Private & Alternative Loans


There are a variety of private loans for education that are available to Delaware Valley University students.


The Financial Aid Office strongly encourages you to borrow Federal Direct Loans first and then consider the University Payment Plan and/or the Federal Parent PLUS Loan before applying for a student alternative loan.

If you have exhausted less expensive financing options, such as the Federal Direct Loans, Payment Plan, and the Federal Parent PLUS loan, you may want to consider a student alternative loan.

The student is the borrower for the alternative loans; however, in most cases, a credit-worthy cosigner is required. Having a credit-worthy co-signer will also likely reduce the cost of the loan (interest rate, up front and back-end fees, etc.) Please be aware that the co-signer is fully responsible for repaying the loan should the borrower stop making payments. There are some alternative loan products that offer a co-signer release option after a specified number of on-time payments are made and the borrower is credit-worthy.

To assist families with choosing an educational lender for alternative loans, please visit Elm Select to view a list of alternative loan products our students and families have used. You may also view other education lenders and compare at this site. Please be aware that you are free to conduct your own research and comparison of alternative loan products and select any lender of your choice.

For additional important information about securing a student alternative loan, please click here.

Borrowers are welcome to choose any participating lender. Please keep in mind the student loan industry is constantly changing, and lenders can change or eliminate borrower benefits without notice.

Download the Self-Certification Form

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) added a section to the Truth In Lending Act to require that before a private educational lender may consummate a private education loan for a student in attendance at an institution of higher education or for a parent or sponsor of a student in attendance at an institution of higher education, the private education lender must obtain the completed and signed Self-Certification Form from the applicant. The form is normally provided by the lender during the application process and that is the preferred method of obtaining that document.

Private Parent Loans are offered through private lenders. These are loans that a parent or sponsor can borrow on behalf of an undergraduate or graduate student and a credit check is used to determine eligibility.

To learn more about the products offered by the Private Parent Loan lenders we work with, visit ElmSelect. You are not limited to the lenders listed.