Custom Choice Loan®

Disclosures

Before applying for a private student loan, Citizens and Cognition Financial recommend comparing all financial aid alternatives including grants, scholarships, and both federal and private student loans.

The Custom Choice Loan® is made by Citizens (“Lender”).  All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to Lender’s underwriting guidelines.  Program restrictions and other terms and conditions apply.  LENDER AND COGNITION FINANCIAL CORPORATION EACH RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE.

1. In order to estimate the rates and loan options you prequalify for, Citizens will perform a soft credit inquiry, as authorized by you. Soft credit inquiries do not affect your credit. If you prequalify, the rates and loan options offered to you are estimates only.  Once you choose your loan options and submit your application, Citizens may perform a hard credit inquiry, as authorized by you. Loan approval, options, and final rate depend on the verification of information provided on your application, and information obtained from the credit inquiries (and any cosigner’s credit inquiries).

2. The 15-year term and the Flat Payment Repayment option (paying $25 per month during in-school deferment) are only available for loan amounts of $5,000 or more. Certain repayment terms and/or options may not be available depending on the applicant’s debt-to-income ratio. Making interest only or flat interest payments during deferment will not reduce the principal balance of the loan. Payment examples (all assume a 14-month deferment period, a six-month grace period before entering repayment, no auto pay discount, and the Interest Only Repayment option): 7-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 7-year repayment term (84 months), and 7.69% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $154.32. 10-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 10-year repayment term (120 months) and 7.54% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $118.91. 15-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 15-year repayment term (180 months) and 7.53% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $92.87.

3. Any student applicant who is enrolled less than half-time or who applies for a loan the month of, the month prior to, or the month after their graduation date, as stated on the application or certified by the school, will only be offered the Immediate Repayment option. The Interest Only option (defer principal payments), Flat Payment Repayment option ($25 monthly payment) and the Full Deferment option (defer principal and interest payments) are only available while the student is enrolled at least half-time at an approved school . The Flat Payment Repayment option ($25 monthly payment) is only available on loans of $5,000 or more. With the Immediate Repayment option, the first payment of principal and interest is due approximately 30-60 calendar days after the final disbursement date and the minimum monthly payment will be $50.00. Certain repayment options may not be available depending on the applicant’s enrollment status and/or debt-to-income ratio. There are no prepayment penalties. See footnote 2 for payment examples.

4. The minimum loan amount is $1,000, except for student applicants who are permanent residents of Iowa in which case the minimum loan amount is $1,001. The maximum annual loan amount to cover in-school expenses for each academic year is determined by the school’s cost of attendance, minus other financial aid, such as federal student loans, scholarships, or grants, up to $99,999 annually.  The loan amount must be certified by the school. The loan amount cannot cause the aggregate maximum student loan debt (which includes private and federal student loans) to exceed $180,000 per applicant (on cosigned applications, separate calculations are performed for the student and cosigner). 

5. The 2% principal reduction is based on the total dollar amount of all disbursements made, excluding any amounts that are reduced, canceled, or returned. To receive this principal reduction, it must be requested from the Servicer, the student borrower must have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher and proof of such graduation must be provided to the Servicer. This reward is available once during the life of the loan, regardless of whether the student receives more than one degree.

6. Earn a 0.25% interest rate reduction for making automatic payments of principal and interest from a bank account (“auto pay discount”) by completing the direct debit form provided by the Servicer. The auto pay discount is in addition to other discounts. The auto pay discount will be applied after the Servicer validates your bank account information and will continue until (1) three automatic deductions are returned for insufficient funds during the life of the loan (after which the discount cannot be reinstated) or (2) automatic deduction of payments is canceled. The auto pay discount is not available when reduced payments are being made or when the loan is in a deferment or forbearance, even if payments are being made.

7. A cosigner may be released from the loan upon request to the Servicer, provided that the student borrower has met certain credit and other criteria, and 36 consecutive monthly principal and interest payments have been received by the Servicer within 10 calendar days after their due date. Late payment(s), or the use of a deferment or forbearance will reset the number of consecutive principal and interest payments to zero. Use of an approved alternative repayment plan will disqualify the loan from being eligible for this benefit.

8. A Returning Borrower is a student applicant or a student applicant and cosigner combination with either (a) a prior application that is awaiting school certification, or (b) a prior loan that has a disbursement scheduled or completed.

9. Income verification will be waived for Returning Borrowers who report the same employer, employment status, singular income source and an annual income amount within 25% of the annual income amount previously verified from such income source on a prior application or loan with an income verified date within eighteen (18) months of the hard pull decision date of the new application. If more than one prior application or loan with an income verified date within eighteen (18) months of the hard pull decision date for the creditworthy applicant exists, the most recent qualifying application or loan will be used to verify income.

10. The legal age of majority is 18 years of age in every state except Alabama (19 years old), Nebraska (19 years old, only for wards of the state), and Puerto Rico (21 years old).

Custom Choice Loan® is a registered trademark of Cognition Financial Corporation.

Citizens is a brand name of Citizens Bank, N.A.  Member FDIC.

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