Welcome!

On these pages, you may compare and link to applications for Federal Stafford, Federal Parent PLUS, Grad PLUS, and Private Alternative loans from our preferred lenders.

Before you begin, please review our rationale – how Bennington chose our preferred lenders – as well as the Loan Know-How page on Bennington’s website. You’ll find perhaps-overlooked details about borrower benefits, the repayment discounts offered – and advertised – by lenders. It’s important that every borrower be an informed consumer.

If you have any questions about borrowing a student or parent loan, contact Bennington’s Financial Aid Office.

Phone: 802-440-4325
Fax: 802-440-2880
Email: finaid@bennington.edu

Lender List Rationale

In creating a preferred lender list, we evaluated information from many lenders regarding loan cost, services, borrower benefits, and rates of borrower benefit achievement. We believe that these lenders offer:

• Most advantageous loan terms
• Straightforward, achievable borrower benefits
• Excellent customer service, and help with averting loss of benefits or default
• Stability and long experience with education loans

You are not required to choose from this list; you may use any lender in borrowing a federal Stafford student loan, a parent PLUS loan or Grad PLUS, or an alternative student loan. We encourage you to explore the terms offered by other lenders. (If you choose another lender, complete an application directly from its website. Bennington will be notified of the loan when you have completed all application paperwork – which is usually electronic – and we are asked to certify your eligibility.)

The first step in choosing a lender is understanding costs and borrower benefits. Before you make a decision, be certain to review Loan Know-How.

Please note that the private loan lenders accessed on the “expanded list” (upper right button on the private loan results page) are not Bennington’s preferred lenders.