingTree, a highly trusted and reputable loan comparison business. LendingTree and its subsidiaries—including SimpleTuition—process tens of thousands of loan applications every day. One of the reasons customers trust LendingTree and SimpleTuition is that they put in place the highest security and privacy protocols. Rest assured, all the information users share with SimpleTuition is encrypted. When you use SimpleTuition, you give consent to having your contact details shared with its lending partners (which is, of course, the whole point of using this service).
Customer Service
Based out of LendingTree HQ in Charlotte, North Carolina, SimpleTuition has been helping connect people with student loans since 2005. It has very good ratings for such a large provider, with a score of 8.3/10 from 1,000+ Trustpilot reviews. Although this is a primarily online service, users may contact customer service by email at customerservice@simpletuition.com.
How SimpleTuition Compares
Summary
SimpleTuition by LendingTree is a comprehensive online search tool for all types of student loans. Backed by LendingTree’s enormous network of lending partners, SimpleTuition helps users compare virtually every type of private student loan. Whether you’re looking for fixed-rate loans or adjustable-rate loans, undergrad or graduate loans, or even alternative loans for things like the bar exam or community college, SimpleTuition can help connect you with lenders.