SMMC News & Events Blog

This blog highlights news, events, and informative articles on personal finance from University of Illinois System's Student Money Management Center. Feel free to navigate to different categories with the list of topics on the right or search for a specific topic next to the view all link below.

Making Cents of Money: Comparing Private Education Loans

In this episode of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber discuss private education loans, sometimes called alternative loans or third-party loans, and specifically how to compare them when you are trying to figure out which one makes sense for your situation.

You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Referenced Blog Post

 Pellegrini, A. (2026, January 26). Comparing private student loans. University of Illinois System Student Money Management Center Blog. 

Prior Relevant Episodes

• Student Loan Management Transitioning in 2026 (ep. 126) 
• The Role of Loan Servicers (ep. 114) 
• Back to School: College and Credit (ep. 90)
• The Impact of Compound Interest (ep. 70)

Other References

• Hanson, M. (2025, October 21). Total student loan debt in the United States. EducationData.org. 
• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. (2024). Student loan changes from OBBBA's RISE Committee. 
• U.S. Department of Education. (2024). Loan provisions negotiated rulemaking update.