Fixed Rate Loans
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Fixed rates mean stable monthly payments and no surprises. See your rate in about 2 minutes with no credit impact.†
Variable Rate Loans
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Variable rates can change, giving you flexibility as the market shifts. Check your rate in minutes without affecting your credit.†
Rate quotes are valid for 30 days. Rates shown include a combined 0.50% rate discount for our Loyalty† and Automatic Payment discounts.† See how different repayment options can affect your loan.
Why Choose a Citizens Parent Student Loan?
Yes, you can pay for up to 100% of school certified expenses with a Citizens Student Loan. You could make applying for future years even easier with Multi-Year Approval†. Apply once and, if you're eligible, you could skip the hassle of completing a full application (and credit hit) next year. You simply request funds as needed.
Very easy! You can get a rate quote in about 2 minutes with no impact to your credit score† when applying online, or it's quick to apply in a branch or over the phone (866-999-0077).
Parent loans offer immediate and interest only options with 5- and 10-year terms. See how different repayment options can affect your loan.
How Multi-Year Approval† could fund future college years
Student Tools and Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
At Citizens, we advise parents and students to carefully consider borrowing federal loans first. We also advise families to talk about who will be responsible for borrowing and repaying loans.
With a private Parent loan, the parent is the sole borrower and is fully responsible for payment. The student has no legal obligation to repay the loan. Typically the borrower is a parent, relative or sponsor of the student. Alternatively, when a parent cosigns a student loan, the student is the primary borrower and the cosigner (parent) shares responsibility for repayment if the student cannot pay.
A private parent loan is credit‑based, has no origination fee, and may offer lower interest rates for well‑qualified borrowers. A federal Parent PLUS loan is issued by the government, includes an origination fee, and has a fixed interest rate set annually, regardless of the borrower’s credit profile.
Parents typically consider borrowing only what's needed to cover the school's certified cost of attendance after scholarships, grants, and other financial aid.
A fixed interest rate stays the same for the life of the loan, so your interest rate and monthly payment remain consistent. A variable interest rate can change over time based on a market index (i.e. SOFR), which means your rate and monthly payment may increase or decrease over the loan term.
Parent student loans require immediate repayment or interest-only payments with full principal and interest payments being due after the student graduates. If the borrower selects immediate repayments, payments are due shortly after the funds are disbursed to the student's school. Read our article for more information on repayment.
The application can be completed online or by phone in just a few minutes. After the loan is processed and approved, your school must certify the loan for the correct amount before funds can be disbursed. The whole process can take several business days.
Citizens has an established track record of deep credibility and broad expertise with nearly 50 years in the student loan business. Over that time, we've developed a network of close relationships with college financial aid offices which greatly benefits our borrowers.
We're here to answer your questions
Call 866-999-0077 to speak with a Student Loan Advisor, or click the chat icon below.
Contact Center Hours:
8:00AM-9:00PM ET Monday-Friday
8:30AM-5:00PM ET Saturday
Chat Hours:
8:30AM-5:00PM ET Monday-Friday
© Citizens Financial Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Citizens Bank, N.A. Member FDIC
† For additional information, please click the † symbols throughout this page to view our student lending disclosures.