How to Remove a Cosigner From a Student Loan

If you’re like many college graduates, you may have had a parent or other trusted person serve as a cosigner on your student loan. But now, you want to release them from that obligation.

Removing a cosigner may be possible through your lender’s release process or by refinancing the loan without them. Your options depend on the type of loan you have, its terms, and whether you can qualify on your own. Here’s how each option works and what to consider before changing the loan.

Can you remove a cosigner from a student loan?

Sometimes. Some private student loans allow cosigner release after the primary borrower meets the lender’s requirements. If your loan doesn’t offer release or you don’t qualify, you may be able to refinance it into a new private loan without a cosigner.

Start by reviewing your loan agreement and asking your servicer whether cosigner release is available. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that lenders may require a certain number of on-time payments and a new credit review.

Federal student loans generally don’t use cosigners. Direct PLUS loans may instead use an “endorser” when the borrower has an adverse credit history. Beginning July 1, 2026, graduate and professional students generally can no longer receive new Direct PLUS Loans, although a limited exception applies to certain continuing students. Parent PLUS Loans remain available and may use endorsers.

Direct PLUS loans don’t have the same release process as private loans. The borrower, not the endorser, should contact the loan servicer about options such as paying off the loan or replacing it through federal consolidation. Consolidation can change repayment terms and benefits, so review its effects before applying.

Cosigner release

When someone cosigns a loan, they’re taking on a serious responsibility of agreeing to pay the loan if you can’t or won’t. When a lender releases a cosigner, they’re giving up their right to pursue that person for the debt if you default.

For that reason, the lender needs to see that you can assume the debt yourself before they remove your cosigner.

How cosigner release works

To prove to the lender that you can take on the debt yourself, you’ll need to submit an application. If the application is approved, your cosigner will be taken off the loan and released from all responsibility.

Eligibility requirements for cosigner release

Each lender sets its own cosigner-release rules, and some private loans don’t offer release at all. Check your loan agreement and ask the servicer for the requirements in writing. A lender may review:

• The number of consecutive, on-time payments you’ve made
• Your income and ability to repay the loan
• Your credit history
• Your debt-to-income ratio
• Your graduation or employment status, if required by the loan terms

There is no universal payment period or minimum credit score for cosigner release. Once you meet the requirements, submit the lender’s application and request written confirmation if the release is approved.

Refinancing to remove a cosigner

What happens if your cosigner release application isn't approved? You might still be able to remove a cosigner through refinancing. Here’s how the process works:

• You apply for a new private refinancing loan without a cosigner
• If you’re approved, your new lender pays off the old loan
• You make payments toward the new loan, which is in your name only

Make sure to compare the annual percentage rate, fixed or variable rate, repayment term, monthly payment, total interest, fees, and borrower protections before refinancing. Ask whether checking your estimated rate uses a soft or hard credit inquiry, and remember that an estimated offer is not final approval.

Before you refinance: A lower interest rate from a private lender can be tempting, but refinancing a federal student loan is permanent. You’ll give up federal benefits such as income-driven repayment, deferment and forbearance options, and access to certain forgiveness or discharge programs. Review what you could lose and talk with your federal loan servicer or a nonprofit credit counselor before deciding.

What you need to qualify for refinancing

Refinancing requirements vary by lender. A lender may review your credit history, income, employment, debt-to-income ratio, loan type, and education history. Some lenders require a completed degree, while others don’t.

Review each lender’s eligibility rules before applying. Approval, rates, and terms depend on the lender’s underwriting and your financial profile.

Other ways to remove a cosigner from a student loan

If you’ve looked into how to remove a cosigner from a student loan but don’t qualify to do so directly, you have a couple of options.

Paying off the loan in full

Once the loan is paid off, your cosigner has no continuing obligation to the lender (and neither do you).

Loan consolidation (federal loans)

This option applies only to a federal Direct PLUS loan that has an endorser. The Direct PLUS borrower, not the endorser or the student whose education a Parent PLUS loan financed, must apply for the Direct Consolidation Loan.

Federal consolidation creates a new loan, but it does not transfer Parent PLUS debt from the parent to the student. It can also change the interest rate, repayment term, repayment-plan eligibility, and progress toward certain forgiveness programs. Contact your servicer and review the Federal Student Aid repayment calculator before consolidating.

Bottom line

Releasing a cosigner can give both of you peace of mind, but start with your loan agreement. Apply for cosigner release if your lender offers it, and treat refinancing as a new borrowing decision rather than a simple paperwork change. If federal debt is involved, understand which benefits you would lose before refinancing it privately.

Your credit history can affect whether you qualify for cosigner release or refinancing. Kikoff’s Credit Account reports your on-time payments to all three credit bureaus, helping you build positive payment history with no hard credit check to sign up. Get started with Kikoff.