GradBridge Student Loans
Frequently Asked Questions.
You are eligible for a GradBridge student loan if you are:
- A U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, that is at least the age of majority in their state
- An undergraduate (Junior or greater) or graduate student enrolled in an eligible school in the U.S, and seeking a 4-year undergraduate (Bachelor’s) or graduate/post-graduate degree
Yes, there are credit history requirements to get approved for a student loan. Since most students have limited credit history, they'll likely need a cosigner who has established credit history and income.
A cosigner can be a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, guardian, or mentor that has an established credit history and a steady income stream. A cosigner agrees to take responsibility for repayment of the loan if you can’t make your payments.
For all undergraduate students, a cosigner will be needed. For Graduate students, applying with a cosigner can increase your chances of getting approved and could result in a lower interest rate.
A federal student loan is made by the federal government and frequently has caps on how much money can be borrowed. Many federal loans don’t require a credit check.
A private student loan is made by a private company (a lender or a bank) that uses a borrower’s (and cosigner’s) credit history to determine loan terms.
GradBridge student loans cover all valid cost of attendance expenses. This includes tuition, fees, room and board (regardless if you live on campus or off campus), books, supplies, transportation and commuting costs, and other educational expenses such as a laptop.
We will send loan funds to your school. If there's money left over after that balance is paid, the school will refund the money to you following their individual refund procedures.
A fixed rate remains the same throughout the life of the loan, offering consistent and predictable monthly payments.
A variable rate is based on a market index (GradBridge uses SOFR) and a fixed margin. Rates can increase or decrease, based on SOFR fluctuations, which means your monthly payments may also increase or decrease depending on market conditions.
GradBridge’s variable rate loan resets once a month and is based on the 30-day Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
on the 25th day of the month plus a margin.
The interest rate is the cost of borrowing money, expressed as a percentage of the loan amount.
The APR (Annual Percentage Rate) includes the interest rate and any additional fees, giving you the total cost of borrowing in a percentage rate.
The GradBridge Student loan process generally takes less than 15 minutes to complete. The Borrower applies first and then the cosigner will be prompted to complete their section. The Cosigner does not have to be with the borrower to apply. After you've submitted your student loan application, you’ll receive a credit decision immediately.
Once approved, you'll also get notices to review, accept, and e-sign your loan terms. We will then send your loan to your school for them to certify. The school will verify enrollment and the loan amount based on your cost of attendance.
After your school certifies your loan, we’ll send the money directly to your school based on the schedule they set.
The entire process can take as few as 10 business days but may be longer depending on your school.
To apply for a GradBridge Student Loan, you and your cosigner will need the following information:
- SSN and other contact information
- School name and enrollment information
- Estimated income
- Requested loan amount
With this information ready, completing the application is quick and easy—it generally takes less than 15 minutes, and you’ll receive an instant credit decision.
GradBridge uses partners to process your application and service your loan. The login credentials may be different between the application processor and servicer.
For applications, GradBridge partners with Campus Door. To complete your existing loan application, check the status or review disbursement information, click on this link to login in https://campusdoor.com/GradBridge/Login.aspx. Your credentials were sent from Campus Door via the email you entered in the application as your primary email. If you don’t remember your password, choose the reset password option.
For Servicing your loan that has already been disbursed, GradBridge partners with Firstmark. To make a payment, review payment history, enroll in auto-debit and check the status of your loan, click on this link to log in. Your credentials were sent from Firstmark via the email you entered in the application as your primary email. If you don’t remember your password, choose the reset password option.
All of our loans are disbursed directly to the school; we don't send the money directly to the borrower. The funds may be divided into multiple disbursements, usually one per semester, as determined by your school.
The school will refund any excess money to you following their individual refund procedures.
Typically, student loans have an in-school period and a principal and interest (P&I) period.
- The in-school period is the time you are enrolled in-school (a maximum of 48 months) plus a grace period (typically 6 months)
- Then P&I period starts once the grace period ends and may be 5, 10 or 15 years depending on requested loan amount and what you select in the application
During the in-school period, you will have a variety of repayment options to choose from:
- Deferred: No payments until 6 months after graduation
- Interest Only: Pay only the interest while in school
- Fixed Pay: Pay $25 per month while in school
During the application process, you will get to choose one of these options. If you chose a repayment option with in-school payments, your monthly payments begin as soon as your funds are disbursed.
During the P&I period, you will make monthly payments that include both principal and interest for the repayment term selected.
Yes, a cosigner can be release from a GradBridge loan with the following criteria:
- Completion of consecutive 48 payments
- Borrower has a FICO score of 700 or better
- Debt to Income requirements are met
- A review of bankruptcy, foreclosure, student loan defaults, repossession, suits filed, garnishments, or settlements
