Private Student Loan Preferred Lender List

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is our firm belief that families should borrow only when necessary, and then only to the extent needed. We encourage that serious and deliberate consideration be given to making any borrowing decision and federal loan options should be considered first.   

If students and parents are interested in considering private student loans, it is important to understand such loans are credit-based and may require a cosigner. If you are not enrolled at least half time, you would not be eligible for federal loans, and a private student loan may be a viable funding option for you.

The purpose of the private student loan preferred lender list is to provide students and families with information about private education loan options that have been commonly used by our students and have been vetted through our selection and review process. Please note that you are not required to use any of these lenders—you may choose to borrow through any private lender, including lenders not on this list. Students and parents will not be penalized for choosing a lender that is not on the list. We process private loan certifications for all lenders with equal timeliness and without prejudice. Selecting a lender not on our preferred list will not delay your certification.

Our preferred lenders for the 2026-2027 academic year were selected through a competitive Request for Proposal process.  The list was compiled using neutral, borrower‑centered criteria, including total borrower cost, repayment terms, approval rates, customer‑service history, and co‑signer release options. At least two unaffiliated lenders are included. Please know that we review the list annually.

Vanderbilt University’s student loan preferred lender list is provided through FASTChoice.

FASTChoice is a tool for comparing private student loan lenders. The lenders are listed in volume order, and the information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Before viewing the student loan preferred lender list, you will be prompted to complete the Borrowing Essentials section, an interactive overview of basic borrowing information. If you return to the student loan preferred lender list at a later time, you can then choose to opt out of viewing the Borrowing Essentials section again.

You may use the following advanced filters within FASTChoice to assist your search:

• Borrower Type
• Interest Rate Type
• Enrollment
• Resident Type
• Non-Degree Seeking
• Past Due Balances
• Not Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress

Vanderbilt University employees are held to a strict Financial Aid Code of Conduct which can be viewed here.