Private Student Loans
for Medical and Graduate Students
Private student loans are financing options for education that can either supplement
or replace federal student loans. Private student loans are offered by many banks
and credit unions.
Interest rates, repayment plans and other conditions can vary between lenders so it
is important for medical and graduate students to research private student loan options
carefully.
Annual Amount
Private student loans can be borrowed up to a medical or graduate program's cost of attendance minus other financial aid (loans, scholarships and federal work study) awarded.
Rates and Fees
Lenders may offer variable and fixed interest rates for private student loans.
Grace Period
Loan repayment grace periods for private student loans vary by lenders.
- Many allow up to six months after student graduates or ceases to be enrolled at least
half-time.
PCOM's Preferred Lender List
PCOM uses the FASTChoice web tool to host our preferred lender list.
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- PCOM maintains a preferred lender list in order to provide a comparison of selected
lenders in relatively consistent terms. This helps assist borrowers to make well-informed
decisions regarding education debt.
- PCOM medical and graduate students have the right to select the lender of their choice,
regardless of the lenders presented on our preferred lender list. The PCOM Financial
Aid Office will process any approved private student loan for a student.
- The preferred lender list review committee within the Office of Financial Aid gathers
and considers information on all available private student loan lenders each calendar
year. In considering which lenders are represented on our preferred lender list, the
committee evaluates lenders based on the following criteria:
- interest rates and borrower fees
- cosigner requirements.
- repayment options.
- quality of the customer service of the lender.
- additional benefits beyond the standard terms and conditions such as cosigner release
and deferment options.
Private Student Loan Resources
Our financial aid office has multiple helpful resources for graduate and medical students
considering private student loan options:
Prospective and current students may contact the financial aid office to discuss student loan options.