Can International Students Get Student Loans Without Credit History in the USA?
Can International Students Get Student Loans Without Credit History in the USA?
International students can get certain student loans without an established US credit history. However, the available choices are limited, and the terms “no credit history” and “no cosigner” do not mean the same thing.
Most traditional private lenders will consider an international student without US credit history only when the application includes a creditworthy US citizen or permanent-resident cosigner. A smaller number of international education lenders assess applicants using their university, degree and expected earning potential instead of relying mainly on a US credit score.
Why international students have no US credit history
A US credit history generally begins after you open accounts that report activity to American credit bureaus, such as:
- Credit cards.
- Personal loans.
- Auto loans.
- Student loans.
- Certain utility or rental-reporting services.
Credit records from another country do not automatically transfer to the United States. Therefore, a student may have excellent financial habits at home but still appear as a borrower with no US credit history.
Having no credit history is not the same as having bad credit:
- No credit history: There is insufficient US borrowing data to calculate your reliability.
- Bad credit: Your report contains negative information such as missed payments, defaults or excessive debt.
- No cosigner: No second person agrees to become legally responsible for the loan.
Can international students qualify without credit history?
Yes. International students generally have two possible routes:
- Apply through a specialised international lender that does not require US credit history.
- Apply through a traditional private lender with a qualified US cosigner.
Federal student loans are usually unavailable to students holding only an F-1 visa. Federal aid is generally limited to US citizens and specific eligible noncitizen categories, including permanent residents and certain humanitarian-status holders.
Best student-loan options without US credit history
1. Prodigy Finance: Best active no-cosigner option
Prodigy Finance provides international education loans for selected master’s programmes at supported US universities.
The lender generally does not require:
- A US cosigner.
- Property collateral.
- An established US credit history.
Instead of relying entirely on past borrowing activity, Prodigy considers factors such as the applicant’s university, degree, career field and expected earning potential after graduation.
Main advantages
- Online application process.
- No local cosigner for the primary international loan product.
- No property collateral.
- Available to eligible students from multiple countries.
- Early repayment without a prepayment penalty.
- Funding may contribute toward tuition and approved living expenses.
Important limitations
Prodigy mainly finances eligible postgraduate programmes. Availability depends on:
- University and degree.
- Applicant’s country of residence.
- Nationality.
- Academic intake.
- Lender funding capacity.
- Expected graduation and employment outcomes.
Students must confirm that their exact programme is supported before using a provisional loan estimate in their funding plan. Prodigy advertises Fall 2026 no-cosigner and no-collateral loans, although availability can differ by applicant and country.
Best for: International master’s students who lack both US credit history and a US cosigner.
2. Sallie Mae: Best with a creditworthy US cosigner
Sallie Mae offers private loans for undergraduate, graduate and professional study at participating US institutions.
International students may apply when they:
- Reside in the United States.
- Attend an eligible US school.
- Provide the required identification.
- Apply with a creditworthy cosigner who is a US citizen or permanent resident.
The cosigner’s financial profile can compensate for the student’s lack of US credit history. Sallie Mae loans remain subject to credit approval, identity verification and school certification.
Best for: International undergraduate or graduate students with a qualified US cosigner.
3. Ascent: Best for international graduate students with a cosigner
Ascent offers private student loans for international students attending eligible US institutions.
International borrowers normally need a cosigner who:
- Is a US citizen or permanent resident.
- Meets Ascent’s credit requirements.
- Has sufficient credit history.
- Meets minimum income requirements.
- Can provide acceptable proof of income.
Ascent’s published requirements state that a cosigner generally needs at least two years of qualifying credit history and must satisfy applicable credit-score and income standards.
An international student’s lack of credit history may therefore be acceptable because the lender primarily relies on the cosigner’s financial record.
Best for: Master’s and PhD students with a financially strong US cosigner.
4. College Ave: Best for students with a Social Security number
College Ave allows eligible international students to apply for private student loans when they have:
- A valid US Social Security number.
- A US address.
- Enrolment at an eligible institution.
- A qualified cosigner who is a US citizen or permanent resident.
- Satisfactory academic progress.
Both the student and cosigner must provide Social Security numbers. The application is also subject to a credit review and an assessment of the ability to repay.
Best for: International students who already have a Social Security number and access to a qualified US cosigner.
5. MPOWER Financing: No-credit-history lending currently paused
MPOWER Financing has traditionally offered loans to eligible international students without requiring:
- A US cosigner.
- Property collateral.
- US credit history.
However, MPOWER states that it has reached its current funding capacity and is temporarily unable to provide new loans for 2026. Students can join its waitlist, but a waitlist registration is not a loan approval or guaranteed source of funding.
Best for: Students who want to monitor a possible reopening of no-cosigner lending.
Documents you may need
Prepare the following before applying:
- Passport and government-issued identification.
- Form I-20.
- Valid visa or immigration documents.
- University admission or enrolment letter.
- School-certified cost of attendance.
- Tuition and living-expense budget.
- Academic transcripts and CV.
- Scholarship or assistantship documents.
- Social Security number, when required.
- Cosigner’s identification, income and credit documents.
The university normally certifies the approved amount before the lender releases funds.
How to improve your approval chances
International students can strengthen their applications by:
- Applying only to lenders that support their exact university and programme.
- Finding a cosigner with stable income and strong US credit.
- Reducing the requested amount through scholarships and savings.
- Providing complete academic and financial documentation.
- Requesting only the amount needed after other aid.
- Checking for errors before submitting the application.
- Comparing prequalification options before accepting a hard credit check.
A student should never pay someone to create a fake credit profile, falsify income documents or provide an unofficial cosigner.
Can you build US credit before applying?
Building credit may improve future borrowing options, but it normally takes time.
Possible starting points include:
- A secured credit card.
- An international-student credit card.
- Becoming an authorised user on a responsible person’s account.
- Paying all bills by their due dates.
- Keeping credit-card balances low.
A few months of credit activity may still be insufficient for a large private education loan. A qualified cosigner can remain necessary even after the student receives a credit score.
Risks of private international student loans
Before accepting a loan, examine:
- Fixed versus variable interest.
- Annual percentage rate.
- Origination and administration fees.
- Payments required while studying.
- Grace period after graduation.
- Total amount repayable.
- Cosigner responsibility.
- Cosigner-release requirements.
- Consequences of leaving the programme.
- Effect of delayed US employment after graduation.
A cosigner is legally responsible for the loan if the student fails to make payments. Late payments may damage both parties’ credit histories.
Final answer
International students can get student loans without US credit history, but most traditional lenders require a creditworthy US cosigner.
The main options in 2026 are:
- Prodigy Finance for eligible international master’s students without a cosigner or US credit history.
- Sallie Mae for students with a qualified US citizen or permanent-resident cosigner.
- Ascent for eligible international graduate students with a strong cosigner.
- College Ave for students with a Social Security number and qualified cosigner.
- MPOWER Financing only if it officially resumes accepting new loan applications.
Compare scholarships, assistantships and university funding before taking private debt.
Official Sources
- Federal Student Aid – Eligibility for non-US citizens
- Prodigy Finance – International student loans for the USA
- Sallie Mae – Private student-loan eligibility
- Ascent – International student loans
- College Ave – International student eligibility
- MPOWER Financing – Official loan availability
