Other Aid Sources

Once you've exhausted your Federal, State, and LIM College resources, please take advantage of our Outside Scholarship information page and our Private Alternative Loans page for more assistance.

You may also find that these non-traditional funding sources provide you and your family with additional options for financing your education. Many of these services are part of a peer-to-peer lending platform that allows you to borrow funds without a credit check from friends and family payable in terms established by the family. Other peer-to-peer sites lend based on a combination of academic merit and traditional credit score.

Virgin Money
With Virgin Money, you’re in charge. You create your own way to pay for school.  Take advantage of the Lender Blender to blend student loans from your relatives, friends or from federally-secured sources. It’s a unique way to pay and it helps you save money. 

Parents may be interested in Student Payback.  Student Payback is a simple way for students to get the lowest-cost education funding possible. Parents pay the bills (with savings or borrowed funds) and then ask the student to repay some or all of the debt, at terms the family agrees are fair. The parent determines how much the student should repay and at what terms and Virgin Money  will document the debt.

GreenNote
GreenNote  is a new company that has been created to help you obtain loans for education via social networking rather than through traditional lending methods. GreenNote loans feature a low fixed interest rate of 6.8%. Virtually all students are eligible since there are no credit requirements or traditional underwriting criteria. Visit the GreenNote website for information on how to get started.

Credit Unions
Credit Unions are becoming a source of private alternative education loans.  Check with your local Credit Union for loan eligibility requirements.

CU Student Loans
New Jersey residents may take advantage of the Credit Union EdAccess Private Student Loan.  The approval process looks at both credit history and academic progress and loan fees can be as low as 0% depending on repayment method.