NEA^® Smart Option Student Loan^® by Sallie Mae^®

Every month through August, you can win a $2,000 scholarship from Sallie Mae. Learn more.

Now you have a smart way to pay for college—the NEA Smart Option Student Loan by Sallie Mae. This is an ideal solution to help pay for undergraduate or graduate college expenses not covered by scholarships or federal loans.

The NEA Smart Option Student Loan provides these benefits for degree-granting institutions:

LOW RATES

• Borrow up to 100% of your school-certified education costs (minimum $1,000) with low rates from 2.25% APR to 9.37% APR⁵
• NEA Exclusive Rate Reduction—Reduce your interest rate by a quarter percentage point after making 12 consecutive on-time payments¹
• No origination fees⁵ or prepayment penalties

FLEXIBLE REPAYMENT OPTIONS

• Defer your payments until after graduation or choose an in-school repayment option that best fits your needs⁴

OTHER BENEFITS

• Get a 2% Smart Reward^® in your Upromise^® account when you make scheduled monthly payments on time while in school⁶ (Not available with the Deferred Repayment Option)
• Receive a quarter percentage point interest rate reduction when you enroll in the automatic debit program⁷

Call 1-866-898-5198 or apply online. You can get a loan decision in as little as 15 minutes.

^1-7 For more important information on the rate, fees and other conditions of this program, see the Terms and Conditions.

5 Steps to Planning and Paying for College

We recognize the importance of educating NEA Members on the entire ‘going to college’ experience. These free videos offer college-bound students and their families a wide range of information, from selecting a school to finding scholarships and helping pay for college. Helpful links are offered throughout the videos which provide further information on a range of useful topics.

Part 1: Introduction & Saving for Education (2:51)
Part 2: Selecting Your School & Determining Cost (4:06)
Part 3: Calculating Financial Need (3:55)
Part 4: Paying for Education (4:41)

How America Pays for College 2011 (.pdf, 1MB)
Learn how American families are paying for college in this 4th annual study conducted by Sallie Mae and Ipsos.