Unless they qualify as eligible non-citizens, international students don't have access to federal student loans in the U.S.
Most private lenders require foreign students to secure a co-signer with good credit who is either a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident.
CNBC Select has named the best private lenders for international students, both with and without co-signers. For more on how we made our selections, check out our methodology.
Best for undergrads without a co-signer: MPower Financing
MPower Financing®
Eligible borrowers
U.S. citizens, international students, DACA recipients, refugees and asylum-seekers who are undergraduate or graduate students
Loan amounts
Up to $100,000
Loan terms
10 years
Loan types
Fixed
Fees
6.5% origination fee and fee for late or invalid payments
Borrower protections
Deferment not available
Co-signer required?
No
Terms apply.
Pros
- Don't have to be U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident to qualify
- International students establish credit in the U.S.
- Considers borrowers' future earnings
- High loan amount
- No co-signer required
- Visa support and career development
- Automatically prequalify for Zolve Credit Card and bank account
Cons
- Only 10-year loan terms
- 5% origination fee
- No hardship protections
- Non-cosigned loans tend to charge higher interest rates
Who's this for? With loans based on future earnings, fintech MPower Financing is the best lender for international students without a co-signer, including undergraduate or graduate students, DACA recipients, U.S. citizens, refugees and asylum-seekers. The D.C.-based fintech approves loans, refinancing and scholarships for more than 400 U.S. and Canadian schools.
Standout benefits: MPower loans can cover health insurance, books, meal plans, housing and more. The lender offers international students a free visa support letter and prep course, resume builder and F-1 eligible job directory, as well as a prequalified U.S. credit card and bank account. Borrowers can make interest-only payments while in school and for six months after graduation (capped to a maximum of 30 months from the date of loan disbursement).
Grace period: Six months of interest-only payments.
Best for DACA students with a co-signer: Sallie Mae
- Loans available to part-time and continuing ed students
- Co-signer release after just 12 payments
- No origination fee
- Offers loans for a wide variety of educational needs including: bar study, medical school, residency and relocation costs, dental school, residency and relocation costs, nursing school/health professions, commercial flight school, coding boot camp and professional certifications
- No student loan refinancing
- Doesn't offer parent loans
- Hard credit check to prequalify
- Late payment fee
Who's this for? Sallie Mae approves student loans for non-U.S. citizens, including DACA recipients, with a creditworthy co-signer who's a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
Standout benefits: Loans cover school expenses like tuition, fees, books, housing, travel and laptops. Repayment options include starting repayment while still in school or deferring until after graduation. In addition to private student loans, scholarships and savings accounts, it offers traditional savings accounts, HYSAs, money market accounts and CDs.
Grace period: Six months
Best for students with eligible resident status: Ascent
- Considers borrowers with no credit
- High loan limit
- Co-signer release available after just 12 payments
- Up to 1% interest rate discount for autopay*
- 1% cash back rewards*
- Considers alternative requirements like the borrower’s school, program, graduation date, major, GPA, cost of attendance and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to grant approval
- Maximum fixed APR is on the high side
- Doesn't offer student loan refinancing
Disclosure: *Ascent Funding, LLC products are made available through Bank of Lake Mills or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations, terms and conditions may apply for Ascent's Terms and Conditions please visit AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed above are effective as of 7/15/2026 and reflect an Automatic Payment Discount (ACH). The ACH discount consists of 0.25% on credit-based college student loans submitted prior to 6/1/2025, a 0.5% discount for on credit-based college student loans submitted on or after 6/1/2025 and a 1.00% discount on outcomes-based loans when you enroll in automatic payments. Loans subject to individual approval, restrictions and conditions apply. Loan features and information advertised are intended for college student loans and are subject to change at any time. For more information, see repayment examples or review the Ascent Student Loans Terms and Conditions. The final amount approved depends on the borrower's credit history, verifiable cost of attendance as certified by an eligible school and is subject to credit approval and verification of application information. Lowest interest rates require full principal and interest (Immediate) payments, the shortest loan term, a cosigner, and are only available for our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores. Actual APR offered may be higher or lower than the examples above, based on the amount of time you spend in school and any grace period you have before repayment begins. Variable rates may increase after consummation.1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. For details on Ascent borrower benefits, visit AscentFunding.com/BorrowerBenefits. Ascent applicants and borrowers that agree to the AscentUP Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, as well as students associated with an Ascent parent loan application, have access to the AscentUP platform.
Who's this for? Ascent Funding approves loans for international students attending U.S. universities who are U.S. temporary residents or have Temporary Protected Status, and who have a creditworthy co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident.
Standout benefits: Ascent offers specific DACA student loans, with or without a co-signer, as well as scholarships for DACA students with verified resident status. Repayment options include deferred repayment, interest-only repayment, a $25 minimum payment and immediate repayment for DACA students. Ascent also offers consumer loans for career-prep bootcamp programs.
Grace period: Nine months
Best for students with a Social Security number: College Ave
- High loan amount
- Flexible repayment terms
- Hardship protections like deferment and forbearance
- No co-signer required for U.S. students
- Offers repayment terms of up to 20 years for graduate student loans (otherwise, up to 15 years for undergraduate loans)
- Co-signers can't be released until half of the repayment term has passed
- Charges late fees
College Ave's student loan products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or BTG Pactual Bank, N.A., member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on the creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term
Who's this for? College Ave offers student loans to international students with creditworthy co-signers who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, if both parties have Social Security numbers.
Standout benefits: College Ave regularly runs scholarship sweepstakes that offer thousands in free education funding. It also has a secured credit card to help students build credit. Loan repayment options include deferred payment or paying during school, whether full principal and interest, interest-only or a flat $25 monthly payment.
Grace period: Six months for undergraduate loans, nine months for graduate loans
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
Undergraduate and graduate students, parents, students in MBA, law, health professional and dental programs
$5,000 (or state-mandated minimum) up to the cost of attendance
5, 7, 10, 15, years; up to 20 years for refinancing loans
Terms apply.
Undergraduate and graduate students, parents, international students with U.S. co-signer
$1,000 up to the cost of attendance ($180,000 lifelong maximum)
5, 8, 10, 15 years for undergraduate loans, up to 20 years for graduate loans
Terms apply
Do international students qualify for student loans?
Unlike U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizen students, most international students do not have access to federal student loans. Some may be eligible for Pell Grants, work-study programs and other federal aid, however, including those who:
- Are U.S. nationals (including natives of American Samoa or Swains Island).
- Are citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the Republic of Palau.
- Are permanent residents with a Form I-551, I-151 or I-551C (Permanent Resident Card, Resident Alien Card, or Alien Registration Receipt Card), also known as a "green card."
- Have an Arrival-Departure Record (1-94) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services showing "refugee," "asylum granted," "parolee," "Cuban-Haitian entrant" or conditional entrant (if issued before April 1, 1980)
- Hold a T non-immigrant visa (for victims of human trafficking) or are whose parents have T-1 non-immigrant status.
- Are "battered immigrant-qualified aliens" or the child of a person designated as such
If you don't fit those criteria, there are private lenders that specialize in student loans for international students. You may be eligible if:
- You are not a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
- You have an established credit history in the U.S. or a creditworthy co-signer.
- You are enrolled at least part-time in a qualifying degree program at an eligible university.
Loans can be used for school-related expenses, including tuition, room and board, books and school supplies, transportation and other common expenses. Once your loan application is approved, the funds are disbursed to the school.
You can often defer repayment until after leaving school, but interest may start accruing right away.
Can I get an international student loan without a co-signer?
If you are an international student without a credit history in the U.S., your best option at getting financing is securing a creditworthy co-signer you trust who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with the ability to repay the loan if you default.
Some lenders, like MPower Financing, will consider applicants without a co-signer by looking at their program of study, academic performance and career prospects, but they are likely to get a higher interest rate.
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Student loan FAQs
Which is the best student loan for international students?
The best student loan for international students depends on your situation, including whether you have access to a U.S. co-signer, are a DACA student, have eligible resident status or a Social Security number. In addition, whether you are attending undergraduate or graduate school will impact which lender is right for you.
Can international students get federal student loans?
International students studying in the U.S. are not eligible for federal student loans, but you can qualify for a private loan. In many cases, you'll need a creditworthy co-signer who is either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
Is Sallie Mae good for international students?
Sallie Mae is a good option for international students (including DACA students) with a creditworthy co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Can an international student get a loan without a co-signer?
Private student loan lenders typically require international students to have a creditworthy co-signer, though a few don't, such as MPower Financing. Having a co-signer with good credit will improve your chances of loan approval and favorable rates and terms.
How much student loan funding can international students get?
An international student can be approved for funding up to the full cost of attendance. Specific loan amounts vary by lender, however, and depend on what degree program you are pursuing.
Can DACA students get student loans?
Students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status are not eligible for federal student loans but may qualify for private loans and state or school financial aid. DACA students should complete a FAFSA and consult their school's financial aid office to see what they are eligible for
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every private student loan lender review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of student loan products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Our methodology
To determine which private student loans are the best for international borrowers, CNBC Select compared options from different national banks and online lenders that cater to students studying abroad in the U.S.
Because there are all types of international students and scenarios — DACA recipients, U.S. citizens, refugees, asylum-seekers, those with ties to a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident co-signer and those without — we set out to find lenders who match the varying needs and categorized our picks as such. We also considered the loan amounts that these lenders offer international students, the different terms, interest rates (fixed and/or variable offerings), autopay discounts and fees such as origination fees, late or invalid payment fees, application fees and prepayment penalties.
After reviewing the above features, we sorted our recommendations by best for no co-signer, best for graduate students with no co-signer, best for DACA students with co-signer, best for students with eligible resident status and co-signer or DACA students with no co-signer, plus best for students with a U.S. Social Security number and co-signer.
We considered the minimum credit score needed if you're applying through lenders that don't require a co-signer.
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