Before applying for a credit-based student loan, it’s important to do your research on the private student loan landscape and explore all of the options available to you.  Visit Credible to compare lenders.

Once you select a lender, you will need to complete an application.  Most private student loan applications can be submitted online and take an average of 15 minutes to complete.

After reviewing the disclosure and submitting your application, the approval process begins. Some lenders use a manual review process that could take a few days while others produce an instant decision. During the approval process, the lender evaluates your credit history, among other criteria, to determine whether to approve you for the loan.

Once approved, the next step is to review and accept the terms of the loan.  After you finalize the terms of your loan, you receive a second required disclosure, this time with specific information regarding rates, fees, and other terms of the loan. This disclosure shows you all of the information about your specific loan and how much it will cost. After you accept the terms of the loan, you’ll sign the remaining loan documents to continue. Most lenders will let you sign your loan documents electronically so you can skip printing and mailing.

During certification, the lender will send your loan details to BU to confirm several things including your enrollment status (half-time or full-time), your anticipated graduation date, and your requested loan amount. The loan cannot exceed the cost of attendance.

BU can certify the loan as is, certify the loan with changes, or not certify the loan at all. When certifying a loan with changes, BU can lower the amount of the loan if it exceeds the maximum cost of attendance (minus other aid), or could adjust things like your expected graduation date.

If BU makes changes to the loan, your lender will often need to generate new disclosures to make sure you have the latest information. You may need to accept the new disclosure, so keep an eye out for communications from your lender.

Once your loan is certified by BU, your loan will be scheduled for disbursement. Student loan disbursement is how BU gets the funds you applied for to your student account. Credit-based student loans are typically sent straight to BU; they are not sent directly to you (the student).

In terms of how long it takes to get your student loan, BU sets the disbursement date, which is typically on the first day of class each semester.  It’s best not to wait too long to apply to avoid any unexpected delays.

Typically, your private student loan lender will inform you when your private student loan is disbursed, and will be sent to your school in 2 disbursements if you applied to cover more than one term.