Consistently among the lowest APR floors in the student-loan refi market.
Get started at Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (SouthEast Bank) → Pre-qualify (where available) with a soft credit pull — no score impact.
ClearValue Rating: 4 / 5 — our editorial assessment (how we rate)
Editorial confidence (30%), cost (25%), value (25%), accessibility (20%) — scored consistently across every product, independent of compensation.
Borrowers with 720+ FICO who optimize purely on rate competitiveness.
ELFI (Education Loan Finance) — Consistently among the lowest APR floors in the student-loan refi market. Best for: Borrowers with 720+ FICO who optimize purely on rate competitiveness.. Compare it against alternatives before applying; the right fit depends on your situation, credit, and goals.
ELFI is geared toward borrowers with strong credit (roughly 720+ FICO) who optimize purely on rate, since it routinely posts among the lowest published variable (4.99-9.99%) and fixed (5.04-9.99%) APR floors in the student-loan refinance market. It is also a good fit for larger balances, as it handles $100K+ refinances well.
ELFI requires a $10,000 minimum balance to refinance, which is higher than the $5,000 minimum at SoFi and Earnest. That floor excludes smaller refinances, so borrowers with under $10,000 remaining would need to look elsewhere.
No. ELFI charges no origination fee and no prepayment penalty, so the stated APR reflects your true cost of borrowing. Confirm current fee details at elfi.com before applying.
No. ELFI offers pre-qualification with a soft credit pull, so you can see an estimated rate without affecting your credit score. A hard inquiry occurs only if you proceed with a formal application.
No. ELFI uses desktop-only servicing and does not offer a mobile app. Each application is assigned a dedicated personal loan advisor, but borrowers who want app-based account management may prefer a fintech lender. ELFI is backed by SouthEast Bank.
How we rate
Every pick gets a 1–5 ClearValue Rating computed from four weighted factors: Editorial confidence (30%), Cost (25%), Value (25%), and Accessibility (20%).
Scored consistently across every product and independent of any compensation. Full methodology →
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