Alternative (Private) Loans

The ELM Select lender directory represents lenders that Syracuse University students have used in the past and is separate from the preferred lender list. Lending institutions are solely responsible for posting and updating their information on ELM Select. 

Review and compare lenders and loan products, including those on the preferred lender list above and other lenders our students have used historically available through the ELM Select lender directory. This ELM Select list represents lenders that Syracuse University students have used in the past and is separate from the preferred lender list. Lending institutions are solely responsible for posting and updating their information on ELM Select. 

Students attending Syracuse University and their families are under no obligation to borrow from any lender on the Preferred Lender List. You may select any private education lender. Your choice of lender will not affect how the Office of Financial Aid processes or certifies your loan, and we will not cause unnecessary delay in certifying a loan from a lender not on this list. This list is provided solely as a resource to assist your borrowing decision. We also believe lenders on the historical lender list could offer similar or better terms, depending on individual circumstances.

If you select a lender by clicking their link, you will be connected to the lender's website and application. Once your application has been credit-approved, your lender will electronically transmit it to our office for certification.

As part of the application process, your lender will require you to complete a Private Education Loan Application Self-Certification Form. This form requires you to list your cost of attendance, estimated financial assistance, and the difference between the two — all of which are available in MySlice under My Financial Aid. Submit this form directly to your lender, not to Syracuse University. The form may be submitted by fax, mail, or electronically, depending on your lender's requirements.

Once the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs has approved your application, the loan amount will appear in MySlice under Financial Aid.

1. No action will be taken by financial aid staff that is for their personal benefit or could be perceived to be a conflict of interest.
   1. Employees within the financial aid office will not award aid to themselves or their immediate family members. Staff will reserve this task to an institutionally designated person to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
   2. If a preferred lender list is provided, it will be compiled without prejudice and for the sole benefit of the students attending the institution. The information included about lenders and loan terms will be transparent, complete, and accurate. The complete process through which preferred lenders are selected will be fully and publicly disclosed. Borrowers will not be auto-assigned to any particular lender.
   3. A borrower's choice of a lender will not be denied, impeded, or unnecessarily delayed by the institution, even if that lender is not included on the institution's preferred lender list.
   4. No amount of cash, gift, or benefit in excess of a de minimis amount shall be accepted by a financial aid staff member from any financial aid applicant (or his/her family), or from any entity doing business with or seeking to do business with the institution (including service on advisory committees or boards beyond reimbursement for reasonable expenses directly associated with such service).
2.  Information provided by the financial aid office is accurate, unbiased, and does not reflect preference arising from actual or potential personal gain.
3. 1. Employees within the financial aid office will not award aid to themselves or their immediate family members. Staff will reserve this task to an institutionally designated person to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
   2. If a preferred lender list is provided, it will be compiled without prejudice and for the sole benefit of the students attending the institution. The information included about lenders and loan terms will be transparent, complete, and accurate. The complete process through which preferred lenders are selected will be fully and publicly disclosed. Borrowers will not be auto-assigned to any particular lender.
   3. A borrower's choice of a lender will not be denied, impeded, or unnecessarily delayed by the institution, even if that lender is not included on the institution's preferred lender list.
   4. No amount of cash, gift, or benefit in excess of a de minimis amount shall be accepted by a financial aid staff member from any financial aid applicant (or his/her family), or from any entity doing business with or seeking to do business with the institution (including service on advisory committees or boards beyond reimbursement for reasonable expenses directly associated with such service).

No employee or agent of the University who has responsibilities with respect to private education loans may have a conflict of interest with respect to such responsibilities. This Code of Conduct is intended to prohibit all such conflicts of interest and must be complied with by all such employees and agents.

The University must not enter into any revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender. The University, including any employee or agent of the University, will not accept any fee or other material benefits, including revenue or profit sharing in exchange for recommending or promoting the lender or the loan products of the lender.

The University will not automatically assign a particular lender to any borrower and will not refuse to certify or delay certification of any loan based on the lender selected.

The University prohibits requesting or accepting from any lender any offer of funds to be used for private education loans, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for the institution providing concessions or promising the lender a specified number or volume of loans, or a preferred lender arrangement for such loans.

The University prohibits requesting or accepting from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.  This prohibition does not apply to: (a) professional development training for financial aid administrators; (b) providing educational counseling materials, financial literacy materials, or debt management materials to borrowers, provided that such materials disclose the identity of any lender that assisted in preparing or providing them; or (c) staffing services on a short-term, nonrecurring basis to assist the University with financial aid-related functions during emergencies, including State-declared or Federally declared natural disasters, Federally declared national disasters, and other localized disasters and emergencies identified by the Secretary of Education.

The University prohibits employees from receiving gifts directly, or indirectly from any lender or loan servicer.  For purposes of this Code of Conduct, the term gift means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, or other item having a monetary value of more than a de minimis amount. The term includes a gift of services, transportation, lodging, or meals, whether provided in kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance, or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred

The University prohibits any employee in the financial aid office, or anyone who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to private education loans, from accepting from any lender or lender affiliate, any fee, payment, or other financial benefit as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to private education loans.

The University prohibits employees from receiving anything of value from a lender in return for service on an advisory board, commission, or group established by a lender. The employee may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses.

Lenders shall not represent themselves as employees, representatives, or agents of the University to borrowers or potential borrowers.

The University prohibits any lender from using the University’s name, emblem, and logo, including words, pictures, or symbols identified with the University in any way that implies the University endorses any private educational loan offered by that lender.

The University and lender are prohibited from entering into an agreement or otherwise provide any high-risk loans in exchange for the institution providing concessions or promises to the lender that may prejudice other borrowers or potential borrowers.

Publication and Annual Notification. The University shall publish this Code of Conduct prominently on its website. The University shall administer and enforce this Code of Conduct by, at a minimum, requiring that all agents of the University with responsibilities with respect to private education loans be informed of the provisions of this Code of Conduct on at least an annual basis.

Federal law requires that for each type of private education loan offered through our preferred lender arrangement, we provide the information required to be disclosed under Section 128(e)(11) of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). You also have the right to receive information about federal student loan programs before taking out a private education loan. Learn about federal student aid at StudentAid.gov.