If you’re trying to get a handle on your loans, you may want to refinance your student loan debt. Refinancing can lower your current interest rates, monthly payments, or both. Refinancing can also consolidate several payments into one, which can help you more easily manage them. Here’s how to refinance student loan debt as well as how to weigh the pros and cons of refinancing to determine if it's the right move for you.

Eligibility for Student Loan Refinancing

You can refinance your student loans through private banks, credit unions, and online lenders. Each financial institution sets its own eligibility criteria, including its minimum credit score and income requirements.

Credit Score

Your credit score is one of the most important factors in determining your eligibility and your potential interest rate. Typically, the higher your score, the lower your interest rate. Lowering your interest rate is a key reason to refinance your student loans, as it can save you money in the long term and reduce your monthly payments.

For most lenders, a fair-to-good credit score is required to qualify for a new loan. However, other lenders may offer refinancing opportunities for borrowers with bad credit, although you may have to contend with a higher interest rate. If you don't want to borrow from a bad credit lender but are struggling to improve your score, then working with a credit counseling company may be worth considering.

Income

Demonstrating that you have a stable income is also an important factor in student loan refinancing eligibility. Having a job and a reliable salary shows lenders you can make at least the minimum payment every month.

How to Refinance Student Loan Debt

If you’re thinking about refinancing your student loans, take these steps to make sure you’re prepared and eligible.

1. Evaluate Your Current Student Loan Situation

Review your current loans, including their amounts, interest rates, repayment terms, and minimum monthly payments. Also make sure you know how much you owe in total, as some lenders have minimum and maximum loan amount requirements for eligibility.

2. Research and Compare Lenders

Research several different lenders to find loan offerings that meet your needs and requirements. Weigh each option based on interest rates, repayment term options, eligibility criteria, and fees, including late payment penalties. Finally, read reviews to see what other borrowers say about the lenders.

3. Determine the Best Refinancing Option for You

After you’ve compared companies, apply for pre-qualification with your chosen lenders (if they offer it). Pre-qualification lets you learn whether you're eligible for refinancing without completing a full application. The terms you're offered aren't guaranteed, but they can give you a good estimate of what you can expect with your loan.

You can use pre-qualification to further narrow down which refinancing option is best for you. Whether that’s an offer with shorter repayment terms over longer ones or a variable interest rate rather than a fixed rate, looking at every facet of your options can ensure you’re making the best possible refinancing decision.

4. Gather Necessary Documents and Information

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices and selected a lender, you can fill out a full application. You’ll need to have some important information on hand, such as tax returns, employment details, loan details, and more. You may also need to show proof of graduation. The more accurate information you provide upfront, the more likely you are to get results sooner.

5. Submit the Refinancing Application

Most lenders review and will approve (or deny) you right away. After submitting your application, you should get results within a couple of days to a couple of weeks, depending on the lender. Once approved, you’ll share banking information with your lender. Keep making payments on your old loans until your new lender tells you the transfer has been completed, whereafter you’ll start making payments on your refinanced loan.

Pros and Cons of Student Loan Refinancing

Refinancing your student loans has several advantages, including the possibility of lowering your interest rate or monthly payments, but it does have downsides to consider as well. Depending on the terms of your new loan, you could also pay more in interest, and you’ll lose the federal benefits you may have with your original loan.

Pros Explained

• Typically lower interest rate: If you can get a lower interest rate than what you’re paying right now, then you could pay less over the total life of your loan. A lower interest rate is a major reason to refinance.
• Typically lower monthly payments: Getting a lower interest rate or extending your repayment terms can lead to lower monthly payments. If you were struggling to make payments on your student loans, refinancing could make them more affordable.
• Consolidate several payments into one: You may have multiple monthly loan payments, with many different interest rates, repayment terms, and due dates, which can get confusing. Refinancing will consolidate your loans into one payment, which would be easier to manage.

Cons Explained

• Lose federal benefits: You could lose your federal benefits and protections, including deferment, forbearance, income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, and forgiveness. Right now, private student loans aren’t eligible for forgiveness—only federal loans are. And when you refinance, your loans become private.
• Could pay more in interest: A lower interest rate isn’t guaranteed. If your new loan has a higher interest rate, you may end up paying more in interest overall.
• Potentially higher monthly payments: If your new loan terms are shorter than your original loan terms (not to mention if your interest rate is also higher), then your monthly payments could be higher with a refinance.

Alternatives to Student Loan Refinancing

While refinancing is one option to help you manage your student debt loan, you may want to explore other options, including:

• Consolidation: A direct consolidation loan combines all your federal student loans into one, which can result in a lower monthly payment and only one bill to manage. However, you may also end up paying more in interest or have a longer repayment period with a consolidation loan.
• Income-driven repayment (IDR) plans: IDR plans base your payments on your income and household size. You’ll make payments for 20 or 25 years, depending on your plan. After that, your balance is forgiven.
• Forgiveness: Student loan forgiveness programs, such as Teacher Loan Forgiveness, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), and other programs, release you from your obligation to repay your loans.

The Bottom Line

Student loan refinancing is one option to help you manage a large student loan debt, which provides benefits like a lower interest rate or lower monthly payments. Be sure to calculate your potential costs and savings to see if refinancing your student loan debt is the right call for your situation. Don't forget to also weigh the potential downsides as you consider whether to refinance, including the possibility of losing your federal benefits