How to refinance student loans in 2026: the complete guide | Earnest

How to refinance student loans in 2026: the complete guide

By Corey Buhay | Published on March 6, 2026

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Key Takeaways:

A student loan refinance is the only way to get a lower interest rate on your student loan debt.
Refinancing federal loans renders them ineligible for federal protections like student loan forgiveness, but it can still be worth it under certain circumstances.
Once you’ve decided whether refinancing makes sense for you, you’ll need to choose a lender, check your rate, and submit an official application.
If you don’t qualify for a student loan refinance, consider pursuing other avenues of debt relief.

Refinancing your student loans can help you score a lower interest rate, reduce your monthly payments, and get out of debt faster—if you go about the process the right way. Your income, employment history, and other factors will all determine whether refinancing might make sense for you. So will the types of loans you have.

Consider, for example, federal vs. private student loans. If you refinance private loans, you’ll encounter very few downsides. Refinancing federal loans can be more complicated. Here’s how to choose whether or not to refinance—and what steps to take if you decide it’s right for you.

What is student loan refinancing?

Student loan refinancing is a way of swapping your existing student loans for a single new loan, often with a new interest rate. First, you find a private lender—usually a large financial institution like a bank, credit union, or online lender. This lender agrees to pay off all your current loans. In exchange, they issue you a brand-new loan with new loan terms. If you have a decent credit score, you might also qualify for a lower interest rate on your refinanced loan. This can help you pay off your loans faster and save money over time.

Refinancing is different from student loan consolidation, a federal program that’s only available for federal student loans.

Should I refinance or consolidate my student loans?

Student loan consolidation and refinancing may seem like similar programs, but they function very differently. Here are a few of the key differences.

Student loan consolidation…

is only available for federal student loans
gives you access to federal programs like deferment and student loan forgiveness
does not require a credit check
cannot help you secure a lower interest rate on your student debt
cannot help you save money on your loans over the long run

Student loan refinancing…

is available for both federal and private student loans
turns federal debt into private debt
forfeits access to federal protections like deferment or loan forgiveness
requires a credit check
can help you lower your interest rate
can help you save money on your loans over time

Refinancing must take place through a private lender. That means that if you have federal debt, refinancing will transform it into private debt. This process isn’t reversible. So, if you were eligible for student loan forgiveness or other federal programs before you refinanced, you’ll lose access to those protections once the refinance is complete.

However, refinancing your federal loans can be worth it if you can get a significantly lower interest rate. A lower rate could help you save up to thousands of dollars over the life of the loan and pay off your debt faster. If you don’t expect to make use of income-driven repayment plans, student loan forgiveness, or other federal programs, a refinance is worth considering.

How do you refinance student loans?

Before you apply to refinance your student loans, take some time to figure out what you want. Come to the table knowing which loans you want to refinance, how quickly you’ll be able to pay them off, and how much you can afford each month. Here’s a closer look.

1. Make sure you understand your current loans

TL;DR: Before you refinance, take a look at your current interest rates, loan terms, and outstanding balances.

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve hopefully already taken stock of your loans and determined which you want to refinance. Remember that you don’t have to refinance all of your loans. You can refinance some and not others.

For example, you can refinance private loans but not federal, or you could refinance your unsubsidized federal loans while keeping your subsidized loans with the federal government. There’s nothing that requires you to refinance more than what you want to. Of course, lenders may have a minimum balance requirement, but these vary from lender to lender. Don’t refinance more than you’re comfortable with.

If you’re sure, set aside a chunk of time to sit down and give everything a once-over. For each loan, write down the following:

Years left on the loan term
Current loan balance
Monthly payment amount
Interest rate
Name of the loan servicer
Whether it’s a private or federal loan

If you’re happy with any (or all) of your loan rates and terms, feel free to leave them as is. If some have high interest rates you’d like to reduce—or loan servicers you’d love to switch out—refinancing could be a good option.

2. Figure out if refinancing makes sense for you

TL;DR: Refinancing only makes sense if it lowers your interest rate, reduces monthly payments, or helps you release a cosigner—otherwise, it may not save you money.

Once you’ve taken stock of your loans, decide whether refinancing is the right move for your needs. First, think about your goals. If you’re hoping to use refinancing to get out of debt faster, figure out the maximum monthly payment you can afford to make each month. If you’re hoping to use refinancing to lower your monthly payments, figure out what payment range fits in your budget. Keep these numbers in mind when you review loan offers.

You may want to refinance if:

You have a cosigner and want to release them from your loans by refinancing on your own, without a cosigner
You have a credit score of 650 or higher and meet lenders’ other eligibility requirements
You qualify for a lower interest rate than you have on your current loans
You have multiple student loans and want to bundle them into one single monthly payment
You’re unhappy with your current loan servicer and want to switch your loans to a new one
You want a lower monthly payment

3. Decide whether you should refinance federal loans

TL;DR: You can refinance federal loans, but you may permanently lose federal protections like forgiveness and income-driven repayment. Don’t refinance if you might need those benefits.

Federal loans often have higher interest rates than what you might qualify for with a refinance lender, but moving them to a private servicer comes with trade-offs. For one thing, you’ll give up your eligibility for forgiveness programs, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), and for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Even if you secure a lower rate, you might pay more overall compared to having your balance forgiven through a federal program. Run the numbers before deciding.

4. Check your credit score

TL;DR: A credit score of 650+, a stable income, and a low debt-to-income ratio improve your odds of approval and securing the best refinance rates.

Once you have your refinance goals figured out, check your credit score to make sure you’ll qualify for refinancing. Most refinance lenders require a decent score—usually 650 or higher—before they’ll approve you. If your score is higher, you might qualify for even better refinance offers.

You can download a copy of your credit report for free once per week through annualcreditreport.com. If your score is lower than you expected, scan your credit report for errors, report any mistakes right away, and make a plan to improve your credit.

While credit score is one of the most significant metrics lenders consider, they’ll also evaluate some other elements of your financial profile. While you’re checking your credit, also take stock of the following:

Total savings: Lenders like to see that you have some cash in reserve so that you’re able to keep making your payments even in the event of job loss or another unexpected crisis.
Employment and income: A steady job and reliable income reassure lenders that you can keep up with your payments.
Debt-to-income ratio: The lower your existing debt compared to your income, the more financially responsible you’ll look.

What can impact your credit score:

The variety of credit you have. (Creditors like to see a mix of credit cards, student loans, car loans, etc.)
Your payment history—in other words, how good you are at making your payments on time and in full.
How frequently you apply for or open new credit accounts, including credit cards and loans.
How much of your total available credit limit you use each month.

Ways to strengthen your credit before applying:

Open a no-fee credit card and pay the balance in full each month to bolster your payment history.
Take out a credit-builder loan.
Set up automatic payments on all your existing credit accounts to avoid missing payments.
Pay off as much of your existing debt as you can before applying.
Request a raise or start a side gig to boost your income.

5. Compare lenders

TL;DR: Shop around for lenders, focusing not just on rates but also repayment flexibility, discounts, and fees.

There are a ton of refinance lenders out there, and they vary widely in their policies, fees, and customer service. If you have a bank, credit union, or other lender you already love working with, that can be a great place to start. If you don’t, ask friends and family, do an online search, or ask a financial advisor what institutions they recommend.

Once you have a few options, research each lender to get a better idea of what interest rates and loan terms they can offer you.

That said, interest rate isn’t everything. Some lenders (including Earnest) also offer extra perks and protections that can make them a better fit. These include:

Zero fees. Some lenders charge origination fees or other hidden costs. But Earnest never charges fees of any kind.
Discounts for setting up autopay. Many lenders will give you a .25% interest rate reduction just for enrolling in automatic payments.
Flexible repayment options. Some lenders offer more loan term options than others. Earnest, for example, lets you use a sliding scale to choose a monthly payment that works for your budget and financial goals.
Biweekly payment options. Paying biweekly instead of monthly can help you pay your loan down faster. Some lenders make this easy to set up. Others don’t offer the option.
Responsive customer service. Your new lender will be your financial partner for years, if not decades. Choose one that’s going to invest in that relationship with responsive, supportive customer service. The more helpful your lender, the less painful repayment will be.
The ability to skip a payment. If you’re in good standing with Earnest and you fall on tough times, you can request to skip a payment once a year for a little reprieve. The amount of your skipped payment will be evenly spread out over the rest of your payment term.
Deferment and other hardship protections. Some lenders offer hardship programs to borrowers who’ve fallen on hard times. Check whether your lender has deferment, forbearance, or skip-a-payment programs in place.
The ability to switch from fixed to variable interest rates. Earnest allows borrowers in good standing to refinance in-house every 30 days5—which makes it easy to switch between variable and fixed rate loans as market conditions change.
Cosigner release. Some lenders will let a borrower request to release a cosigner from their loan after a certain amount of time. Other lenders, like Earnest, allow borrowers to undergo an easy, additional refinance without a cosigner once they’re on stronger financial footing. This allows the borrower to take more complete control over the loan once they feel ready.

6. Check your rate

TL;DR: Getting prequalified will give you a better estimate of a lender’s actual rates without impacting your credit.

It can be hard to choose a lender unless you know exactly what interest rate they can offer you. To that end, many institutions will let you check your rate ahead of time. This process, sometimes called “prequalification,” allows you to see what rates you may be eligible for without submitting an official application. In exchange for a few details about yourself, most lenders can show you what your odds of approval would be, the rates you may be offered, and the terms you may be eligible for. The biggest benefit to this process is that it’s fast and does not affect your credit score like submitting an official application would.

Try checking your rate with at least three top-choice lenders to figure out who can offer you the best deal. Once you’ve made your decision, it’s time to apply.

7. Gather the right documents

TL;DR: Be ready with personal info, proof of income, and the details of each loan.

The loan application process will go much faster if you get all your paperwork together ahead of time. Most loan servicers will require some combination of the following documents:

Recent statements for your current student loans
Proof of income (i.e., a paystub or your most recent tax return)
Social Security card or Permanent Resident card
Driver’s license or ID
Bank statements for checking and savings accounts
10-day payoff amount for each loan you plan to refinance
Total balance of all your student loans
Supporting documents like pay stubs or tax forms, if required

8. Choose your loan terms

TL;DR: Pick a rate type and repayment length that balance short-term affordability with long-term savings.

When thinking about the right loan terms, two things matter most: your interest rate and your repayment term. These will determine both your monthly payment and your total cost over time. Many refinance lenders will let you choose between fixed and variable rates.

Fixed vs. variable rates:

Fixed rate: Your rate stays the same for the life of the loan, so your monthly payments are predictable. This is a good choice if you want stability and don’t want to risk rising rates.
Variable rate: Might start lower than fixed, but can rise or fall with the market. This can save you money early on, but it’s less predictable. At Earnest, you may be able to switch between fixed and variable if you remain in good standing.

Loan term length:

Shorter term: Higher monthly payments but less total interest paid overall. Good if you can handle larger payments and want to save money in the long run.
Longer term: Lower monthly payments but more interest over time. Helpful if you need more flexibility in your budget.

9. Submit your application and review your offer

TL;DR: Double-check the fine print on fees and repayment policies before signing.

Once you’ve zeroed in on a top-choice lender and decided what loan terms you want to pursue, it’s time to fill out the application. Unlike checking your rate, filling out a refinance application triggers what’s called a “hard credit check.” This typically drops your credit score by a few points. So, it’s best to apply only with the lenders you’re serious about.

If you decide to fill out multiple applications, try to submit them within a single two-week period. This is known as the “rate shopping period.” In this window of time, credit bureaus generally count all new loan applications as a single hard inquiry on your credit report. Since hard inquiries sometimes result in a small drop in credit score, lumping them together in this way can help mitigate the negative impact.

Your lender will take a few business days to look over your application. If approved, you’ll then receive a loan offer, usually via email. Review the proposed terms and interest rates, as well as the fine print. If everything looks good, you can choose to accept. If something seems off, you can contact the lender directly with questions or turn down the offer and apply elsewhere.

Before you sign:

Read the fine print carefully. Some lenders charge late fees or other penalties. (Earnest doesn’t charge late fees, but policies vary.)
Understand how your lender handles hardship. If you miss a payment or face unexpected expenses, will they offer options like deferment or forbearance?

10. Keep paying your old loans until the switch is complete

TL;DR: Continue payments until your old balances hit $0. Missing one during the transition could hurt your credit.

The refinancing process doesn’t end once you accept a loan offer. You’ll need to continue making your original loan payments until your new lender has paid off all your old loans. This transition period is typically called the “10-day payoff period.”

You’ll receive a letter at the beginning of this process telling you to keep making payments as usual. When the process is complete, you’ll receive a second letter stating that your old loans have been paid off in full. At that point, you can begin making payments on your new, refinanced loan.

The pros and cons of student loan refinancing

If you’re wondering whether you should refinance your student loans, it’s important to consider the risks and the benefits.

The benefits of student loan refinancing

You could save thousands of dollars in interest: When you lower your interest rate, interest will accrue on your loans more slowly. That means you’ll be able to pay down the principal balance faster, getting ahead on your payments. Combine that with a shorter loan term, and you could save hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the life of your loan—and get out of debt much faster.
You can choose between fixed and variable interest rates: When you refinance, you’ll be able to choose between fixed and variable interest rates. Some lenders (including Earnest) let qualifying borrowers switch their rate type later on as needed.
You’ll get to choose a new servicer: When you take out loans from the federal government, you don’t have much choice over your loan servicer. When you refinance, however, you can choose a company that suits your specific needs.
You may be able to release your cosigner from your loans: If you have a cosigner on your current loans, that person is responsible for your debt in the event you can’t pay. Refinancing can help you release that person from their obligation, giving you full control over your own loans.
You’ll simplify your payments: Refinancing can roll all your student debt into a single loan, leaving you with just a single bill to worry about each month.
You can lower your monthly payments. When you refinance your loans, you’ll get to choose a new loan repayment term. If you pick a longer loan period, you’ll make more (but smaller) monthly payments. This can free up room in your budget for other essentials.

The drawbacks of student loan refinancing

While refinancing can save you money and help you pay off your loans faster, it isn’t right for everyone. Here are some of the downsides of refinancing with a private lender.

You’ll lose access to federal student loan protections. If you’re on track to receive student loan forgiveness at the end of your loan term, refinancing is likely not for you. You’ll lose access to these benefits—along with other federal protections and hardship programs—if you refinance with a private company.
You may see a small credit impact: When you apply to refinance, the lender will perform what’s called a “hard credit inquiry.” This occurs when they pull your credit report to get a glimpse at your financial history. A hard credit inquiry can result in a temporary credit score drop of up to five points.
You’ll have to meet stricter eligibility requirements: Refinancing companies often require borrowers to have good credit history and a steady income. If you do not meet these requirements—or if you have a high level of debt relative to your income—you may need to refinance with a cosigner.
Your loan cost may increase, even with lower rates: If you extend your repayment term, you’ll also increase the amount of time you’ll be paying interest. That means you’ll likely pay more in interest over the life of the loan, which could make your loan more expensive than if you stuck with your original rate and term. That said, if you’re struggling to make monthly payments, you may be willing to spend more on interest long-term in exchange for some breathing room in your budget right now.

Are there alternatives to student loan refinancing?

Refinancing isn’t the only way to minimize your student loan debt. Other options include:

Income-Driven Repayment Plans. You could significantly lower your monthly bills with one of the federal government’s repayment programs. These plans cap your payments at a percentage of your income, so they’ll never be more than you can afford. (Caveat: They’re only available for federal student loans).
Student Loan Forgiveness. If you work in the military, government, or public sector, you may be eligible for student loan forgiveness, including Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). These programs are also only available for federal loans.
Student Loan Consolidation. You can bundle all your federal student loans into a single new loan with a lower payment via federal student loan consolidation. However, you cannot get a lower interest rate this way.
Employer Repayment Assistance. Some companies will pay a portion of their workers’ student debt as an employee perk. Ask your company if they offer a student loan assistance program. If they don’t, consider this benefit during your next job search.
Cosigned refinancing. Some lenders (including Earnest) let borrowers refinance with a cosigner to unlock lower rates and more affordable loan terms. This can be a useful option if you don’t qualify for refinancing on your own.

Is student loan refinancing right for you?

Student loan refinancing may be right for you if:

You have a good credit score (or a cosigner who does)
Your financial situation has changed significantly since you first took out your loans, and you want to get serious about paying off your debt quickly.
National interest rates just dropped and you want to take advantage.
You’re not currently in school.
You want to pay off your debt faster, and you have the flexibility to make the higher monthly payments required to do so.
You don’t expect to use deferment or forbearance options from the federal government.
You want to remove a cosigner from your loans and can qualify for refinancing on your own.
You’re not currently eligible for federal student loan forgiveness programs like PSLF and don’t plan to become eligible.

An alternative to student loan refinancing may be right for you if:

You’re eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness or another type of loan cancellation, or you intend to become eligible in the future.
You’re currently in school and don’t want to lose access to your post-graduation grace period. (If you refinance now, payments will begin as soon as the refinance is complete.)
Your loans are currently in default, in which case they’re not eligible for refinancing.
You hope to take advantage of federal repayment programs like IDR plans.
You can’t qualify for refinancing on your own, and you don’t have a cosigner available.

See how much you could save with Earnest

Refinancing could save you a significant amount of money over the life of your loans. It can also help you get out of debt faster, streamline your repayment plan, and get back in control of your debt. If you decide refinancing is right for you, consider checking your rate with Earnest as you begin to shop around. Earnest offers a number of flexible repayment options and never charges late fees, origination fees, or any other hidden costs.