You’re waiting for a college to accept you… Once you have been accepted into a school, the college will send you a financial aid offer letter—a financial aid package that dictates how much aid the school is willing to give you, including loan offers. Should you accept all the student loans or should you only accept a portion of it?
What if it’s more student loans than you’re willing to accept?
Sometimes the loan amount offered is beyond what a student would actually need to take out in order to pay for college, in which case many students wonder if they are required to accept all that’s offered in the offer letter.
The short answer: No, you do not.
Offer letters are not as set in stone as you may think. Not only might the scholarship amounts shift a little, but you can potentially appeal an offer letter for additional aid than they initially offered you. So no, you do not have to accept the loan offers provided.
Look over your loan amount
In fact, we recommend that students and families take a hard look at the loan amount—if the loan exceeds the amount you would need to take out in order to pay for college, it’s best to ask for less. Always, always, always take out the least amount in loans as possible—that way it’s less to pay back after graduation, thus reducing your overall student loan debt.
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
6.97%-15.03%* Variable
5.99%-14.00%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
 |
6.37% - 16.70% Variable
4.50% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
4.98% - 16.70% Variable
4.07% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
|
|
6.07% - 11.31% Variable
4.39% - 10.39% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
6.22% - 16.08% Variable
4.09% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
6.54% - 11.08% Variable
3.95% - 8.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
5.62% - 18.26% Variable
4.11% - 15.90% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
4.98% - 12.79% Variable
8.42% - 13.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
