Honest College Ave Review 2025

Getting enough money for college can be challenging, even with conventional Federal loans. Fortunately, that’s where College Ave comes into the picture. It offers access to a bunch of private loans while offering what we think are some helpful services, like eliminating origination fees. 

But is it any good? That’s the big question that everyone wants answered. We want to know whether students should be using College Ave to supplement their loans, or whether the whole enterprise is a waste of time. 

Why College Ave Exists

But first, why does a service like College Ave exist at all. After all, the majority of students get federal loans via FAFSA and they are often the first stop. 

The issue with these loans is that they can be quite limiting. Students may think that they’re getting enough money, but once you subtract college fees and accommodation costs, it can be quite limiting. Many students don’t have enough money for the basics throughout the year. 

The idea of College Ave, therefore, is to provide some sort of supplemental funding. Interestingly, the people who started the company are former students themselves, so they understand the challenges involved in connecting to private loan providers. 

What We Liked

So, what did we like about the service that College Ave offered? 

Customizable Loans

The biggest draw of this service is the fact it offers customizable loans. It tailors these around your needs, depending on what you want to achieve. 

For example, you can get loans with adjustable and flexible repayment plans. You can also ask for loans that only require repayment once the study period is over. 

This level of customization is critical. It means that borrowers have more flexibility than with most services. 

Choice Of Interest Rates

We also liked the fact that we had a choice of interest rates when using College Ave. For example, we could go for more predictable but more expensive fixed rates, or more variable interest at lower rates. 

The choice of which strategy to adopt depended on our financial preferences. Did we want certainty? Or did we want potentially lower prices? 

Of course, College Ave has plenty of guidance on which of these options to choose. It’s essentially up to you which one you pick, based on your circumstances. 

Simple Application Process

On top of this, we noticed that College Ave had a surprisingly simple application process. We were able to select the loans that we wanted and then get quick replies on approvals. 

A simple application process is a nice touch for students who have other things to worry about before college. It’s better to just click a few buttons than it is to fill out forms, send off documents, and so on. 

Of course, we were just testing the service, but the overall experience was surprisingly straightforward for us. We didn’t encounter any roadblocks that made us feel like we couldn’t move forward with anything. 

Auto-Pay Discount

We also saw that we could get a discount of around 0.25% if we set up auto-pay. Again, we like this feature because it rewards us for being organized. 0.25% might not sound like much, but it is the sort of thing that can really add up over the life of a loan. 

College Ave will actually provide you with the math on this if you want. You can see what you’re paying with the discount versus what you’ll have to pay in interest charges without it. 

Scholarship Sweepstakes

The scholarship sweepstakes were another nice touch in our view. College Ave offers a $1,000 monthly support package for additional funds. These further reduce school-related costs for a lot of students who use the platform. 

Strong Customer Service

What about customer service? We’re pleased to report that College Ave prioritizes this, offering an almost white-glove service. Because the team understands what students are going through, they’re more than happy to help and offer their time. They can also assist with explaining the borrowing process and how it all works in fine detail. 

Mobile Loan Management App

Lastly, we were pleased to see that College Ave has a mobile loan management app. This simple tool allowed us to track loans and money flows so we always knew our financial position. The app is available on both Apple and Android systems. 

What We Didn’t Like

Of course, no service is perfect. And, naturally, there were some things that we didn’t like as much about College Ave. However, as you’ll read below, many of our complaints were minor and aren’t dealbreakers. 

Creditworthiness Requirements

One of the cons was the creditworthiness requirements, something that is challenging for young students to achieve. Getting approved for an additional loan requires some sort of credit history, which isn’t common among people aged 18 to 19. As such, we noticed that some of the interest rates were higher than they otherwise would be. 

Risks Related To Variable Rates

On top of this, there are risks associated with variable rate loans. While these are handy for getting the lowest rates, they depend entirely on central bank decisions, and those can often be difficult to predict. 

Limited Free Information

Also, we would have liked to have seen more information on the website about loans and how they work. While there was some support, many similar websites offer more, allowing students to know exactly where they stand on all issues relating to taking out loans. 

Program Changes

Finally, take note of the fact that College Ave reserves the right to change its loan programs without notice. They’re doing that because of issues in the industry, but it is still something worth bearing in mind. 

Final Verdict

So, what’s our final view of College Ave’s services? Ultimately, we think it’s a solid choice for anyone looking to supplement conventional student loans. It provides the extra funds needed while also doing so in a low-friction, high-impact way. As such, it gets a five out of five-star rating from us.