If you’ve ever thought “Who is Sallie Mae and what does she have to do with my student loans?”, keep reading. Sallie Mae isn’t a schoolgirl — it’s a private loan provider that can help fund your education.
Along with administering traditional private loans for students and parents, Sallie Mae also provides a specialized loan for students who wish to enroll in a not-so traditional education course, such as a technical school like Centriq Training. Learn more about our 4-month IT career training program here.
If you’re thinking about jumping off the diving board and into a new career, Sallie Mae can get you started. But what exactly is Sallie Mae, how can it help with living expenses during school, and what kind of loan do they offer for technical training? Find out below.
1. What is Sallie Mae?
Sallie Mae is one of the largest private student loan lenders in the country. Founded in 1972, Sallie Mae was once a government entity that distributed federal loans. It now only distributes private loans for students, including undergraduate and graduate students, technical and career training students, law school students, medical school students, parents of students, dental school students, and more.
2. What’s the difference between federal loans and private loans?
Private loans differ from federal loans in a few ways, including:
• Federal loans are offered by the government, while private loans are offered by banks and financial institutions.
• Private loans are credit based, meaning they require the borrower to have adequate credit or a trustworthy cosigner. Federal loans can be aid-based and require the applicant to fill out a FAFSA form.
• Federal loans have fixed interest rates, while private loans offer both fixed rates and variable rates.
3. What type of loan should i take out for a technical training school?
Many of our Centriq students are non-traditional — they may have to support a family or budget for mortgage payments. Sallie Mae offers a loan option dedicated to students pursuing alternative education routes, including a technical training education: the Career Training Smart Option Student Loan. This type of loan covers more than just the cost of your classes — it can also help with housing, meals, and other fees.
With the Career Training Smart Option Student loan, you get a few different interest rate and repayment options. You can choose a variable interest rate, which falls between 4.12% and 11.52% APR and fluctuates depending on the market, or a fixed interest rate, which falls between 6.62% and 11.52% and guarantees a predictable monthly payment. You can also choose to pay down part of your loan or interest while you are in school to help lower your total loan cost. For more information about the Career Training Smart Option Student Loan, click here.
4. how long before i have to start paying back my sallie mae loan?
It depends — if you are a Centriq student, you will get a 12-month loan deferment period starting from the program start date. Since our program is only four months, you have eight months after graduating from Centriq to start paying back your loan.
5. how do i apply for a sallie mae loan?
It’s simple! You can find the application here. Just come prepared with the necessary information, including enrollment dates, school information, employment information, necessary loan amount, personal financial information, such as bank accounts, rent/mortgage information, etc., and contact information for two personal contacts.
6. are there resources to help me with the application process?
The Sallie Mae website has a wonderfully informative blog that goes into more detail about their loans than what you can find in this cursory level blog. You can also get more information by speaking to one of our knowledgeable Centriq Admissions Advisors — give us a call at 913-322-7000 or fill out a contact form here.