We continuously monitor our lenders throughout the academic year and remove any lender that does not meet our requirements. Please note that students and families are not required to borrow from a lender on our suggested list. You should always select the lender of your choice. Keep in mind, private loans will be certified to disburse equally over all semesters enrolled during the academic year. Loan options are broken out by category of degree program.
The Office of Financial Aid receives numerous requests for information about student loan products from students and families each year. Students and families who wish to obtain student loans, must select the lender of their choice. We strongly encourage all students and families to research financing options thoroughly and utilize those options that best fit within their financial situation.
The creation of this lender list was guided by the NYS Student Lending Accountability, Transparency and Enforcement Act (SLATE).
In order to compile the list, the Office of Financial Aid completed a Request For Information (RFI) process. The financial aid staff compiled a RFI questionnaire for all interested lenders to complete. All of the RFI reports submitted by the given deadline were reviewed thoroughly by the financial aid staff. After review, the financial aid staff met to discuss the RFI documents and obtain any additional information necessary to answer all questions raised during the review process.
As a result of this process, the financial aid staff determines which lenders met the criteria established in our RFI document. The lenders listed meet the following requirements (in no particular order):
- Have customer service hours that are flexible to meet student and family needs
- Have low student loan default rates in all categories: nationally, within NY, VT and for ACPHS students
- Offer low interest rate structures for private student loans
- Have low back- and front-end fees charged to the borrowers in the private student loan products
- Offer a quick turnaround for credit decisions for students and parents
- Have high approval rates for credit-based student loans
- Agree to allow a student to view the RFI materials with the VP of Enrollment Management in the Office of Financial Aid, upon request from the student